Interview with Dr. Larry Schmidbauer Audiologist
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Topic: SeboTek Hearing Aids
AO/Beck: Hi Larry. It's a pleasure to meet you.
Schmidbauer: Thanks Doug. It's a pleasure for me too.
AO/Beck: Would you please tell me about your education, and how long have you been in practice?
Schmidbauer: 23 years in practice. I got my masters degree from Bowling Green State University in 1979. My doctorate is from Arizona School of Health Sciences, back in August 2001.
AO/Beck: Are the patients you're working with today essentially the same as those you worked with ten years ago? Or, has the patient profile changed?
Schmidbauer: I'm seeing expansion on both sides of the adult age group. As a diagnostic audiology practice we see patients of all ages. But for hearing aid activity, my patients are typically in their early 70s through their 90s. They essentially all share one characteristic - they want a better quality of life. However, I'm also seeing people in their 40s and 50s getting hearing aids because they don't want to miss out on things.
AO/Beck: How do you decide which hearing aid to fit on which patient?
Schmidbauer: I talk to patients about their test results and how the test results relate to the problems that brought them to the office. When the hearing loss is sensorineural, we recommend amplification. I show them different styles of hearing aids that would be appropriate for their hearing loss, and let them make their choice based on the size, style, features and technology. I like people to choose features that allow them to make difficult listening situations better, including directional microphones. I saw the SeboTek instruments at the Academy of Dispensing Audiologists (ADA) meeting in October 2002 and I liked it. The cosmetic appeal of the instrument is quite good. I listened to the instrument and I liked the sound quality and the features too, so I decided to introduce it as an option for my patients. I offer the SeboTek PAC when they are looking for directional microphone technology, advanced digital technology and a very small instrument. I keep one in the office sized for my ear. I put it on and show them that it is cosmetically appealing and it has the directional microphone and digital processing, and the patients usually like it right off the bat.
AO/Beck: Very good. What about unusual or difficult to fit patients?
Schmidbauer: Two of my happiest SeboTek users are men in their late 30s to mid-40s who previously wore in-the-canal aids. One of the gentlemen had surgery on his ear as a child, which altered his ear canal a bit so it's been difficult to keep canal aids in his ear. Even when they were fit well, they would tend to migrate out of his ear canal as he moved his jaw. The other gentleman was wearing an analog canal aid. Both have told me they're hearing more than they've heard from their previous instruments, they wear the SeboTek hearing aids all the time, and they are very pleased with the addition of the digital technology and the directional microphones. So I have post-op ears, and I have fit younger men, and they all do well.
AO/Beck: What happens when you speak to other audiologists and dispensers about this product?
Schmidbauer: It's a newer product; it's a new design. It's not something that has been on the market and available commercially for years and years, and so a number of professionals aren't aware of it. You know, there have been many hearing instruments that fit deep in the canal in the past, but they rarely delivered on their promises and I wasn't a big advocate. The SeboTek allowed us to get into deep canal fittings with a digital instrument that can be readily fit to the patient following a diagnostic evaluation. A lot of audiologists aren't aware of these instruments yet, and from those that are, I've heard very good comments. They have been very pleased.
AO/Beck: Can you actually fit the patient with the SeboTek instruments, essentially during the same appointment as the diagnostic evaluation?
Schmidbauer: It's perfectly feasible for some patients. I've had previous hearing aid wearers that were so pleased with the SeboTeks, that they wore the demos home and came back a few days later to pick up their own instruments. I basically just programmed it for their hearing loss and let them take it home and then scheduled them to come in a few days later. I've had very good success with that. They've been very pleased with the sound quality and the improvement in their hearing, and have ended up purchasing the instruments. So yes, many times, we can do the diagnostics and the fitting in the same appointment.
AO/Beck: Have you worn the device yourself?
Schmidbauer: Yes. When I got the instruments in January 2003, I realized I had to teach people how to put them in and take them out of their ears. The PAC is a little bit different than the standard hearing instrument. So what I did was program a unit for 25 dB HL thresholds across the board, and I sized it to my ear, and wore it in the office and at home for three days. Nobody noticed the PAC, no one knew I had it on. The comfort and the sound quality were readily apparent to me. I don't have hearing loss, but having listened to a lot of hearing aids over the years, I thought it sounded very nice and fit very comfortably.
