Step by step, we designed EasyView Otoblock, an adapter with a lens at the front, fitting on a standard otoscope. This feedback inspired our team to develop a product that would improve and simplify the insertion process further. They asked for an insertion process that was quick and did not require additional tools – and they did not want to have to measure the ear canal length. The process worked perfectly, but in terms of usability, the audiological testers were not convinced. We created an otoblock insertion method that requires a measurement of the ear canal length beforehand and an adjustment of the insertion depth of the otoblock insertion tool afterwards. With this in mind, our team ventured to provide a solution for audiologists in their daily work, by establishing a deep ear impression taking process. The challenge is that the audiologist needs to insert the otoblock very deep in the patient’s ear without being able to see where the otoblock is going. So, why do audiologists feel insecure when it comes to taking deep ear impressions? Well, although the beginning of the ear canal wall is cartilaginous, for deep ear impressions, the otoblock needs to be placed in the bony part of the ear canal, which can easily lead to discomfort and pain for the patient.
The market has a demand for discreet and comfortable hearing aids, and to fulfill this demand, audiologists need to take high quality deep ear impressions. The last question, in particular, interested me. I had many questions - What makes an ear impression a good one? Do I have different requirements for the ear impression depending on the ITE style I want to order? How do I consistently take deep ear impressions in a comfortable way for the patient and myself? After conducting several in-the-ear studies and research projects, and taking over 2000 ear impressions, I learned it is a more complicated procedure than I had once believed.
At least that’s what I thought when I started working in the Custom Products department at Phonak in 2013. Who would have thought that innovation is possible in a mundane thing like an ear impression otoblock?Īs audiologists, we know how to take ear impressions – it’s part of our daily business.
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