Question
I am opening a second location and need to purchase a real ear verification system. What are some of the features available with newer systems and how will they help my hearing aid fittings?
Answer
Verifit 2 from Audioscan has a new platform with capabilities to test the latest hearing aids.
One of the important new features is binaural test capability. Hearing aids are now wirelessly communicating with each other. They are able to exchange signals and control information so they are more than just two hearing aids, they are a binaural system. They need to be tested as a paired system and we will be continuing to develop that capability as we move forward. We think there is also a bigger role for the test box or test chamber. In a very well-controlled environment, you can debug problems and perform more sophisticated pre-fittings.
We now also have a binaural headphone so that you can listen to each side independently and see how the hearing aids are performing. This enables you to troubleshoot each instrument when there is an issue. There may be situations where you fit different hearing aids on either ear in a binaural fitting and you want to listen to whether they are performing similarly or make quality comparisons. There are many opportunities now with a binaural test box to do things that have never been done before.
We have also added wide-band test capabilities to test hearing aids with extended bandwidths. We have extended the bandwidth out internally to 16 kHz which is12.5 kHz in the third octave.
ANSI has come out with a new real-ear-to-coupler difference (RECD) protocol which will result in more accurate results. Audioscan products are the first to implement this new protocol.
With Verifit 2, you can do real-ear measurement on any device, including new hearing instrument styles. That part is easy. For the test box we have added a new means to easily couple thin tube and RIC styles. We can certainly test IICs, and we can even test deep-insertion devices such as the Lyric. We also have a new 0.4 cc coupler, which makes coupling much easier than with a 2 cc. With the Verifit 2, test box measures have become a lot more powerful, are much easier to do, and now encompass all instrument types.
Thank you for your question. If you would like more information about Verifit 2, please visit www.audioscan.com or the Audioscan Expo Page on AudiologyOnline.
