User`s instructions Senso Vita élan

User’s instructions
Senso Vita élan
SV-9é
Behind-the-ear
Contents
These user’s instructions are intended as a way to
maximize benef it from the Senso Vita élan hearing
aid, so please read and follow them carefully.
Please note: Your hearing aid, earmold, and cleaning
accessories may not look exactly the same as in these
user’s instructions.
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Your new Senso Vita élan hearing aid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
A world of new sounds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
The road to better hearing and
a more active everyday life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Senso Vita élan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
The élan ear-set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
The battery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Battery type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Inserting the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Changing the battery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Turning the hearing aid on and off. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Left/right identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Placing Senso Vita élan on/in the ear. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Removing Senso Vita élan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Automatic adjustment of loudness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Fine tuning loudness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Listening programs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Switching between the listening programs . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Keeping Senso Vita élan clean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Cleaning accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Cleaning the hearing aid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Cleaning the élan ear-set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Changing the élan ear-set. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Adjusting the élan ear-set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Caring for your hearing aid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Other information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Troubleshooting tips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
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Your new Senso Vita élan hearing aid
Widex has been developing and manufacturing high
quality hearing aids since 1956. In Senso Vita élan
we have utilized the latest advancements in digital
technology and created a hearing aid with innovative and sophisticated solutions to make the most of
your hearing ability and help ensure optimum communication.
These user’s instructions contain information regarding various aspects of wearing hearing aids and
are made up of two parts: (1) an introduction to life
as a hearing aid user getting used to new sounds,
etc. (2) facts about your hearing aid such as how to
operate and maintain it, and what you can do if you
experience problems. We recommend that you read
the entire booklet in order to get the most from your
new hearing aids.
We hope you will be pleased with your new
Widex hearing aid.
1. Senso Vita élan without a volume control
2. Senso Vita élan with a volume control
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A world of new sounds
Becoming a hearing aid user can be an exciting challenge. While your hearing aid does not restore normal hearing, it does enable you to hear sounds that
you may not have heard or thought about for years
- everyday sounds such as a clock ticking, water
dripping, television, a car, footsteps on hard floors,
children, music, doors slamming, etc. Hearing these
sounds again can be overwhelming - try to identify
and localize them so that they will become a part of
your everyday active world.
The road to better hearing and a more active
everyday life
Your hearing aid can help you regain the pleasure of
communicating with other people and enhance your
quality of life. So, although it may feel challenging in
the beginning, it will be well worth the effort.
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Widex hearing aids are designed with a multitude of
options, settings and features to benefit most hearing aid users. Your Senso Vita élan hearing aid is set
individually to your hearing to ensure the best and
most comfortable sound reproduction.
After a period of use in which you experience more
diverse listening environments, your hearing aids
may have to be fine tuned by your hearing healthcare professional. The more details you can provide
for your hearing healthcare professional about your
initial experience with the hearing aids, the easier it
will be to find the right solution.
Senso Vita élan
Make detailed notes of your concerns and any difficult listening situations to share with your hearing
healthcare professional at your next appointment.
Does the hearing aid feel comfortable in your ear?
Are there difficulties related to low or high frequency sounds, or weak or loud sounds? Does the problem occur all the time or only in specific situations?
The details that you provide will enable your hearing healthcare professional to offer you appropriate
solutions.
Senso Vita élan gives you the clearest and most comfortable sound possible and automatically adjusts
loudness according to your listening environment.
Through a continuous analysis of the incoming
sounds, Senso Vita élan is able to reduce noise and
enhance speech. It is equipped with two listening
programs: one for ordinary, quiet environments and
one for noisy situations. It can also be provided with
the traditional extra listening programs enabling the
use of your Senso Vita élan with the telephone or
loop systems.
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The élan ear-set
1. Microphone openings, where the sound enters
the hearing aid.
2. Volume control is not standard, but is an option
with your Senso Vita élan hearing aid. It allows
you to increase or decrease the volume.
1. Earhook
2. Tubing
3. Anchor
4. é-tip
3. Program button, which allows you to choose
among different listening programs.
4. On/off switch
5. Battery drawer with a nail grip for easy opening.
6. élan ear-set.
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The battery
Battery type
The Senso Vita élan uses a size 13 Zinc Air battery.
To purchase batteries, consult your hearing healthcare professional. Please note the expiration date
and the instructions regarding disposal of used batteries on the battery pack. Do not use batteries past
the expiration date. Zinc Air type batteries need air
to be activated; therefore, do not remove the adhesive tab until just before inserting the battery in the
hearing aid. Once the tab has been removed, the
battery will start functioning after a few seconds.
