Interview with Sarah Smith - Vivatone Hearing Systems
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Topic: Entré Plus and Prelude
Paul Dybala: Hello everyone. This is Dr. Paul Dybala with Audiology Online. I'm here today with Sarah Smith of Vivatone Hearing Systems. We're sitting down talk about some new things that Vivatone is doing. Just so everybody can get to know you, Sarah, tell me a little bit about yourself and a little bit about what you do for Vivatone.
Smith: All right. I've been with Vivatone for about a year and a half now. I'm the Senior Field Audiologist, and my job is to basically travel across the country and make sure that Vivatone's reps are fully trained on our product line, our software, on wire bending, and addressing any technical issues. I also do a little bit of everything else with the company as well, so I have my finger in a lot of different pies.
Dybala: I've noticed when we come to visit you at your office or here at the booth you seem to be very busy. I guess what I would say to the readers is if you need to get something done or have a question about Vivatone, Sarah is a good contact person. We've always been impressed with the way she has responded to us, and she's turning a little bit red right now so I will move on!
Smith: Thank you!
Dybala: You're welcome. There are two new products that Vivatone has released: The Entré Plus and the Prelude. Could you give us a general overview of both of those products, Sarah?
Smith: Sure! Let's start with the Entré Plus. That product line has five different instruments in it, which go from basic entry level all the way up to top-of-the-line products. One of the new features of the Entré Plus is the ability for it to now be compatible with a high-fidelity receiver. We are going to be moving into some higher technology and higher sound quality, being able to push a little bit more gain without having all of the distortion out of the receiver. The Entré Plus line also has a new sleek casing design that also allows for the majority of the products in that line to have a size 312 battery. We're looking at a much longer battery life, which is going to be phenomenal for patients.
We've also introduced, as a brand new product that we've never had before, a mid-level directional product. That product will also have an automatic directional microphone on it. It's very flexible. You can activate that microphone in any of the four programs, and you can pick any polar plot that you want, so you're really going to see a lot of benefit out of that product line.
Dybala: So, the Entré is one line. Tell us a bit about the Prelude line.
Smith: The Prelude line is very much an entry-level product line. We have two different products in there. The Prelude 50 is an entry-level instrument that has one program, two channels, six scans, and it is compatible with our new software as well.
Then we have the Prelude 25, which is a digital hearing aid with trim pots for adjustment. It is really for that patient who is restricted by budget, but you want to be able to give them the receiver-in-the-ear benefit.
Dybala: I'm glad you mentioned the receiver in the ear, because that's one of the things that Vivatone is known for. There are two parts to that. You have your completely open canal fitting, and a part of that is your receiver-in-the-ear technology. If you would just touch on that a little bit.
Smith: Sure! There are two ways to approach the open fit at this point. You have your typical slim-tube, open-fit hearing aid, and then you have the receiver in the ear, where you actually place the speaker down into the ear canal.
Vivatone was the innovator of that technology, so that's where we keep our focus. All of our products are receiver-in-the-ear instruments. We've been doing open fit, receiver in the ear from the very beginning. All of our products are built from the ground up to be used as open fit, specifically in that environment. All of our algorithms, targets, attack and release times with compression are designed and implemented for that reason.
Dybala: Well, great. Just to circle back around to the Entré Plus, it's my understanding that the part of the Plus in the name is because you've actually done some things with that product to expand the fitting range, even though it is an open-fit design. It involves several things, so I'll let you go ahead and talk about that.
Smith: With the Plus in the Entré line, we're now compatible with three different fitting tools for those receivers. In going to the high fidelity receiver, we're now able to couple into an earmold. By doing that, we're able to open up the software in the chip and actually be able to fit patients in the low frequencies all the way down to 75 dB at 500 Hz. We're really getting a wide variety and an enlarged fitting range out of one unit.
In between that and this typical high-frequency loss, we're also able to couple the receiver with the propellers. This way you can pick a device that's strictly just a receiver in the ear and totally open, you can use the propeller, or you can go into a mold to fit a wider range.
Dybala: And so this also helps with the patient whose hearing loss is changing, too. You can change out the tip at the end to extend the fitting range as well.
Smith: Exactly. You can fit those progressive losses or even fluctuating hearing losses with the same device, without them having to change to different units or purchase different units as it progresses.
Dybala: How much does this change the fitting process much with the addition of the earmold option vs. the instant fit?
Smith: Before, because we offered strictly open-fit products and we've not had to cast a mold, it has been an instant-fit product, where patients are coming in for one visit for their hearing test, their consultation, and their fitting. It's been a big time saver and a big change in how audiologists are doing their practices.
With the additional mold that's being added in, there will be some time added to the process. But most patients should really be able to get by with a propeller.
Some of them won't, depending on how much feedback they have, but a large proportion of them will probably be able to get by with a propeller for a week or two as the earmolds are being made.
That will give them some time to be able to physically adjust to the hearing aid, by actually having something on the ear and in the ear. Then when the molds come, it's a little bit less of a transition for them.
Dybala: Makes sense. Well, the last thing I wanted to ask you about on the Entré is the new CONSEPT algorithm that is being utilized. To conclude this interview, can you tell us a little about it?
Smith: Sure. The CONSEPT is a Continuous Sequential Environmental Processing Transfer. It's basically a behind-the-scenes processing strategy that actively analyzes what's going on in all the different systems, such as noise reduction and compression. It's really analyzing all that information and making appropriate adjustments, so that those systems are working together, versus making decisions that could be harmful or working against each other. This is really what helps to make Entré such a great device for patients.
Dybala: Sounds like a full featured device.
Smith: Absolutely.
