Beltone Identity Instructions for use Digital In-the-Ear hearing instrument IDT15xs/15/15 HPG and IDT15 PB/15 PB HPG IDT25/25 HPG IDT35/35 HPG and IDT35D/35D HPG IDT45/45 HPG and IDT45D/45D HPG
A new Beltone hearing instrument Congratulations on your choice of a Beltone hearing instrument! This is an important step towards clearer hearing and better understanding. We have used all our experience with hearing instruments to help you communicate, lead an enjoyable social life and listen to the world around you. Your hearing instrument is a very advanced device. Your hearing care practitioner has tuned it to your individual needs. With a little devotion and patience you will become familiar with it.
This booklet & your instrument In this booklet you will find instructions for inserting and controlling your new hearing instrument. You will find explanations on controlling your instrument, on daily handling and on its use. Furthermore, you can read what to do if things do not live up to your expectations. We will give a few practical steps towards better hearing.
Your Hearing Instrument wax guard microphone opening battery door pull out cord vent (optional) CIC/CIC HPG Hearing Instrument wax guard microphone opening program button (optional battery door pull out cord 4 CIC PB/CIC PB HPG Hearing Instrument
wax guard microphone opening program button (optional) microphone opening battery door volume wheel (optional) ITC/ITC HPG Hearing Instrument wax guard microphone opening volume wheel (optional) program button (optional) battery door pull out cord MC/MC HPG Hearing Instrument 5
wax guard microphone opening microphone opening battery door program button (optional) volume wheel (optional) vent (optional) ITE/ITE HPG Hearing Instrument Switching on and off Your hearing instrument is switched off by opening the battery door. Off-open Switch your instrument on by closing the battery door. On-close After your instrument is switched on, the volume will always be as set by your hearing care practitioner. Read more on this on page 11.
Changing batteries When the battery voltage/power decreases to a certain level, the instrument will emit a soft beeping signal. This signal will continue for about one minute, and the sequence will continue every five minutes until the instrument will be automatically switched off. It is therefore advisable to keep an extra battery at hand. Open the battery door by placing your fingernail or a pencil under the edge of the battery door and gently push it backwards. When opened, remove the dead battery.
Remove the protective seal from the fresh battery and insert it in the battery door, with the plus side facing up. You will recognize the plus side of the battery because marked with a +. Check whether the + symbols on the battery and on the battery door are on the same side. Always insert a battery in the opened door, never directly into the instrument. Close the battery door. This should go smoothly, so never force it as this could damage your instrument.
Inserting and removing the instrument Inserting the instrument • The insertion process varies with the shape of your ear canal. A fairly straight ear canal allows easy insertion. However, some ear canals have sharper curves and may require more care. • Take the hearing instrument between thumb and index finger and position its ‘point’ in your ear canal. If available the colour dot must point upwards on CIC instruments and on MC instruments.
Removing your instrument • Using your thumb and index finger gently pull the hearing instrument (not the battery door) from your ear. CIC instruments and MC instruments often have a thin plastic pullout cord. Use this. Never pull the battery door. • Removal may be easier if you open and close your mouth while simultaneously pulling your auricle backward with your other hand. Take some time at home to practice how to insert and remove your instrument.
Recognising left and right instrument Your hearing instrument is custom-made to fit your ear. Therefore, right and left instruments differ in shape. Your hearing instrument is marked with either a left or right indication: • A left instrument has a blue wax guard or blue dot; • A right instrument has a red wax guard or red dot. This is easy to remember: Red = Right. The colour dot must point upwards on the CIC and on MC instruments. Do not swap your hearing instruments.
Use your index finger to turn the volume wheel. Turn the wheel forwards to increase and turn it backward to decrease the volume. During the fitting of the hearing instrument, your hearing care practitioner will have chosen an optimal volume setting for you. When switching the instrument on, the volume will have that same setting. • If you prefer not to use the volume toggle your hearing care practitioner can switch the volume control off.
