Try this new hearing aid, free

By Patricia Nugent

The innovative technology behind hearing aids hitting the market is truly a marvel. And the latest from Phonak—the Virto B-Titanium model—makes claim to being the smallest, most durable aid ever.

Before they introduce any product to their patients, Drs. Jane Kukula and Ashley Spisak, from Advanced Audiology Concepts, need to be convinced the claims are true. So they run focus groups open to anyone in the area, whether a patient of theirs or not, to give the product a test drive.

“Medical grade titanium is 15 times stronger than acrylic, the substance traditional invisible inner canal (IIC) aids are made from,” says Dr. Spisak. “So this new generation of aid has a thinner shell and is 26 percent smaller than its predecessor. Since it’s moisture resistant, the product is also said to be more durable and long lasting.”

The purpose of the focus group is to gain feedback from patients on the Virto B’s performance in terms of sound quality, wearability and comfort of the fit.

Those interested will come into the office for an audiogram, which is covered by insurance. Also during that visit, the doctor will take an impression to fit people for the instrument, which they will wear for two weeks. Then the respondents will meet for coffee at the nearby Panera to talk about their experience and how the aids did or didn’t meet their expectations.

If you are interested in participating, please call the office soon as spaces are limited.

Advanced Audiology Concepts is located at 8897 Mentor Avenue in Mentor. Call the office, 440-205-8848, or visit AAChear.org for more information. Check out their Facebook page for adorable photos of Dr. Spisak’s new dog—Annie—who is a bulldog-boxer mix rescue dog. Annie acts like a hearing service dog to Dr. Spisak’s other dog, Ajax, a deaf bulldog-boxer mix. Annie alerts Ajax to all the sound sources in the world around him.