HLAA Exhibits #2
2008 Hearing Loss Association of America Conference - Reno,
NV
By Cheryl Heppner, 6/17/08
Lifetone
Lifetone Technology, formerly
known as InnovAlarm, has developed new smoke alarm technology to address a
major shortcoming of current alarms that may be very important for
people with mild to moderate hearing loss. Its
Fire Safety Alarm Clock uses a low-frequency, 520 Hz square-wave
sound pattern that Lifetone says has been independently
tested and proven more effective than traditional audio
or stroke smoke alarms. Jan Biang, Lifetone's
Director of Product Marketing, showed me a prototype
of the clock, which can also be viewed at http://www.innovalarm.com/ourproduct.html.
The Fire Safety Alarm Clock constantly
monitors for signals from conventional smoke alarms.
When it hears such an alarm, the Lifetone alarm starts
broadcasting sounds at multiple frequencies below 3000Hz.
To cut through the techspeak, what's new and important
about this system is its use of low frequency sound. A study has
shown that low frequency sound will wake certain individuals
with hearing loss who might not be awakened by strobe lights or
the sound broadcast by common smoke detectors. A
Lifetone Fire Safety Alarm Clock will listen for these
common smoke detectors and alert you with low frequency
sound if they go off. This type of alarm is also
reputed to be helpful for seniors, children, deep
sleepers and mildly intoxicated individuals, all of whom
can be difficult to wake.
The product is expected to be on the market in
late 2008 or early 2009.
I'd like to steal Phonak's PR
department and put them to work for me! They have the most wonderful, slick
advertising and public relations materials, and are
doing so much to make hearing loss cool. My Exhibit
#1 to prove it would be their quarterly magazine Hear
the World: the Magazine for the Culture of Hearing, which
is now into its sixth issue. You can order an
issue free or subscribe for $39 per year at http://www.hear-the-world.com/.
They've enlisted ambassadors such as Washington's beloved
Placido Domingo, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, and
naughty singer Amy Winehouse. It's all about
sound.
I came home with these Phonak materials
:
- EduLink, The Link for Children
with Unilateral Hearing Loss (a guide for parents and
teachers). Great stuff such as how classroom learning
is at risk because noise can "smear" the
teacher's voice so that, though audible, it is intelligible.
- FM Solutions for Cochlear Implants,
an FM guide for cochlear implant and Baha (bone anchored
hearing aid) fitters.
It shows the various transmitters and receivers that Phonak
offers for cochlear implants and offers fitting tools for
audiologists for each model of cochlear implant or Baha.
- FM Activity Guide 101, a guide to help users of FM
devices maximize speech understanding in the most common
listening situations, with the help of a partner or friend.
- FM Collection, a comprehensive
product guide of wireless communication solutions offered
by Phonak. This includes recommendations for different
ages and lifestyles and overviews of transmitters, receivers,
accessories as well as their compatibility with various
hearing instruments, cochlear implants, and Bahas. Included
is information on the eSchoolDesk, a comprehensive FM
support platform for educational audiologists, teachers,
parents and teenagers.
- A 2-page product sheet on TX-300V
Wide Area Transmitter from Phonak, its product to make
public places accessible. The
high-power TX-300V transmitter covers large areas such
as auditoriums, lecture rooms, houses of worship, town
halls, movie theaters, sports venues, shopping malls, train
stations, etc.
- A booklet on Naida Ultra Power, Phonak's small
water-resistant hearing aid available in various sporty
colors as well as Safari stripes. Sealed housing makes
this hearing aid sweat, dirt and water-resistant, and an
integrated FM is also water-resistant. Sportsmen and women
will appreciate the Secure n' Stay attachment to hold the
Naida in place while allowing manual controls to be accessible.
There's a size for "junior ears".
The Sam Simon Foundation trains
hearing dogs to alert people who are deaf or severely
hard of hearing to common household sounds such as smoke
alarms, door knocks and telephones. Young, mixed breed dogs ared 1-3 years
are adopted from animal shelters and humane societies in
Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Assistance dog
instructors evaluate them for friendliness, confidence
and good health. Hearing dogs spend an average
of 4-6 months in training which includes sound awareness,
obedience and public socialization.
The foundation is a nonprofit
organization. It receives private support from Sam Simon,
an Emmy and Peabody award winning writer/director/producer
with a lifelong love of animals. At this time, they are placing dogs only
with individuals who live not too distant from their
facility on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, California. To
qualify, you must have at least a severe hearing loss,
love dogs, have the time and ability to work with the dog,
patience to work through problems, and finances to properly
take care of the dog. You must also be 12 years or
older for a hearing dog that works only at home and 18
or older for a certified hearing dog.
