Category Archives: Helpful Information

Honoring 25 Years Through Service, Connection, and Community

Because Sound Connects Us and 9/11 Unites Us.

We are honored to stand alongside 9/11 Day and communities across the nation as we come together to make a difference and #UNITEFORGOOD.

Learn more about 9/11 Day group: https://www.911day.org/

#911Day #UniteForGood #OticonMedical #HearingHealth #CommunityImpact #Volunteerism #GivingBack #SoundConnectsUs #ServiceAndUnity

Honoring Advocate Tammy’s Legacy

In memoriam, Ponto processor donated to a child in need

Oticon Medical has had the privilege of working with so many incredible individuals and families affected by hearing loss, including many who use our Ponto™ and Sentio™ Systems. Over the years we’ve built meaningful relationships with hearing health advocates, who are passionate about supporting others by sharing their personal experiences with hearing challenges.

One of our dearest advocates, Tamala “Tammy” Sullivan, recently passed away. Tammy touched countless lives with her kindness, courage, and unwavering dedication to the hard of hearing community. She offered not only information and guidance, but genuine hope—the kind that comes from someone who has walked the same path and chooses to light the way for others.

To honor Tammy’s generosity and the impact she made, we have donated a Ponto processor to a child in need.

Turning hearing challenges into a passion to help others

Tammy was especially passionate about helping children access the tools they need to thrive, which is why we felt this donation would be a meaningful way to continue her legacy.

“My family are honored that you are doing this,” said Tracy Sullivan, Tammy’s sister, when we consulted her about the donation. “My sister was a huge advocate for helping kids get what they needed to be successful. She loved to help people and would love this being done in her honor.”

Tammy learned sign language as a teenager and started working with the Deaf community. She was hard of hearing her entire life and was fitted with her first hearing aids as a teenager. When she read about bone anchored hearing systems, she was excited. Her traditional hearing aids had created problems that the bone anchored devices eliminated.

Meet Noah, recipient of Tammy’s gift of hearing

Another longtime advocate, Oticon Medical advocate-Ambassador Angela Sabal, helped us identify a family whose child needed a bone conduction processor but weren’t in a financial position to obtain one.

Noah is two-years-old and was born with hemifacial microtia, which his mother, Jessica, told us was “a surprise” when he was born. The family faced a long process of acceptance, researching the condition, and figuring out what steps to take moving forward.

Because of his condition, Noah is completely deaf on his left side. He has a plastic surgeon on board to reconstruct his ear when he is old enough (around 7-9 years old), an otolaryngologist to do the implantation surgery for a bone anchored hearing device (at around 5-7 yrs old), and an audiologist who Noah’s been seeing every six months since he was born. According to Noah’s otolaryngologist, he would not qualify for the surgery unless he wore a bone conduction device or something similar on a band as a first step. His audiologist loaned the family a bone conduction hearing processor to use until they were able to get one of their own.

The challenge for the family was insurance. They tried to go through their insurer twice, but both times were informed that insurance would only cover a small portion of the total cost. The balance was beyond the family’s means to cover out-of-pocket.

Upon being contacted by Oticon Medical about this donation in honor of Tammy, Jessica reached out to Noah’s audiologist, who confirmed that Noah would be able to use the Ponto being offered. She would just have to bring it in to be programmed for his specific hearing requirements. Jessica thanked Oticon Medical for reaching out and expressed her appreciation upon being informed of this opportunity to treat Noah’s hearing loss.

We will share more about Noah’s progress with his new Ponto processor when it becomes available.

Traveling With Your Sentio System

In previous years, we have provided articles with travel tips for our Ponto™ System wearers. Now that it’s time for winter vacations, here are suggestions for traveling with your Sentio™ System, the active transcutaneous hearing system we introduced more than a year ago. We hope these tips will help you enjoy your time away from home with confidence!

Airline Travel with Sentio

If you are traveling by plane, make sure you inform TSA personnel that you are wearing an implantable hearing device. They will recommend whether you should remove your Sentio 1 Mini sound processor(s) at the security checkpoint, so follow their instructions. Don’t worry—it is safe to pass through the scanner.