Program button - optional Your hearing instrument can be equipped with four different listen ing programs. Each program will have the most suitable settings for certain situations. After pressing the program button, the instrument will switch program. If it was in program 1 it will switch to program 2, if it was in program 2 it will switch to program 3 etc. If programs 2, 3 or 4 are not activated, nothing will happen. Your instrument will give an audible signal after pressing the program button.
Let your hearing care practitioner fill out the following table: Program number Type of program Intended for 1 2 3 4 Dual microphone system - optional ITC/HPG and ITE/HPG models can optionally have a directional microphone function, recognisable by a 2nd microphone opening. If you want to listen to a person in a noisy environment, the micro phone in these hearing instruments can help you to concentrate on the speech. If the microphone is in the directional mode the background noise will be suppressed.
T-program - optional Your ITC/ITC HPG instrument or ITE/ITE HPG instrument may have a built in function, the telecoil, enabling in many cases an improved use of the telephone and better hearing in those churches or halls where an induction loop system is installed. In order to activate this function, the telecoil program has to be selected. In this program you will hear no sounds from the micro phone, therefore most environmental sounds will be lost.
Using the telephone. • Switch your instrument to the telecoil program. • Hold your telephone handset behind your ear, close to the hearing instrument (1 inch, or 2-3 cm.) and slightly tilt the receiver outwards. • Listen to the dialing tone and move the handset a little to find the position that give the best reception. • If needed, and if your hearing instrument has it, turn the volume wheel up or down. • After completing the phone call, switch your instrument back to the microphone program.
Hearing through an induction loop More and more public places, churches, theatres and cinemas, have induction loop systems. In these particular rooms, they transmit, wirelessly, the sound of the presenter or show. At home, radio or television can be connected to an induction loop. Sound quality through an induction loop is often better because noises from the environment are not transmitted. • Switch your instrument to the T-program, using the program button. • Choose a good spot.
Maintenance and cleaning Earwax (cerumen) will accumulate on your hearing instrument during use. If earwax enters the instrument it can damage it. The instrument has a protection system, the wax guard. Clean the instrument and replace the wax guard filter regularly. Failure to do so can lead to an accumulation of earwax impairing sound quality. Cleaning is easier when accumulated earwax is dry; e.g., in the morning, before you insert the instrument into your ear.
Cleaning the vent Your hearing instrument may have a vent, a small canal through the entire instrument. If so, clean it regularly. • Insert the vent-cleaning tool – plastic line with handle – into the vent. Push the cleaning line completely through the vent. • Wipe off any collected earwax. • Pull the line out and wipe off again. • Repeat this until all the earwax has been removed. Wax guard Your hearing instrument is usually equipped with a wax guard system. This prevents earwax entering the instrument.
Replace wax guard ‘Sentry II’ Hearing instruments of type CIC or MC instrument are usually equipped with a wax guard called ”Sentry II”. Please verify this with your hearing care practitioner. Sentry II wax guards are available in a set, containing red guards, blue guards, and a dedicated tool for changing them. Use red wax guards for right instruments and blue guards for left instruments.
• Insert the wax guard into the sound outlet of the hearing instrument. • Remove the tool and press the wax guard down with your thumb to secure it.
Replace wax guard ‘Sentry’ Hearing instruments of types ITC or ITE instrument are usually equipped with wax guards called ”Sentry”. Please verify this with your hearing care practitioner. Sentry wax guards are available in a small plastic box, containing red guards, blue guards, and a dedicated tool for changing them. Use red wax guards for right instruments and blue guards for left instruments. The wax guard insertion tool has two different ends: A and B.
• Pick up a new wax guard from the box. Press end A firmly onto the new wax guard and unscrew it from the box. Turn counter clockwise. • Insert the wax guard into the sound outlet of the hearing instrument. Screw the guard into the hearing instrument. Turn clockwise. • Use the other end (B) of the tool to tighten (gently) the wax guard in the hearing instrument.
Storing your instrument When you are not using your instrument, keep or transport it in the box supplied. Leave the battery door open. Keep your instrument in a dry place, not in a bathroom or other humid place. Alternatively, you could store the instrument in a desiccator from your hearing care practitioner. Cleaning the microphone opening Your instrument will not work properly if the microphone opening is dirty. Ask the hearing care practitioner to clean the opening. Never try this yourself.
