Opticon epoq cic User manual

INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE
CIC, MIC, ITC, ITE

Thank you
Thank you for choosing our product as your means to better hearing.
To support your efforts, we have put great care and attention into making sure that your
new hearing instruments are of the highest quality and that they are easy to use and
maintain.
We recommend that you read this manual carefully to achieve the maximum benefit of
your new hearing instruments.
Congratulations on your decision to actively improve your hearing with today’s most
advanced hearing technology in the market.
Contents
Instrument View CIC/MIC 5
Instrument View ITC 7
Instrument View ITE 9
Turning your instruments ON and OFF 11
Inserting your hearing instruments 12
Programs (Optional) 13
Standby 16
Volume Control (Optional for ITE only) 17
Changing batteries 20
Telecoil (Optional) 23
Auto Phone (Optional) 24
Daily care of your hearing instruments 26
Using your hearing instrument 32
Common problems and their solutions 39
Warranty Certificate 42
Warnings Yellow Pages

4 5
IMPORTANT NOTICE
Please familiarise yourself with the entire contents of this booklet before using your
hearing instruments. It contains instructions and important information about the use
and handling of your hearing instruments and batteries.
Instrument View CIC/MIC
Microphone opening
Battery door
Ventilation opening
Sound outlet + wax
protection system
Ventilation opening
Battery size: 10

6 7
Instrument View ITC
Battery size: 312
Microphone
openings
Battery door Ventilation opening
Ventilation opening
Sound outlet + wax
protection system
Push-button
(Optional)
IMPORTANT NOTICE
Open the battery compartment fully to allow air to circulate whenever you are not
using your hearing instrument, especially at night!

8 9
IMPORTANT NOTICE
Open the battery compartment fully to allow air to circulate whenever you are not
using your hearing instrument, especially at night!
Battery size: 312
Instrument View ITE
Microphone
openings
Push-button
(Optional)
Volume Control Wheel
(Optional)
Battery door
Ventilation opening
Sound outlet + wax
protection system

10 11
Turning your instruments ON and OFF
Turn ON your hearing instrument by closing the battery door
completely with the battery in place.
When the battery door is closed the instrument will start up
by playing a jingle. This indicates that the battery is working
and the instrument is operating.
Turn OFF your hearing instrument by opening the battery
door with your finger nail.
To preserve the battery, make sure your hearing instrument
is switched off when you are not wearing it.
IMPORTANT NOTICE
Open the battery compartment fully to allow air to circulate whenever you are not
using your hearing instrument, especially at night!
OFF
ON

12 13
Inserting your hearing instruments
Place the tip of the hearing instrument in your ear canal.
Gently pull down your earlobe and push the hearing
instrument into the ear canal, twisting slightly if neces-
sary, following the natural contour of the ear canal.
DO NOT use the battery door as a handle to insert or
remove your instruments. It is not designed for this
purpose.
Programs (Optional)
Your hearing instruments may have a push-button for switching between different
programs.
Push briefly on the button to switch to the next programme.
A push will go forwards in the programme cycle e.g from
P1->P2. When the highest numbered programme is reached,
the cycle starts from programme one again.

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Your hearing instrument can have up to 4 different programs.
When switching between the different programs, your hearing instrument will beep.
The number of beeps will indicate which program you are using.
One beep, when you switch to programme 1
 Two beeps, when you switch to programme 2
 Three beeps, when you switch to programme 3
 Four beeps, when you switch to programme 4
Below you can see a description of the programs available in your hearing instrument.
Prg. 1: __________________________________
Prg. 2: __________________________________
Prg. 3: __________________________________
Prg. 4: __________________________________
Using 2 instruments
For ease of use, the push button can be programmed to change to the equivalent
program in the other instrument also, by using the wireless communication between the
instruments. This is referred as binaural interchange.
Binaural Interchange enabled.

