If it’s made for hearing impairment, we can get it. We work with all of the major hearing aid brands as well as after market companies for supplies and accessories. Whether we’re guiding a patient through their first set of hearing aids or servicing the aids they are currently wearing, there is never a lack of resources to make sure the aids stay in optimal condition and the patient has everything they need. Please take a few minutes to learn more about the products we offer.

 Technology -

Technology has changed so drastically for hearing aids over the last 5 years that it’s hard to keep up with the latest advancement in hearing technology. So we have made it easy to understand the differences of each and every hearing aid and the technology it uses.

Hearing aids can be broken down into two main types, Analog or Digital. Here is an overview of the main differences between the two.

Analog:

The term analog is used to describe a type of signal processing conventionally used in hearing aids. Analog signal processing is made possible by receiving a SOUND WAVE in through the microphone, converting it to a VOLTAGE and passing it along to an ANALOG FILTER where it can be manipulated and amplified. In order for you to hear and understand the amplified sound, the VOLTAGE must be changed back into a SOUND WAVE before it exits the speaker into your ear.

This is an older technology and is rapidly becoming obsolete. The reason for this is due to the limitation Analog offers with sound manipulation. Its harder to adjust a hearing aid for unique and harder to fit hearing losses. This is why Digital is now becoming an industry standard.

 Digital:

Like Analog, the Digital hearing aid works in many of the same ways. A SOUND WAVE still is received by a microphone and converted into a VOLTAGE. Now, instead of the VOLTAGE being passed along to an ANALOG FILTER, it is now converted into a DIGITAL SIGNAL and passed along to a DIGITAL PROCESSOR for manipulation. Digital sound processing means that the sound is registered mathematically. It is encoded as a series of numbers, which reflect its pitch and volume at a given instant in time. Processing the sound bit by bit is much more precise, and certain details can be changed without affecting the integrity of the sound. As it is more robust than an analog signal, a digital signal can be repeated accurately and endlessly without affecting the overall sound quality. The digital principle is like making copies of a scanned image on a software diskette: each copy is a perfect duplicate of the original.

All of the latest advancements and brands are available through Astrum.

 Styles -

 We offer all of the major brands and manufacturers of hearing aids. We are constantly monitoring the new advancements in technology and hearing aid models to help insure that our patients are getting the best possible solution for their hearing needs.

Hearing aid styles are very important. Regardless of the hearing aid brand or model chosen, often the style is one of the most important parts in maximizing the gain in volume. The style dictates the size and fitting of the instrument. This is very important because the hearing loss of an individual puts them into a category of which style would be best suited for their needs. Consequently, some styles are better suited for certain types of losses. Below covers the four main style types and the losses that are most commonly associated with them.

These sizes are discussed from the smallest to biggest:

CIC: Completely-in-the-Canal (CIC) hearing aids can be placed deep in the ear canal. The faceplate of the CIC should be placed 1-2 mm beyond the ear canal opening. The smallest of all the hearing aids, these are custom-made to fit deeply inside your ear canal so that they are virtually invisible. This style is best used for a precipitous high frequency sensori-neural hearing loss. This loss is consistent with noise induced symptoms.

ITC: In The Canal hearing aids are also custom made and are a little bigger than the CIC. It too is supposed to be virtually invisible. This style is associated with moderate to severe sensori-neural hearing loss.

ITE: In The Ear hearing aids are also custom made and they fill the external ear canal. This is the most common style recommended because of the versatility and the amount of gain it can provide. This style is associated with moderate, severe and profound sensori-neural hearing losses.

BTE: Behind The Ear hearing aids are not custom made. These aids are fit behind the ear and are attached to a custom-made ear mold that fits in the external ear canal. This style is associated with moderate, severe and profound sensori-neural hearing losses.

Batteries & Related Products -

Please call us toll free at: 866-988-5403

 Astrum offers a toll free call in service for patients to receive their hearing aid batteries through the mail. Patients call our toll-free number and indicate their battery size, verify their current address as well as any information that would be pertinent to receiving the battery shipment. The batteries are delivered to the patient 2-4 business days from the time the call was placed with Astrum. Our negotiated pricing offers a lower cost per cell than can be purchased from a local vendor. By calling us and ordering over the phone, the patient does not have to leave the comfort of their own home. They will receive 80 batteries for $50.  The price includes shipping and handling. (Overnight service is available for a small postage charge.) 

Related Products -

We offer a variety of hearing related products also. These include but are not limited to: assistive listening devices, FM systems and various hearing conservation equipment. For any hearing related products and services please call us toll free at: 866-988-5403

More hearing informative links coming soon…

  
If you have hearing aid problems, contact your audiologist, advisor, itinerant teacher or classroom teacher who will be able to help. If you need further assistance, contact UNAstrum.

Please do not send repairs directly to the supplier, unless you wish to pay for service costs.

Do not include moulds with hearing aids sent for repair - you may need the mould for use with a spare aid.

Please print this form, complete it and send it with the Hearing aid to UNAstrum for repair.

Looking after your hearing aids

Molds
To clean your mold:

  1. Remove the tubing from the hook, but do not remove the hook from the hearing aid - this can damage both the hook and the hearing aid.
  2. Use warm water with a little detergent.
  3. Leave the mould in the water for 3-5 minutes, then use a small brush, e.g. an old toothbrush, to clean it.
  4. Rinse with clean warm water.
  5. Make sure there is no water in the tubing. Any water can be removed with a puffer.
  6. Dry the mould with a soft cloth.

Batteries
Remember to take the battery out if you are not using your hearing aid.

Always check that you have the battery in the right way.

Use a battery tester to check batteries. Remember to do this at the end of the day, when your battery is at its weakest.

Hearing aid care
Always look after your hearing aids.

  • Do not get them wet.
  • The hot water cupboard is a good place to dry your hearing aid with the battery out, and the battery drawer left open.
  • It is a good idea to 'work' the volume control occasionally to clean the carbon track. This helps prevent noisy and intermittent volume control operation.
  • DO NOT attempt simple repairs with cyanoacrylate adhesives (Superglue). This can lead to expensive repairs.

In-the-Ear aids
These are small and fragile, and need careful handling. Check regularly for any wax build up. Remove any wax carefully with the correct instruments.

FM Test Button receivers/headsets
These should be used only for pinpointing an existing fault. The entire system, i.e. cords, shoes and aids, should be checked daily via a stethoclip (if aids are set at high output, pinch the stethoclip tubing to reduce the volume). If a fault is found, the test button or phones can be used for testing the FM system for the fault. The majority of FM faults are caused by faulty Y cords or shoes, and testing via the test button will not pick up these common faults.
 
 

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