Once on the airplane, you can enable Flight Mode during takeoff and landing to disable your Sentio’s Bluetooth®, if required by flight personnel. The sound processor itself will continue working, so you can hear your seatmate, flight attendants, and announcements.

Activate or deactivate Flight Mode by pressing either the front- or back-facing part of the Sentio’s double push button for seven seconds. After a few seconds, you will hear a jingle that indicates Mute mode. Keep pressing the button until a final jingle is heard, which confirms you have successfully activated/deactivated Flight Mode. Removing and reinserting the battery will also deactivate Flight Mode, with the same, short jingle confirming implementation.

Sentio Maintenance Throughout Your Trip

While you’re traveling, it is a good idea to keep your Sentio 1 Mini in its case whenever you aren’t using it. This protects it from dust, dirt, water, or other substances that could affect its performance.

You should be aware that the chemicals used in cosmetics may damage the processor. These include items commonly used during vacations, including the following:

Hairspray
Perfume
Aftershave cream or lotion
Suntan lotion or spray
Insect repellant

If you use any of the above, make sure you do so before putting on your Sentio processor and avoid the area around it as much as possible.

While the processor is resistant to daily life situations (e.g., exposure to rain going from your car to someplace indoors), it is not waterproof, so don’t dive into a swimming pool or otherwise immerse it in water. Of course, accidents can happen. If your Sentio 1 Mini winds up getting wet, remove the battery lid, remove the battery and let it dry out. If you have a hearing aid dryer along, you can put it in that for a cycle.

Keep Your Sentio System Charged

One thing you definitely want to avoid is having your Sentio 1 Mini run out of charge while you’re traveling. Battery life varies depending on usage time, sound environment, how frequently you stream, and other factors. Make sure you bring enough spare Size 675 batteries along to keep your processor up and running for the length of your trip. They are small, so err on the side of packing more than you think you might need. Don’t forget the battery lid tool included with your Sentio System, so that you can easily open the battery door.

You will know it is time to replace the battery when you hear consecutive beeps repeated in moderate intervals, as follows:

Three alternate beeps indicate that the battery is running low
Four beeps in a descending tone indicate that the battery is running out completely

Another sign that the battery is running low is that Bluetooth will turn off and you will lose connection to your phone or other wireless accessories.

NOTE: If your hearing care professional turned on the optional LED indicator when programming your Sentio 1 Mini, this tiny light will blink orange repeatedly to notify you when your battery is running low.

Secure Your Sentio 1 Mini Processor

Since travelers tend to engage in more physical activities than usual, it is a good idea to attach a safety line to your Sentio 1 Mini processor. This reduces the risk of the processor being knocked off and damaged or lost. To attach the safety line, watch this helpful how-to video and follow these steps:

Pass the loop of the safety line through the attachment hole in the battery lid
Pass the loop through the attachment hole in the sound processor
Insert the sound processor through the loop of the safety line and tighten
Attach the safety line clip to your clothing

TIP: Make sure you don’t pull or tug on the safety line, as this could disconnect the processor.

In Case of Emergency

While of course we hope this situation never arises, medical emergencies sometimes happen during vacation travel. In the spirit of preparedness, we suggest you download and bring the MRI Security Card for the Sentio System. Fold it and keep it in your wallet, and/or make sure someone traveling with you knows where it is. You can also store the URL in your phone: MRI Security Card for Sentio System

We hope you found this information useful! If you ever have any questions or concerns about the care and maintenance of your Sentio System, please contact us at 888.277.8014 or [email protected].

Meet Today’s Oticon Medical | Henrietta Arocho

This series of posts introduces you to our current roster of Oticon Medical employees in the United States. As you know, we’ve been through a lot of changes over the past few years. We are pleased that so many wonderful new people have joined our team of dedicated employees!

Henrietta Arocho, Senior Customer Service Operations Manager

Please join us in welcoming our new Senior Customer Service team manager, Henrietta!

Background

Prior to joining Oticon Medical, Henrietta was in Pharmaceutical Sales for more than 15 years. As the Associate Director of Client Services/Operations, she was the primary contact for customer needs, issue resolution, and service improvement. Her team managed field team launches ranging from 10-500+ representatives, ensuring seamless onboarding, training, and operational support.

