Question
What are the differences in the Roger portfolio? Which one does my student need?
Answer
Phonak provides various Roger options and fitting the most apporiate combination is key to a student's success. Here we have the Roger microphone portfolio (Figure 1). On the far left, we have the Roger touchscreen mic. This is the primary microphone used in a school setting. That does not mean, however, that it cannot be used at home. It is the "Cadillac" of our microphones, with multiple scrolling pages, many functions, and three microphones. The Roger Pen is very popular with tweens and teens. It also has what we call an accelerometer; it can be laid on the table used in a multi-talker mode. On the far right is the very small Clip-on Mic. This is used a lot in home environments, and not as much in the classroom.
Figure 1. Roger microphone portfolio.
The third one from the left is the Roger Select which is about the size of a cookie. It is unique in that it has three microphones and six beamformers. With the Roger Select, you are able to select to whom you want to listen. There are six buttons, or areas that you can press on the top of the Roger Select to point it at whomever you want to hear the most. Alternatively, you could tap the middle button and it will go into an omni mode, where it will pick up everyone around you. It can also be worn on the lapel, or with a magnetic clip on the shirt. Because there are so many microphones, it doesn't matter if it slips or moves, or if the speaker's head turns. The beamformers are going to follow the speaker's voice, whether that be a teacher or a parent. Technically speaking, the Roger Touchscreen Mic is classified as "Roger for Education", and the other three are considered "Roger for Home". However, there can be a lot of crossover between use in those settings.
These are the Roger receivers (Figure 2). The 18, the 19, the Roger X and the Roger MyLink are all universal. Roger 21 is for MED-EL; Roger 20 is for Advanced Bionics; and Roger 17 is for Cochlear.
Figure 2. Roger receivers.
A complete Roger system consists of three things to make a remote microphone system: the hearing instrument, the Roger receiver, and the Roger microphone (Figure 3). Together, those three components make up a remote microphone system.
Figure 3. Components of a complete Roger system.
This Ask the Expert is an excerpt from Roger for Young Children. Learn more on the Phonak Expo Page on AudiologyOnline.