The lifetime of the battery depends on a number of
factors, such as the setting of your hearing aid, how
many hours you use it daily and the listening environments in which you use it.
Inserting the battery
Before inserting a new battery in
your hearing aid, remember to remove the adhesive tab. Do not use
batteries on which there is a sticky
residue from the tab or other unwanted substance as
this can block the battery air holes.
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Push the nail grip upwards to
swing open the battery drawer.
The nail grip is located on the
opposite side of the on/off switch
at the bottom of the hearing aid.
The plus (+) sign of the battery
must face upwards. If the battery
drawer does not close easily, the
battery is incorrectly inserted.
Turning the hearing aid on and off
Changing the battery
If you hear four rapid beep-tones while wearing
your hearing aid, it is an indication that the battery
is nearly exhausted. Once the battery dies, the hearing aid will be completely silent. Exactly how long
the hearing aid will function after the beep-tones
varies from one case to another. We recommend
that you always have a spare battery with you.
Never leave a dead battery in the hearing aid. Dead
batteries may leak and damage the hearing aid.
When changing batteries, it is a good idea to hold
the hearing aid over a table or a carpet, in case you
drop the hearing aid or battery.
The battery drawer is placed at
the bottom of the hearing aid.
The battery drawer also functions as the on/off switch.
The hearing aid is turned on
when the switch is pushed
upwards, and off when the
switch is pushed downwards.
The word “OFF” is clearly
visible on the switch when
the hearing aid is turned off.
Please remember to switch the hearing aid off when
it is not in use. Remove the battery if the hearing aid
will not be used again soon.
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Left/right identification
If you wear hearing aids
on both ears, your hearing
healthcare professional can
put colored marks on your
hearing aids so you can easily see which is for the left ear
and which is for the right ear
(red mark = right and blue
mark = left).
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Placing Senso Vita élan on/in the ear
Insert a battery in your hearing aid. We recommend
that you turn off the hearing aid before placing it
on the ear. First place the hearing aid behind the
ear, so that the earhook and tubing rest comfortably
on the ear, close to your head. Then insert the é-tip
in the ear canal while holding the lower part of the
tubing. Lastly, position the anchor. It should rest at
the opening of the ear canal and secure the position
of the é-tip as well as the entire élan ear-set. When
everything is in the correct position, turn the hearing aid on.
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Removing Senso Vita élan
Automatic adjustment of loudness
First remove the hearing aid from its position behind the ear. Then, carefully pull the é-tip out of the
ear canal, while holding the lower part of the tubing.
Senso Vita élan analyzes the surrounding sound environment several thousand times per second and
adjusts its volume accordingly. You do not have to
think about adjusting the volume – it happens automatically.
Important: If the volume in your hearing aid is too
loud or too weak, or if the reproduced sounds are
distorted, or you would like any further information,
consult the hearing healthcare professional from
whom you received your hearing aid.
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Fine tuning loudness
Your hearing aid may be
provided with a volume
control, shaped like a
small lever. Push the lever up to raise the volume.
Push it down to lower the
volume. Use short touches
for small volume changes.
Larger adjustments are
obtained by keeping the
lever pressed for some seconds.
Listening programs
Your Senso Vita élan can be equipped with a number
of listening programs optimized for different listening situations. Your hearing healthcare professional
can help you select the programs that are of use to
you and make them available on the hearing aid
program button. If your needs change over time, the
combination of listening programs can be changed.
In these user’s instructions, the hearing healthcare
professional can list the listening programs that are
available in your hearing aid (see page 24).
When you raise the volume, you will hear a beeptone for each step the volume is raised. When you
lower the volume, you will hear a higher beep-tone
for each step the volume is lowered. When the maximum or minimum adjustment level is reached, a
steady tone will sound until you release the lever.
Any adjustment of the automatic volume setting will
be cancelled when your hearing aid is turned off.
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Listening programs:
You can select the listening program that is most
appropriate for your environment.
Quiet (the hearing aid microphone picks up sounds
from all directions). This program is recommended
for quiet environments.
Noise (the hearing aid microphone focuses on
sounds coming from the direction in which you
turn your head by attenuating sounds coming from
behind). This program is recommended for noisy
environments where you wish to focus on speech.
T (telecoil) This listening program can be used with
a telecoil compatible telephone and where a loop
system is installed. By selecting this program you
can listen directly to the sound source and shut out
surrounding sounds.
