LIBRA A13 User manual

76133-000 6/01 BKLT6136-00-EE-ST
©all rights reserved

1
your hearing instrument page 1
identifi cation page 2
batteries page 3
insertion and removal page 6
switches page 8
volume levels page 9
feedback & multimemory settings page 1
learning to hear well page 11
realistic expectations page 12
the communication process page 13
handling and wearing page 14
adjusting to a noisy world page 15
start in quiet, familiar places page 16
focusing on specifi c sounds page 17
hearing the television and radio page 18
using the telephone page 19
enjoy, but don’t overdo it page 2
how family and friends can help page 22
speak clearly and normally page 23
minimize distractions page 24
time for added consideration page 25
let others know what you need page 26
hearing instrument care page 28
putting it in the right place page 29
daily cleaning and care page 3
avoiding moisture page 31
service and repair page 32
troubleshooting guide page 33
working together page 35
FDA information page 36
earhook
microphone sound inlet
volume control
multimemory switch
(optional)
microphone - telecoil -
on/off switch
battery compartment
Your Libra A13 Digital Behind-The-Ear
(BTE) may be programmed to match
your particular hearing requirement .
The programmable feature of the Libra
BTE include frequency re pon e, com-
pre ion characteri tic , and volume
control re erve gain. The e parameter
have been et by your hearing profe -
ional or the manufacturer, and
are not adju table by the wearer.
The A13 i connected by the earhook
to the cu tomized earmold that fi t
comfortably in your ear. Thi mold wa
crafted directly from the ear impre ion
taken by your hearing profe ional.
table of contents your hearing instrument

23
identification batteries
earhook
Each in trument can be identifi ed by it
erial number, located in ide the battery
compartment.
We are confi dent that your li tening enjoy-
ment will be enhanced by the attention
given to the performance and appearance
of your Libra BTE.
Your BTE u e a ize
13 battery a it power
ource. Be ure you
u e the correct ize
and type cell for
your in trument.
Becau e of their
ize, it’ a good
idea to change and
replace the battery above
a table or de k to reduce the ri k of
dropping or damage.
To in ert or replace the battery, open the
battery compartment by placing your
fi ngernail under the edge of the
wing-out door and gently
pulling outward.
DO NOT open the battery door too far
or damage is likely to occur.
(manufacturer’s name)
(model name)
year
made
serial
number
-
battery
door

45
batteries batteries
Remove the
exi ting battery
by pu hing it
out the top of
the door.
Place the new
battery in the
compartment with
the plu (+) ign
facing up.
Clo e the battery compartment by winging
the door until it nap ecurely. NEVER
FORCE THE DOOR SHUT. Thi could re ult
in eriou damage. If the door will not clo e
ecurely, check that the battery i placed
properly in the compartment.
Becau e batterie can vary in ize and
performance, your Hearing Profe ional
i your be t ource for life pan e timate
and verifi cation that you are u ing the
proper ize and type if problem per i t.
WARNING
HEARING INSTRUMENT BATTERIES
ARE DANGEROUS IF SWALLOWED
Upon removal from your in tru-
ment, di po e of pent cell
immediately in the proper wa te
or recycling receptacle.
To help prevent the accidental inge tion of
batterie , keep them out of the reach of
children.
Alway check your medication before
inge ting - batterie have been mi taken
for tablet .
Never put batterie in your mouth for any
rea on, a they can ea ily be unintention-
ally wallowed.

76
Before placing
the Libra BTE
earmold into your
ear, be ure the
battery i in erted
properly and the
battery door i clo ed
ecurely. If your in trument ha a M-T-O
witch, be ure it i et to “O” (off).
To in ert, hold the earmold on the outer
ide near the tubing
with your thumb
and forefi nger.
Gently in ert the
canal tip of the
earmold into the
ear canal. Then
oftly pre the
earmold into place
with your fi ngertip.
insertion and removal insertion and removal
Carefully place
the in trument
behind your ear
with the earhook
and earmold
tubing wrapped
over the top.
To remove, take
the in trument
out from behind
your ear and
gently pull the
earmold out-
ward. Pulling
down on the
ear lobe may help
loo en the ear-
mold a it i
removed.

89
switches volume levels
Your Libra BTE u e a
three-po ition witch
confi guration, labeled
“M-T-O.” The “M” or
microphone po ition i
u ed for tandard operation
and to turn the in trument
“on.” The “T” or telecoil
etting i for u e with
the telephone. The “O” off
po ition turn the in trument “off.”
The volume control enable
you to adju t the amount of
amplifi cation provided by the
in trument. You may wi h to
change level a you encounter
different li tening ituation .
To change the ound level, u e your
fi ngertip to rotate the vertical volume
control. The number on the control pro-
vide an orientation for the proper volume
etting. When the control i et at “4,“ the
volume i at the maximum level.
To make ound louder rotate the control
upward. To make ound ofter, rotate the
control downward.
Con ult your Hearing Profe -
ional if you have que -
tion regarding the u e
of the witche and
volume control
on your Libra
BTE.