Henrietta has a personal connection to hearing health, which drew her to Oticon Medical. A close family member was born with a severe hearing loss, and Henrietta witnessed firsthand the importance of having the necessary device and support to allow her relative to thrive and reach major milestones. She was excited to join Oticon Medical and contribute to our mission of creating hearing solutions designed with users in mind.

Current Responsibilities

In her current role with Oticon Medical, Henrietta manages a team of three representatives, who provide excellent customer service support to our field teams, clinicians, and valued patients. The team’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Processing orders
Handling customer returns, exchanges, and repairs
Managing customer/user communication (via phone and email)

Henrietta isn’t afraid of challenges. She once did an evening climb to the summit of Mt. Fuji, which required hiking through the night. She did this even though she is not a mountain climber and was not very well prepared for the climb. While it was grueling and exhausting, she was able to finish and witnessed the most beautiful sunrise after reaching the summit. It was a wonderful adventure…but one she says she will never do again!

The members of Oticon Medical’s Customer Service team assist our Ponto™ and Sentio™ wearers and candidates by answering questions, placing and managing orders, and helping them find conveniently located audiology clinics. Customer Service is available to assist you by phone during office hours of Monday-Friday 8:00 am to 7 pm ET. Please feel free to call (888) 277-8014 or you can send them a message anytime via email at [email protected].

The Holidays are for Hearing

With the winter holidays beginning this week, we wanted to re-run this helpful post on how to make sure everyone feels included this season. Enjoy and please share!

Families are gathering. Holidays plans are made. You are heading out on a road trip to see the grandkids. The house is bustling with the sounds of the holidays. Children are laughing, and the dinner conversations are lively. It’s time to join with your family around a festive holiday table to celebrate the season and the start of a new year.

For people with hearing loss, these joyous moments can also bring a host of challenges. A noisy dinner conversation can leave a person with hearing loss feeling tired from the effort they have to spend to understand the message. The dinner table is noisy and voices sound muffled from a distance. Important conversations are missed. These challenges can cause isolation and exhaustion for someone with hearing loss.

Oticon Medical has focused on these challenging situations to present patients with device programming and accessory options that improve communication and quality of life. Our accessories, paired with good communication practices, can positively impact interactions with users of our product portfolio. Here are some communication strategies that we can all practice throughout the holidays that will help make communication easier and the season more enjoyable for people with hearing loss.

How to talk to someone with hearing loss

Face the person. Ensure that the person with hearing loss can see everyone’s face. The visual cues will help the person understand the words they didn’t catch.
Minimize background noise. Turn off the TV and reduce the volume of surrounding music or television to make communication easier.
Make sure the room is well-lit. A well-lit environment can make it easier for the person with hearing loss to see facial expressions, body language, and gestures from across a room.
Get their attention first. Get an individual’s attention by saying their name first or gently tapping their arm, and then convey your message to increase the chance that it will be heard and understood.
Speak slowly and clearly. Annunciate your words and take your time.
Rephrase, don’t repeat. If something isn’t heard the first time, try rephrasing it. Instead of repeating the same sentence louder, try saying it a different way.
Don’t speak from another room. Minimizing distance will maximize the chance that your message will be heard and understood.
Speak at a normal volume. Shouting during conservation can distort the signal for the person with hearing loss and so, rather than making it easier for a hard of hearing person to understand you, it often has the opposite effect.

Useful tools for communication success

Oticon Medical’s BrainHearing™ philosophy reminds us that we hear with our brains, not just our ears. Our Ponto™ devices are equipped with special noise reduction options that operate with this philosophy in mind. The Ponto family is compatible with a variety of accessories that have streaming capabilities to help people with hearing loss communicate successfully in difficult listening environments. Let’s look at a few scenarios where Ponto users can use these tools to make communication easier in challenging situations during the holidays.

Road trips

A Ponto 5 Mini user and his wife have loaded up the RV for a holiday road trip to see their grandkids. For these two people, a conversation in the car is challenging because of road noise and the lack of visual cues as they face the road. The Ponto user can use the ConnectClip to give themselves a big advantage in this situation and allow for an enjoyable road trip full of conversation. The Ponto user’s wife can clip the ConnectClip that is paired to her husband’s Ponto 5 Mini to her lapel about 6 inches from her mouth. She presses and holds the multi-function button for a few seconds until the lights turn purple and green. This action sends her voice on a wireless journey direct to her husband’s Ponto 5 Mini, allowing for effortless conversation between the two, reducing background noise, and minimizing the effects of distance on their ability to communicate.