M+T This listening program is a combination of
the Quiet and T (telecoil) programs. If you activate
“M+T” you can listen directly to the source of sound
and still hear the surrounding sounds.
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Switching between the
listening programs
You switch between the
programs by using the program button on the back of
the hearing aid, just above
the battery drawer. Each
time you switch to another program, you will hear
beep-tones. The number of beeps tells you which
program you are in; one beep-tone for program 1,
two beep-tones for program 2, three beep-tones
for program 3 and four beep-tones for program 4.
Please note that if, for example, you only have three
programs, program 3 will be followed by program 1
as you switch programs.
If you – in consultation with your hearing healthcare professional – decide on other combinations of
programs later, these can be written on the blank
forms found at the back of these instructions.
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Keeping Senso Vita élan clean
Listening programs
Program
Chosen
programs:
Application:
Cleaning accessories
The following accessories are available for your hearing aid:
1. Battery magnet to facilitate insertion of the battery into the battery drawer.
1.
2. Wax removing tool for cleaning the élan ear-set.
3. Soft cloth for drying and cleaning the hearing
aid.
2.
3.
Additional supplies of accessories can be obtained
from the hearing healthcare professional from
whom you received your hearing aid.
4.
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Cleaning the hearing aid
Never wash your hearing
aid with water, cleaning
solutions or other liquids.
Instead, clean your hearing
aid with a dry soft cloth after use.
When the hearing aid is not in use, it is a good idea
to leave the battery drawer open, so as to ventilate
the hearing aid and allow it to dry.
Cleaning the élan ear-set
Make sure that your élan ear-set is clean and free
of earwax and moisture. Never use alcohol or other
cleaning solutions to clean the élan ear-set. If the
tubing becomes slack, stiff, yellow or cracked, replace it. To obtain new élan ear-sets, consult your
hearing healthcare professional.
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If the élan ear-set tubing is clogged, it must be
cleaned. Hold the earhook with two fingers while
holding the hearing aid with the opposite hand. Lift
the élan ear-set off in a slanting, backward movement. Then clear the opening with the wax removal
tool.
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Changing the élan ear-set
The opening in the é-tip can also be cleared with
the wax removal tool. If necessary, the é-tip can be
washed in lukewarm water. Disconnect the é-tip
from the élan ear-set and rinse it thoroughly. Allow
it to dry overnight.
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The élan ear-set should be changed on a regular
basis. Its useful life is individual and depends on a
number of factors, such as how much the hearing
aid is used and the type of earwax to which it is exposed. The élan ear-set can be removed by holding
the earhook with two fingers and the hearing aid
with the opposite hand. Then lift the élan ear-set off
in a slanting, backward movement. A new one can
then be snapped into place by gently pressing it onto
the hearing aid.
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Adjusting the élan ear-set
The élan ear-set can be adjusted to fit your ear exactly. Your hearing healthcare professional will choose
the correct size for you the first time. In these user’s
instructions, your hearing healthcare professional
can circle the sizes selected for you. See page 33.
Choice of tubing: The tubing is available in three
different lengths for the right and left ear, respectively. It is important to choose the correct one in
order to ensure a proper fit. The tubing must not be
too short or so long that it is too loose.
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Choice of é-tip: The é-tip is available in four sizes
in order to ensure a comfortable fit in the ear canal.
Change the é-tip by pulling it off the rest of the élan
ear-set and replacing it with a new one.
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Circle the sizes selected for the élan ear-set.
Left ear
é-tip
Adjusting the anchor: The anchor should form an
appropriately sized loop to ensure the comfortable
retention of the é-tip in your ear canal. It is formed
by pulling the tip of the anchor through a small hole
on the side of the ear-set. When the loop is the correct size, cut off any excess, leaving only the loop. The
correct size is obtained when the anchor loop comfortably supports the proper position of the é-tip in
the ear canal.
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Right ear
Tubing
é-tip
Tubing
1S
1L
1L
1S
1L
1R
2S
2L
2L
2S
2L
2R
3L
3R
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Caring for your hearing aid
Your hearing aid is designed to give you years of reliable service. Treat your hearing aid as the valuable
object it is - with care:
• The élan ear-set can become misshapen if left in a
compressed position for long periods of time. Keep
your Senso Vita élan hearing aid placed correctly
in the case to maintain the proper shape of the
élan ear-set. The case
is designed for housing one hearing aid at
a time. If you store two
Senso Vita élan hearing aids in the same
case, be very careful
not to twist or squeeze
the élan ear-sets out of
shape (see drawing).