General warnings Hearing instruments can be dangerous if improperly used. • Do not leave your instrument in the sun, near an open fire or in a hot, parked car. • Do not wear your instrument while showering, swimming, in heavy rain or in a moist atmosphere such as steam bath or sauna. • Should your instrument become moist, put it in a dessicator. Your hearing care professional will be happy to counsel on this. • Remove your instrument when applying cosmetics, e.g.
Eight steps towards better hearing You need to get used to your new hearing instrument. Sounds seem new and different. That is because you grew accustomed to your diminished hearing. Therefore, familiar sounds seem strange or unnatural at first. Every first-time user of a hearing instrument responds differently to this. Some can wear the new instrument a whole day right from the start, while others find it hard to get used to.
3. Have a conversation with a single person Use your instrument in conversation with one person, a family member or a friend. Move to a quiet spot. Explain that you are now wearing a hearing instrument. Ask the other person to talk normally. Look at your conversation partner. If your instrument is tuned to your requirements you will be able to communicate better than before. 4. Listen to radio or television Listen to the radio or television. Start with the news, then turn to another program.
6. Visit public buildings Visit public buildings. Try to sit near the speaker; try to be seated in the front rows in a show. Avoid a seat behind a pillar or in an alcove, you will be in a ‘sound shadow.’ In a restaurant, sit with your back towards the wall. This avoids disturbing noises coming from behind you. If an induction loop is present, and your instrument has a telecoil, use the T-program. However, not every position will have good sound reception.
8. Use your instrument all day Using your hearing instrument and practising with it is the best way to learn to hear again. Even if you can hear without an instrument in some cases. Try to wear your instrument all day. In that way, you will benefit the most. Of course, a hearing instrument cannot restore natural hearing, but it will help you make the most of your hearing as it is today. Go beyond these eight steps and discover the world of sound around you.
General precautions • Consult a physician if you find a foreign object in your ear canal, if you experience skin irritation or if excessive ear wax accumulates with the use of the instrument. • Different types of radiation, e.g. from NMR or CT scanners, may damage the instrument. Therefore, do not wear the instrument during these or other corresponding scanning procedures.
Technical specifications Audio signal technology Digital Hearing instrument maximum output (IEC 118-0 OES) model IDT15xs, IDT15, IDT25 120 dB SPL IDT15 HPG, IDT25 HPG 127 dB SPL IDT15 PB 120 dB SPL IDT15 PB HPG 124 dB SPL IDT35 124 dB SPL IDT35 HPG 128 dB SPL IDT35D 124 dB SPL IDT35D HPG 129 dB SPL IDT45, IDT45D 131 dB SPL IDT45 HPG, IDT45D HPG 135 dB SPL 31
TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE Symptom Feedback, ’whistling’ cause Is your instrument inserted correctly? Is the volume very loud? Are you holding your hand or an object (e.g.
POSSIBLE REMEDY Put it in again Reduce it Move your hand away or create some more space between the instrument and the object Visit your physician Switch it on Switch it to the microphone program Insert a battery Replace it with a new one Visit your physician Replace it with a new one Clean it or use a new one Use a dissecator Always switch off the instrument at night Check the date on the battery packaging 33
International warranty and service Any digital hearing instrument from Beltone has an international warranty. Read more on this subject on the warranty card you received with your instrument. Repairs If your Beltone hearing instrument malfunctions, it must be repaired by a qualified technician. Do not attempt to open the case of the hearing instrument since this would invalidate the warranty. If your Beltone hearing instrument requires service, please contact your hearing care professional for assistance.
Your selected model Your hearing care professional place a check mark in the below table to identify the model you have received.
Faceplate/Electronics by: Beltone A/S Any issues relating to the EU Medical Device Directive 93/42/EEC should be directed to Beltone A/S.
16897100 GB-09.01 Rev. B Printed in Denmark © Beltone 2009 Beltone A/S Lautrupbjerg 9 DK-2750 Ballerup Denmark Tel.: +45 45 75 11 11 Fax: +45 45 75 11 19 www.beltone-hearing.