Watching a movie

Oticon Medical’s TV Adapter 3.0 is compatible with the entire Ponto product family. You can pair a TV Adapter to your Ponto 3 SuperPower using your Oticon Medical Streamer or to Ponto 4 or 5 Mini directly. This allows you to stream audio directly from your television to your device. You can use your streamer or the Oticon ON™ app to control the volume of the television while your family continues to listen at a level that’s comfortable for them.

Adjustments from afar

You are having difficulty hearing in noise on your holiday vacation, but it isn’t convenient for you to visit your audiologist for programming in person. What can you do? Ponto 5 Mini users can now use RemoteCare to arrange a quick telehealth appointment with their audiologist. During a scheduled RemoteCare visit, an audiologist can log into a private portal which allows them to make the adjustments that their patient needs. The program changes are uploaded to the patient’s device using Oticon’s RemoteCare app and the new settings can be used by the Ponto 5 Mini user right away. This groundbreaking technology opens a new frontier for Ponto patients.

Family dinner

Oticon Medical has developed OpenSound Navigator™ as a method of noise reduction for those energetic conversations around your holiday dinner table. In this situation, you want to hear the conversation, regardless of its direction. OpenSound Navigator will seamlessly adjust to your environment and reduces the effort it takes to hear. Talk to your audiologist about creating a program in your Ponto 4 or 5 Mini device that utilizes OpenSound Navigator and hear the difference at the holiday dinner table this year. Additionally, you can hand a paired ConnectClip to a relative across the table and their voice can be streamed directly from up to 65 feet away.

Online resources

Oticon Medical is here to support you while you are on the go this holiday season. For product support, videos on how to pair accessories, or in-depth information about the different solutions available to you, visit Wireless Connectivity.

Should you need help from an Oticon Medical audiologist during the holiday season, please contact our Auditory Technical Services support team during the hours of 8 AM and 8 PM, Eastern time at 888-277-8014 or by email at [email protected].

Oticon Medical wishes you and your family a happy and healthy holiday season!

About the Author

Courtney Smith, M.A., CCC-A, is the Clinical Trainer at Oticon Medical, having just joined the team in October of 2021. She practiced audiology in both medical and private practice settings in Las Vegas, NV. She has experience working with hearing aids, cochlear implants, and bone anchored solutions for adults and pediatrics. She completed her training at the University of Iowa in 2003.

Four Tips to Help Your Child Succeed in the Classroom

With the right support, children with hearing loss can still find success in school. Parents play a crucial role in this journey, often serving as their child’s biggest advocate. Whether it be fighting to ensure that their child has access to the necessary resources to achieve success or providing support for the child at home, the role of parents in their children’s academic lives is vital. In a recent discussion involving Dr. Michelle Kraskin (Weill Cornell Medicine’s Director of Audiology), Sammie Levy (an educational specialist), Kimberly Szabo (an educational audiologist), and Laurie Winter (a teacher of the Deaf and hard of hearing), they provided four essential tips regarding steps parents can take to help their child flourish both academically and socially.

Provide copies of your child’s hearing tests to the school.

When asked about how audiologists might help support their patients in educational environments, Kraskin answered, “One of the things we do at our center is provide our patients with copies of their hearing tests that they can provide to the school.” Szabo agreed with this statement, adding that while audiograms are helpful, speech and noise testing is also extremely important, as it “gives a lot of information on how [audiograms] translate into the classroom.”

Providing both tests to the school helps them understand what the baseline is for the child at that moment, rather than having to work with tests from several years ago. Winter re-enforces that while audiograms do give an idea of “the type and degree of hearing loss,” they “don’t tell how that person functions with their hearing.” This is important for teachers and educators to be aware of so they can figure out the student’s educational needs.

Meet with the school to discuss expectations regarding your child’s hearing loss.

Another thing that the experts agreed was beneficial, especially with younger students, was a conference between parents and educators. When it comes to a small child, who is often unable to fully or accurately express themself, parents understand best how they function and how to manage their hearing loss. Parents can also provide insight into the challenges and struggles their child encounters in the classroom.