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• When it is not in use, keep your hearing aid in
its case in a cool, dry location where it cannot be
reached by children or pets. Turn it off. Should
you not use it for a day or more, take out the battery to avoid battery leakage.
• Never expose it to extreme temperatures or high
humidity.
• Do not wear your hearing aid in the shower or
swimming, or when using a hair dryer, hair spray,
or other sprays. Use care when applying topical
lotions such as sunscreen.
• Never try to open or repair the hearing aid yourself.
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Other information
• Some types of radiation can damage your hearing aid: do not wear it during x-rays, MRI or CT
scans, short-wave diathermy, or similar radiation
treatments and never place your hearing aid in a
microwave oven. Radiation from room surveillance equipment, burglar alarms, and cellular telephones is weaker and will not damage your hearing aid.
• Widex hearing aids are not certified for use in
mines or other areas with explosive gases.
• The use of hearing aids increases the risk of accumulation of earwax which can reduce the effectiveness of your hearing aid. If you suspect that
earwax has accumulated in your ear, contact your
physician. It may be necessary for your physician
to clean your ears a few times a year.
• Please be sure to keep your hearing aid, batteries,
and accessories out of the reach of children. Discard used batteries carefully. Do not change batteries in front of children and do not let them see
where you keep your supply.
• Never put a battery in your mouth for any reason.
In case of ingestion, contact your physician immediately and The National Button Battery Ingestion Hotline at: (202) 625-3333.
• The hearing aid is made of modern non-allergenic
materials. Still, in rare cases skin irritation can occur. If you notice skin irritation in or around your
ear or ear canal, contact your hearing healthcare
professional.
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Troubleshooting tips
The following pages include some quick advice to
follow if you experience problems. Before contacting your hearing healthcare professional, please follow the advice below:
If the hearing aid is dead, it could be because:
• The instrument is not turned on. Make sure the battery drawer, which functions as the on/off switch,
is pushed all the way upwards and that the word
“OFF” is not visible on the switch.
• The battery is dead or does not work. Insert a new
battery. Make sure the battery is placed correctly
and that the battery drawer is closed correctly.
• The sound outlet of the é-tip is blocked. Blockage of
the sound outlet of an é-tip is often caused by earwax. Clean the blocked sound outlet or replace the
é-tip. If necessary, replace the entire élan ear-set.
If the hearing aid volume is not powerful enough,
it could be because:
• The battery is nearly dead. Insert a new battery. Make
sure the battery is placed correctly and that the battery drawer is closed correctly.
• The sound outlet of the é-tip is blocked. Blockage of
the sound outlet of an é-tip is often caused by earwax. Clean the blocked sound outlet or replace the
é-tip. If necessary, replace the entire élan ear-set.
• Your ear is blocked by earwax. Contact your physician.
• Your hearing may have changed. Contact your hearing healthcare professional.
If the hearing aid whistles continuously, it could
be because:
• Your ear is blocked by earwax. Contact your physician.
• The tubing is broken. Replace the élan ear-set.
• The tubing is yellow and stiff. Replace the élan earset.
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Accessories
If the hearing aid works intermittently, it could
be because:
• The on/off switch is dirty. Push the switch back and
forth a couple of times.
FM systems
The FM system from Widex can be used as an accessory to Senso Vita élan. The FM system makes
it easier to understand speech in difficult listening
situations.
The system consists of a small radio transmitter
placed near the person speaking and a small radio
receiver attached to a Senso Vita élan via an audio/FM shoe. The operating range is approximately
50 feet, depending on the surroundings. Since the
system is wireless, both the listener and the speaker
have full freedom of movement within the specified
range.
For more information on the FM system from
Widex, consult your hearing healthcare professional.
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Audio input
Your Senso Vita élan can be equipped with an audio
shoe to allow direct connection to different kinds
of systems (radio, TV, FM systems, CROS and BiCROS). Consult your hearing healthcare professional on the use of audio input.
Listening programs
Program
Chosen
programs:
Application:
1.
2.
Important: If the hearing aid is connected to equipment which is connected to electrical power, this
equipment must meet standard safety requirements.
3.
Do not connect the hearing aid to items that are
labeled with one or more of the following symbols:
4.
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Widex,
Denmark
•
DK-3500 Vaerloese
www.widexusa.com
Reorder # CIB69/1204
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