AO/Beck: Can you discuss the various components, tips, links and fitting issues?
Schmidbauer: Right. The SeboTek instruments come with a portion we call the sound processor. The sound processor has the two microphones, the push button, the amplifier, and the batteries are in there. The sound processor has a digital chip in it and we program that for the individual. Plugged into the sound processor is what's called the speaker link and they come in different sizes. There are small, medium, and large at this stage of things and those pretty well cover the different ranges of size that we need to go from the ear canal up and around the top of the ear. The speaker link is a hardwire that comes out of the sound processor and goes down into the ear canal and we put a soft silicone tip over that. If over time, the speaker link becomes a problem, such as the hardwire breaks, which is rare, but can happen, we replace it in the office. The soft silicone tip is medical grade silicone. It is very durable and comfortable to wear. The tip of it allows the speaker to almost free float in the ear canal so the speaker is not touching the wall of the ear canal. The silicone tip does that and that let's you seat it comfortably deep in the ear. Currently, I believe there are seven tip sizes, so we can find a size that is appropriate for almost everyone. I have had some people with one size tip in one ear and another size in the other ear. So just as a reminder - ears are not always the same size so we need to make sure it's comfortable and fits right for each ear. If the speaker itself plugs with ear wax or moisture, it too, can be replaced here in the office. No problem. So ease and speed of repair and service, and less down time with the SeboTek hearing instruments are major concerns from the patient's standpoint, and from mine too.
AO/Beck: Anything else you'd like to add?
Schmidbauer: I have enjoyed fitting them. There's a lot of flexibility in the software that let's you program it as you need to. There are four different frequency bands and you can program those individually. You can program compression and directional microphone polar plots, and all sorts of things. It's very nice. It's got a pretty efficient system for handling feedback and that's worked out nicely too. You can roll off some of the highs or you can notch out frequencies to deal with feedback very effectively.
AO/Beck: Okay. Larry, thanks so much for your time and thoughts on the SeboTek PAC.
Schmidbauer: Thank you too Doug.
Click here to visit the Sebotek website.
Schmidbauer: Thanks Doug. It's a pleasure for me too.
AO/Beck: Would you please tell me about your education, and how long have you been in practice?
Schmidbauer: 23 years in practice. I got my masters degree from Bowling Green State University in 1979. My doctorate is from Arizona School of Health Sciences, back in August 2001.
AO/Beck: Are the patients you're working with today essentially the same as those you worked with ten years ago? Or, has the patient profile changed?
Schmidbauer: I'm seeing expansion on both sides of the adult age group. As a diagnostic audiology practice we see patients of all ages. But for hearing aid activity, my patients are typically in their early 70s through their 90s. They essentially all share one characteristic - they want a better quality of life. However, I'm also seeing people in their 40s and 50s getting hearing aids because they don't want to miss out on things.
AO/Beck: How do you decide which hearing aid to fit on which patient?
Schmidbauer: I talk to patients about their test results and how the test results relate to the problems that brought them to the office. When the hearing loss is sensorineural, we recommend amplification. I show them different styles of hearing aids that would be appropriate for their hearing loss, and let them make their choice based on the size, style, features and technology. I like people to choose features that allow them to make difficult listening situations better, including directional microphones. I saw the SeboTek instruments at the Academy of Dispensing Audiologists (ADA) meeting in October 2002 and I liked it. The cosmetic appeal of the instrument is quite good. I listened to the instrument and I liked the sound quality and the features too, so I decided to introduce it as an option for my patients. I offer the SeboTek PAC when they are looking for directional microphone technology, advanced digital technology and a very small instrument. I keep one in the office sized for my ear. I put it on and show them that it is cosmetically appealing and it has the directional microphone and digital processing, and the patients usually like it right off the bat.
AO/Beck: Very good. What about unusual or difficult to fit patients?