Levy adds that for older children, “quality of life check-in’s” work, and that even though “the school day is 8:30 to 2:30, we want to support our patients [and empower them to] enjoy extracurricular activities, complete their homework, and engage in dinner conversations,” like their peers.

These conferences give parents an opportunity to discuss concerns with their child’s educators, and create a game plan for their students. Levy mentions that these conferences help educators develop a “school year bucket list of things that they want to accomplish or enhance at the beginning of the school year,” which can be discussed later in the year, to track growth and success.

If your child needs something to succeed, don’t be afraid to ask.

If you know that your child needs something in the classroom to succeed, whether it be an FM system, microphone like the EduMic, or something else, Winter states that it is “very helpful for the educator to have that information” so that they “have something available that is geared specifically to [the child’s] needs.” Winter notes that although this is helpful for educators and kids, she rarely hears about parents sharing this information.

The experts agree with Winter, and Kraskin adds that avoiding “wishy-washy terms, such as may benefit,” is also helpful. Rather, use definitive terms, such as “will benefit,” to avoid any “gray area or interpretation,” which frequently results in the student not getting the proper accommodations they require.

Levy continues by giving the example, “We know that X, Y, and Z would be very beneficial for the student because…” The experts agree that this statement reduces a lot of those “gray areas” that may have been left up to interpretation. This avoids the need to leave things up to the discretion of teachers or administrators, who may be completely unfamiliar with working with hard of hearing students, as well as help break down the “lack of willingness to give all the accommodations.”

Empower yourself with information.

“You don’t know what you don’t know,” Kraskin says. Believing that one of the most important things is empowering the parent with information, Kraskin adds, “A lot of the parents do not know what their rights are, what kind of care and accommodations their child should be receiving, or what the law is.” Whether parents learn from clinicians and audiologists, other families who have already dealt with the same issues, or other trustworthy resources, it is essential that they are aware of what their children are entitled to and how to fight for it.

Winter agrees, stating that from her experience, “parents do not know what their rights are, what’s out there for their children, or what schools can provide.”

Supporting children with hearing loss requires a combination of efforts from parents, educators, and hearing care professionals working together. By keeping these tips in mind, parents can help ensure that they have all the tools and confidence to fully engage in their education and reach their full potential.

Want to learn more? Find the whole discussion on Audiology Online!

Supporting Students with Ponto: A Comprehensive Overview for Teachers

The Impact of Sound on Student Learning

Whether it be the ringing of the bell, the sharpening of a pencil, or the voice of an instructor, every sound in a school environment plays a key role in not only facilitating learning processes but establishing a rhythm of daily activities. Without sound, it is difficult to foster a conducive environment for students and educators alike.

Some students may have conductive/mixed hearing losses or single-sided deafness (SSD). Conductive or mixed hearing loss are the result of issues present in the middle or outer ear. These may include ear infections, problems with the middle ear bones, or malformations of the outer ear or ear canal, such as microtia and atresia. In the case of SSD, the student has one completely non-functional ear, while the other may have reduced or normal hearing.

Having access to sound is a critical element of a child’s success in regular classroom environments. Some students with hearing challenges may have bone anchored hearing systems (BAHS) like Ponto™ to help alleviate possible difficulties keeping up with lessons. A BAHS is a type of hearing device that sends sounds directly into the inner ear, using a process known as bone conduction.

A Teacher’s Quick Guide to Ponto

The Ponto System consists of two main parts: either a softband or surgically implanted abutment, and an external sound processor. The softband/abutment holds the sound processor on the head, while the processor captures sound from the wearer’s surroundings and transfers it through the skull, in the form of vibrations, to the inner ear.

For educators with young students, you should know how to change the Ponto battery, as shown below, if the battery dies during the school day.

If the sound processor falls off, position it vertically with the microphone inlets toward the bottom, aligned horizontally. If possible, avoid letting anything touching the sound processor to prevent a whistling sound known as feedback. If the student is wearing a softband, it should fit snugly but comfortably against the head. You should be able to insert two fingers between the softband and the head. The following photo shows proper softband placement.