Dybala: Well, there are some great things are coming out from Vivatone. Sarah, thanks for spending the time to talk with me about them.
Smith: You're welcome. It was my pleasure.
For more information visit the Vivatone web channel on Audiology Online at www.audiologyonline.com/channels/vivatone.asp
Smith: All right. I've been with Vivatone for about a year and a half now. I'm the Senior Field Audiologist, and my job is to basically travel across the country and make sure that Vivatone's reps are fully trained on our product line, our software, on wire bending, and addressing any technical issues. I also do a little bit of everything else with the company as well, so I have my finger in a lot of different pies.
Dybala: I've noticed when we come to visit you at your office or here at the booth you seem to be very busy. I guess what I would say to the readers is if you need to get something done or have a question about Vivatone, Sarah is a good contact person. We've always been impressed with the way she has responded to us, and she's turning a little bit red right now so I will move on!
Smith: Thank you!
Dybala: You're welcome. There are two new products that Vivatone has released: The Entré Plus and the Prelude. Could you give us a general overview of both of those products, Sarah?
Smith: Sure! Let's start with the Entré Plus. That product line has five different instruments in it, which go from basic entry level all the way up to top-of-the-line products. One of the new features of the Entré Plus is the ability for it to now be compatible with a high-fidelity receiver. We are going to be moving into some higher technology and higher sound quality, being able to push a little bit more gain without having all of the distortion out of the receiver. The Entré Plus line also has a new sleek casing design that also allows for the majority of the products in that line to have a size 312 battery. We're looking at a much longer battery life, which is going to be phenomenal for patients.
We've also introduced, as a brand new product that we've never had before, a mid-level directional product. That product will also have an automatic directional microphone on it. It's very flexible. You can activate that microphone in any of the four programs, and you can pick any polar plot that you want, so you're really going to see a lot of benefit out of that product line.
Dybala: So, the Entré is one line. Tell us a bit about the Prelude line.
Smith: The Prelude line is very much an entry-level product line. We have two different products in there. The Prelude 50 is an entry-level instrument that has one program, two channels, six scans, and it is compatible with our new software as well.
Then we have the Prelude 25, which is a digital hearing aid with trim pots for adjustment. It is really for that patient who is restricted by budget, but you want to be able to give them the receiver-in-the-ear benefit.
Dybala: I'm glad you mentioned the receiver in the ear, because that's one of the things that Vivatone is known for. There are two parts to that. You have your completely open canal fitting, and a part of that is your receiver-in-the-ear technology. If you would just touch on that a little bit.
Smith: Sure! There are two ways to approach the open fit at this point. You have your typical slim-tube, open-fit hearing aid, and then you have the receiver in the ear, where you actually place the speaker down into the ear canal.
Vivatone was the innovator of that technology, so that's where we keep our focus. All of our products are receiver-in-the-ear instruments. We've been doing open fit, receiver in the ear from the very beginning. All of our products are built from the ground up to be used as open fit, specifically in that environment. All of our algorithms, targets, attack and release times with compression are designed and implemented for that reason.
Dybala: Well, great. Just to circle back around to the Entré Plus, it's my understanding that the part of the Plus in the name is because you've actually done some things with that product to expand the fitting range, even though it is an open-fit design. It involves several things, so I'll let you go ahead and talk about that.
Smith: With the Plus in the Entré line, we're now compatible with three different fitting tools for those receivers. In going to the high fidelity receiver, we're now able to couple into an earmold. By doing that, we're able to open up the software in the chip and actually be able to fit patients in the low frequencies all the way down to 75 dB at 500 Hz. We're really getting a wide variety and an enlarged fitting range out of one unit.
In between that and this typical high-frequency loss, we're also able to couple the receiver with the propellers. This way you can pick a device that's strictly just a receiver in the ear and totally open, you can use the propeller, or you can go into a mold to fit a wider range.
Dybala: And so this also helps with the patient whose hearing loss is changing, too. You can change out the tip at the end to extend the fitting range as well.
Smith: Exactly. You can fit those progressive losses or even fluctuating hearing losses with the same device, without them having to change to different units or purchase different units as it progresses.
Dybala: How much does this change the fitting process much with the addition of the earmold option vs. the instant fit?
Smith: Before, because we offered strictly open-fit products and we've not had to cast a mold, it has been an instant-fit product, where patients are coming in for one visit for their hearing test, their consultation, and their fitting. It's been a big time saver and a big change in how audiologists are doing their practices.
With the additional mold that's being added in, there will be some time added to the process. But most patients should really be able to get by with a propeller.
Some of them won't, depending on how much feedback they have, but a large proportion of them will probably be able to get by with a propeller for a week or two as the earmolds are being made.
That will give them some time to be able to physically adjust to the hearing aid, by actually having something on the ear and in the ear. Then when the molds come, it's a little bit less of a transition for them.
Dybala: Makes sense. Well, the last thing I wanted to ask you about on the Entré is the new CONSEPT algorithm that is being utilized. To conclude this interview, can you tell us a little about it?
Smith: Sure. The CONSEPT is a Continuous Sequential Environmental Processing Transfer. It's basically a behind-the-scenes processing strategy that actively analyzes what's going on in all the different systems, such as noise reduction and compression. It's really analyzing all that information and making appropriate adjustments, so that those systems are working together, versus making decisions that could be harmful or working against each other. This is really what helps to make Entré such a great device for patients.
Dybala: Sounds like a full featured device.
Smith: Absolutely.
Dybala: Well, there are some great things are coming out from Vivatone. Sarah, thanks for spending the time to talk with me about them.
Smith: You're welcome. It was my pleasure.
For more information visit the Vivatone web channel on Audiology Online at www.audiologyonline.com/channels/vivatone.asp