Schmidbauer: Two of my happiest SeboTek users are men in their late 30s to mid-40s who previously wore in-the-canal aids. One of the gentlemen had surgery on his ear as a child, which altered his ear canal a bit so it's been difficult to keep canal aids in his ear. Even when they were fit well, they would tend to migrate out of his ear canal as he moved his jaw. The other gentleman was wearing an analog canal aid. Both have told me they're hearing more than they've heard from their previous instruments, they wear the SeboTek hearing aids all the time, and they are very pleased with the addition of the digital technology and the directional microphones. So I have post-op ears, and I have fit younger men, and they all do well.
AO/Beck: What happens when you speak to other audiologists and dispensers about this product?
Schmidbauer: It's a newer product; it's a new design. It's not something that has been on the market and available commercially for years and years, and so a number of professionals aren't aware of it. You know, there have been many hearing instruments that fit deep in the canal in the past, but they rarely delivered on their promises and I wasn't a big advocate. The SeboTek allowed us to get into deep canal fittings with a digital instrument that can be readily fit to the patient following a diagnostic evaluation. A lot of audiologists aren't aware of these instruments yet, and from those that are, I've heard very good comments. They have been very pleased.
AO/Beck: Can you actually fit the patient with the SeboTek instruments, essentially during the same appointment as the diagnostic evaluation?
Schmidbauer: It's perfectly feasible for some patients. I've had previous hearing aid wearers that were so pleased with the SeboTeks, that they wore the demos home and came back a few days later to pick up their own instruments. I basically just programmed it for their hearing loss and let them take it home and then scheduled them to come in a few days later. I've had very good success with that. They've been very pleased with the sound quality and the improvement in their hearing, and have ended up purchasing the instruments. So yes, many times, we can do the diagnostics and the fitting in the same appointment.
AO/Beck: Have you worn the device yourself?
Schmidbauer: Yes. When I got the instruments in January 2003, I realized I had to teach people how to put them in and take them out of their ears. The PAC is a little bit different than the standard hearing instrument. So what I did was program a unit for 25 dB HL thresholds across the board, and I sized it to my ear, and wore it in the office and at home for three days. Nobody noticed the PAC, no one knew I had it on. The comfort and the sound quality were readily apparent to me. I don't have hearing loss, but having listened to a lot of hearing aids over the years, I thought it sounded very nice and fit very comfortably.
AO/Beck: Can you discuss the various components, tips, links and fitting issues?
Schmidbauer: Right. The SeboTek instruments come with a portion we call the sound processor. The sound processor has the two microphones, the push button, the amplifier, and the batteries are in there. The sound processor has a digital chip in it and we program that for the individual. Plugged into the sound processor is what's called the speaker link and they come in different sizes. There are small, medium, and large at this stage of things and those pretty well cover the different ranges of size that we need to go from the ear canal up and around the top of the ear. The speaker link is a hardwire that comes out of the sound processor and goes down into the ear canal and we put a soft silicone tip over that. If over time, the speaker link becomes a problem, such as the hardwire breaks, which is rare, but can happen, we replace it in the office. The soft silicone tip is medical grade silicone. It is very durable and comfortable to wear. The tip of it allows the speaker to almost free float in the ear canal so the speaker is not touching the wall of the ear canal. The silicone tip does that and that let's you seat it comfortably deep in the ear. Currently, I believe there are seven tip sizes, so we can find a size that is appropriate for almost everyone. I have had some people with one size tip in one ear and another size in the other ear. So just as a reminder - ears are not always the same size so we need to make sure it's comfortable and fits right for each ear. If the speaker itself plugs with ear wax or moisture, it too, can be replaced here in the office. No problem. So ease and speed of repair and service, and less down time with the SeboTek hearing instruments are major concerns from the patient's standpoint, and from mine too.
AO/Beck: Anything else you'd like to add?
Schmidbauer: I have enjoyed fitting them. There's a lot of flexibility in the software that let's you program it as you need to. There are four different frequency bands and you can program those individually. You can program compression and directional microphone polar plots, and all sorts of things. It's very nice. It's got a pretty efficient system for handling feedback and that's worked out nicely too. You can roll off some of the highs or you can notch out frequencies to deal with feedback very effectively.
AO/Beck: Okay. Larry, thanks so much for your time and thoughts on the SeboTek PAC.
Schmidbauer: Thank you too Doug.
Click here to visit the Sebotek website.