Supporting students

In addition to supporting device functionality, there are other strategies educators can use to enhance the learning experience for their hard of hearing students, such as:

Repeating or rephrasing information when requested
Speaking slowly and clearly at a comfortable volume
Employing written instructions or visual cues
Maintaining good visibility by facing the child
Avoiding face or mouth coverage, and ensuring adequate lighting in the classroom
Enhancing classroom acoustics by:
- Closing doors
- Placing tennis balls on furniture legs
- Using carpets and wall coverings for sound absorption
- Positioning desks away from noise sources
Adhering to guidelines in the student’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or 504 plan, if applicable
Using an EduMic or similar microphone

Using the EduMic in the Classroom

The EduMic is an extremely helpful accessory that provides Ponto users with an even better experience with their BAHS. It serves as a bridge system providing wearers with microphone, FM, audio jack, and telecoil modes. Microphone Mode is a powerful tool, carrying the teacher’s voice directly into the student’s Ponto, reducing background noise interference between the student and teacher.

To achieve the best results in Microphone Mode, clip the EduMic a maximum distance of eight inches away from the speaker’s mouth. Take care to avoid scratching noises and jewelry clinking against the microphone, as these sounds will also be relayed directly to the student. In order to use FM mode or take advantage of the audio jack mode, insert either the auxiliary cord or the FM connector to the bottom of the EduMic.

For full EduMic instructions, click here.

Set Your Students with Bone Conduction Hearing Devices Up for Success

Supporting students with hearing loss, particularly those using a BAHS like Ponto, requires a combination of technical knowledge and well-planned classroom strategies. By understanding the functionality of the Ponto System, educators can ensure that students are able to not only access sound effectively, but also engage fully in classroom activities. Teachers play a critical role in fostering a supportive and inclusive atmosphere, empowering students with hearing challenges to reach their full potential.

Tips and Tricks for Maintaining Your Softband 5

If you or a loved one uses the Softband 5 with a Ponto™ device, here are some handy tips and tricks to make sure you get the most out of your softband experience!

1. Keep It Clean

Regularly inspect and clean the connector plate to keep it free of dust and particles. You can use a soft, dry cloth or lukewarm water with mild detergent for the Softband 5 connector plate.

Regularly inspect and clean the sound processor coupling as well. You can use a soft, dry cloth or a dry, soft-bristled toothbrush to keep the coupling free of dust and particles.

2. Minimize Handling

Keep the sound processor attached to the softband and only remove it when necessary, such as for battery changes.

3. Replace Worn Connector Pads

Check the connector pads regularly and replace them if they appear worn or damaged. The wearing time may vary depending on exercise, environment, and hair and skin characteristics. Make sure to remove the old connector pad completely before attaching a new one.

4. Check Fit and Functionality

Parents or caregivers should always verify that the softband is correctly attached and positioned, and that the sound processor is functioning properly before use. The softband should fit snugly around the head, allowing enough space to slip two fingers between the band and the head.

5. Monitor Elasticity

Replace the softband if it has lost its elasticity to ensure a secure and comfortable fit.

6. Properly Attach Your Processor

When attaching your processor to your Softband 5 connector plate, gently rock the processor back and forth to secure it onto the connector. Avoid pushing or pulling the processor straight on or off.

If you have any questions or need further assistance with your Softband 5, please don’t hesitate to contact your audiology professional or Oticon Medical Auditory Technical Support Services!

Tips for Traveling Safely this Summer with Your Ponto

Since many of you will be traveling this summer, we want to share this updated post of tips for traveling with your Ponto™ bone anchored hearing system (BAHS). Even when not traveling, you might want to download the MRI Safety Security card just to have on hand, in case you find yourself in need of an MRI scan.

Airport and TSA security

It is important to advise the TSA agent prior to going through the security or x-ray process that you have an implantable device. At this time, you may consider handing or showing them your MRI Safety Security card. If you don’t have a card or can’t find it, you can download the MRI Safety Card from our website. Cards are available there in different languages, along with other helpful informational materials. We recommend printing or saving the card to your phone prior to travel.

As you prepare for your trip, another great resource to check out is Oticon Medical’s Tips and Tricks section of the website. In this section you will find information and advice on everyday activities with your Ponto system.