1110
learning to hear well
Many of life’ important
activitie involve learn-
ing. Although not alway
ea y, learning combine
de ire, practice and a
belief that if you keep
trying, ucce and enjoy-
ment will eventually occur.
Thi i true of your hearing.
When you were young, you learned how
to li ten. Your brain learned to focu on
pecifi c ound and concentrate on voice ,
even in the mid t of many other noi e . A
your hearing gradually dimini hed, o did
that ability to elect ound .
Now with the help of your hearing in tru-
ment, you’re about to relearn the elective
hearing proce . Ju t a the
battery i your hearing
in trument’ power
ource, a po itive atti-
tude i your brain’
“power ource”
for learning.
feedback & multimemory settings
When the in trument i “on,” you may occa-
ionally hear a whi tling noi e known a
feedback. Feedback i cau ed by amplifi ed
ound e caping from the ear and refl ected
by your hand into the in trument’ micro-
phone. It i more likely to occur if the in tru-
ment i “on” during in ertion and removal,
and hould cea e when you move your
hand. If feedback per i t after the in tru-
ment ha been in erted correctly, contact
your Hearing Profe ional.
Libra BTE with a horizontal
multimemory witch let you choo e
between two etting to com-
pen ate for different li tening
environment . When the witch
i toward the left, your
in trument i mo t likely pro-
grammed for normal li tening
ituation like one-to-one
conver ation .
Moving the witch to the right
acce e the econd memory,
which your Hearing Profe ional
ha preprogrammed for your pecifi c
hearing need .

1312
Hopefully, your hearing in trument will
be extremely effective - o much that you
become dependent upon them. However,
hearing aid will not re tore normal hearing
and will not prevent or improve a hearing
impairment due to organic condition . So
don’t judge their effectivene too oon.
Likewi e, other ’ experience with hearing
in trument - good or bad - have no bearing
on your ucce and houldn’t affect your
attitude.
Hearing i only one part
of how we exchange
thought , idea , and feel-
ing . Effective communi-
cation combine li tening,
under tanding, attention,
concentration, intere t, and
vi ual, or non-verbal cue .
You may have relied on the e ever-
pre ent cue a your hearing lo gradually
impaired your under tanding of peech. Now,
they are equally important a you learn to
hear with hearing in trument . Reading the
lip , facial expre ion and ge ture of other
can enhance the learning proce , and up-
plement what amplifi cation alone may mi .
If nece ary, your Hearing Profe ional may
provide additional auditory training and lip-
reading a i tance.
realistic expectations the communication process
Al o, don’t a ume that you will hear and
under tand all peech with your
hearing in trument . It will
take time and patience a
you learn to adapt to thi
new way of hearing. In mo t
ca e , incon i tent u e of
hearing in trument
doe not permit you
to attain full
benefi t from
them.

14 15
handling and wearing adjusting to a noisy world
From the moment you get them, it may
be tempting to wear and u e your hearing
in trument con tantly. However, thi can
lead to di comfort, fatigue, and di appoint-
ment - all factor that can prevent ucce -
ful learning.
The level and complexity of ound environ-
ment ‘out in the real world’ make it a le
than ideal place to hear in, even if you had
normal hearing. It i be t to begin your
in trument u age gradually, until it i fully
integrated into your daily life. The amount
of patience and practice – combined with a
po itive attitude – will mo t likely determine
the degree of ucce .
Your in trument
and their control
are maller than
mo t other regularly
handled item . It i
expected that changing bat-
terie , in erting, removing, and
adju ting your in trument are new
experience that will take ome practice to
perform correctly.
Minor irritation and infl ammation may
occur a your ear become accu tomed to
having an object in it. Thi i normally
cau ed by pre ure from the earmold on a
particularly en itive area, and may ea ily
be corrected through trimming and pol-
i hing by your Hearing Profe ional.
If an actual allergic reaction occur , alter-
native earmold material are available.
Severe reaction , di charge from the ear,
exce ive wax, or other unu ual condi-
tion warrant immediate con ultation
with a phy ician.

16 17
start in quiet, familiar places focusing on specific sounds
At fi r t, u e your
in trument only
in familiar, quiet
urrounding , where
you can identify and
locate imple background
ound - running water, door clo ing,
bird inging - that you may not have
heard for awhile.
Other ound , like your own voice, will
ound different. In the ame quiet environ-
ment, practice li tening to and conver ing
with omeone facing you, who ha a famil-
iar voice and under tand your need .
Don’t be alarmed if you can’t immediately
under tand everything. A low, comfort-
able volume level i preferable a you
adapt to the new ound quality, even
if you occa ionally mi oft
ound or part of
conver ation.
A you wear
your in tru-
ment in a wider
variety of ound envi-
ronment , practice elect-
ing pecifi c ound and
voice and focu your
attention on them.
Enhance your under-
tanding by following
non-verbal expre ion
and ge ture .
A you venture into familiar
public place uch a church and
meeting , it rea onably clo e and within
ea y vi ual di tance of tho e peaking.
Becau e every area ha it own ound
characteri tic , you may need to
try different location
for the be t re ult .