Additional Ponto device and abutment safety considerations

The abutment is made from titanium and safe to go through the metal detector or x-ray machine. Since titanium is weakly magnetic, the security system’s alarm will most likely not go off. However, it is still a good idea and important to let the TSA agent know ahead of time about your Ponto and implant in the event that additional screening is necessary after your initial pass through the x-ray process.

As for your Ponto processor, since it does contain a magnet, this may set off an alarm. We always recommend that when exposed to medical-strength x-ray you remove your processor to prevent damage. However, TSA screenings have low dose x-ray exposure and are safe to move through. So, if you forget to take it off there is no harm, but you may set off the alarm as the Ponto processor contains metal.

If you choose to take off your Ponto processor, simply put it in a case with the battery door open and in a TSA container for the belt screening, as you do your other carry-on items. This is safe for the processor and will not cause damage.

Items to bring on a trip with your Ponto processor

When traveling with your Ponto, you want to make sure you have packed all your equipment and extra supplies. It is a good idea to bring extra batteries, your wireless accessories, and the appropriate cables for charging them. Consider charging your accessories the night or day before you leave to ensure you can use them while traveling.

It is also important to pack your Ponto Care Kit for cleaning the abutment. Daily care of the abutment site will help guarantee you can use your Ponto BAHS throughout your travels. Abutment cleaning is especially important if you are swimming. Remember, your Ponto processor is not waterproof! If you need a new dry aid kit or Ponto Care Kit, don’t worry; contact your local Oticon Medical Customer Service department and have supplies sent directly to your home.

You can also have Ponto-related information at your fingertips by downloading the Oticon Medical Ponto Care™ App to your smartphone, so you can travel with ease and peace of mind. Remember to also store your audiologist’s or clinic’s office information in your phone or have it written in your care kit in case you have questions–or contact your local Oticon Medical office.

Finally, if you are traveling somewhere hot, you should remember not to leave your Ponto sound processor, wireless accessories, or batteries out in extreme weather elements. For example, if you leave your Ponto sound processor on the car dashboard in extreme heat, it could damage the device.

Here’s a quick checklist of the items we discussed. Enjoy your travels, wherever they may take you!

MRI safety/security card
Extra batteries
Carrying case
Wireless accessories
Charging cables for accessories
Ponto Care Kit
Your audiologist’s office contact information
Oticon Medical Contact Information: https://www.oticonmedical.com/about-oticon-medical/contact-us
Download our Oticon Medical Ponto Care App

Helpful site to review prior to travel:

Disabilities and Medical Conditions | Transportation Security Administration (tsa.gov). Choose External Medical Devices and/or the Implants/internal medical devices for more advice.

What You Need to Know About Zinc-Air Batteries

Zinc-air batteries, like the ones we use in our Oticon Medical Ponto™ bone anchored hearing system, are effective and powerful, but only when used correctly. Many wearers don’t know all the in-and-outs of maximizing their battery life leading to frustratingly short spans between replacing batteries and other issues. For instance, did you know:

Zinc-air batteries require air exposure to function (hence the “air” in the name)
As soon as you remove the tab over the airholes, the battery activates. So if you pull off the tab and leave it lying around for hours, days, or longer, the battery will run out of charge before you even put it into your device
After you remove the tab, you should wait five minutes before inserting into your device so it fully activates and provides all the voltage of which it is capable for as long as possible
Sealed zinc-air batteries typically last approximately two years if stored correctly. This means keeping them at an optimal room temperature of no higher than 77º degrees F and no lower than 50º degrees F, in a dry environment. Note that storing them in the refrigerator will not extend their life—in fact, it will very likely damage them beyond usability
You should not carry your batteries around loose, as clanging against other metallic objects can damage them (e.g., coins, car keys, etc.)

If you find yourself in need of more batteries, you can order them directly from us! Please contact our Customer Service Team at 888.277.8014 (Mon-Fri, 8am-6pm ET) or send an email request to [email protected] anytime. Make sure you include your Ponto model (Ponto 4, Ponto 5 Mini, Ponto 5 SP) in your email so we send you the correct battery size for your device.

Members of Oticon Medical Friends can also order online via the Online Shop. Click here to register: Register to Use Online Shop

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