16 17
Standby
If your hearing instrument has a push-button, push the button for a minimum of 3 seconds
to set the instrument in standby mode.
To reactivate the instrument, push the button brieftly again.
Use the standby function if you need to silence the instrument.
Volume Control (Optional for ITE only)
Your ITE instrument may have a Volume Control wheel. The Volume Control wheel can be
turned with the tip of a finger and can be rotated infinitely both ways.
PUSH
3 sec
IMPORTANT NOTICE
Do not use the stand-by function as a switch off as the
hearing aid still draws current from the battery in this mode.
Volume
Control Wheel

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The Volume Control allows you to adjust the volume in specific listening situations to the
level you feel comfortable with.
To increase volume, turn the wheel forward.
To decrease volume, turn the wheel towards the back of your head.
When the hearing instrument is turned on, it starts up at a preferred volume level. When
adjusting the volume control to the preferred level, this is indicated by a beep.
Using 2 instruments
For ease of use, the volume control wheel can be programmed to adjust the volume in
the other instrument equivalently, by using the wireless communication between the
instruments. This is referred as binaural interchange.
Binaural Interchange enabled.

20 21
Changing batteries
The correct battery size appears in the instrument overview in the first section of this
document.
A worn out battery should be removed immediately.
When the battery power is low, you will hear a series of short beeps. This indicates that
it is time to change the battery.
To replace the battery, follow these instructions:
• Open the battery door with your fingernail and remove
the old battery.
• Remove the sticky label from the
+ side of the new battery.
• Insert the new battery so that its + marking faces the + sign printed on the battery
door.
• Close the battery door. If you feel any resistance, you may have inserted the battery
incorrectly. Reinsert the battery and try again.
It will take a few seconds before the battery works to full capacity.
To assist the handling of the batteries, the magnet
placed at the end of the tool can be used.

23
Telecoil (Optional)
The telecoil is a receiver for audio signals transmitted from an inductive loop installa-
tion. The telecoil is meant for telephone conversations and for loop systems in e.g.
theatres, churches or lecture rooms.
The telecoil is activated by the push-button. When activated, you will hear a certain
number of beeps corresponding to the telecoil program.
See “Programs” for where the telecoil programme is placed.

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Auto Phone (Optional)
The hearing instrument may have a built-in Auto Phone functionality. When the hearing
instrument is close to a telephone receiver, the Auto Phone will activate a Phone Program.
When the Phone Program is activiated you will hear a number of beeps.
When you end your telephone conversation, the hearing instrument will automatically
return to the previous program.
Not all telephones can activate the Auto Phone. The
telephone receiver may need to have a special magnet
fitted. Please follow the separate instructions for
mounting the magnet, which is available from your
Hearing Care Professional.
WARNING
If you use an Autophone magnet:
• Keep magnets out of reach of children and pets. If a magnet is swallowed, see
a doctor immediately.
• Do not wear the magnet in a breast pocket and always keep it 30 cm away from
active implanatable devices.
• Preferably, use the telephone with magnet on the opposite side than a pacemaker
or other active implantants.
• Keep the magnet 30 cm away from credit cards and other magnetically sensitive
devices.

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Daily care of your hearing instruments
Your ear canal produces ear wax (cerumen) which may clog up the sound outlet or the
ventilation opening of your hearing instrument. Therefore your hearing instrument may
contain a filter or another device to prevent wax accumulation. Consult your Hearing Care
Professional for instructions about the specific wax protection system in your hearing
instruments.
When handling a hearing instrument, keep it over a soft surface to avoid damage if you
drop it.
Cleaning the instrument
A range of cleaning tools is prepared for the special purpose of cleaning the instru-
ments. These should be used to ensure the best care and performance of your hearing
instruments.
HandleBrushCover

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Here is how . . .
• Clean away any traces of wax from around the
ventilation opening and sound outlet with the brush.
• If microphone openings are clogged by dust or dirt,
this will affect the performance of the instrument.
Carefully brush away visible signs of debris from the
openings while twisting the brush.
• Clean the ventilation openings by pressing the brush
through the hole while twisting it slightly.
• Use the cloth to wipe clean the surface of the
instrument.
The hearing instrument itself must never be washed or immersed in water or other
liquids!
Replace brush when necessary. Just pull it out of the handle and insert a new fresh
brush. Press the new one firmly into the handle.

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How to change NoWax
1. Remove the tool from the shell. The tool has two arms, one with the new filter and one
with the removal tool.
2. Push the removal tool into the existing waxfilter and remove the used filter from the
hearing aid.
3. Push the new filter into the hearing aid.
4. Throw out the used tool.
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Avoiding heat, humidity and chemicals
Your hearing instrument must never be exposed to extreme heat e.g. left inside a parked
car in the sun. They must never be exposed to a lot of moisture e.g. steam baths, showers
or heavy rain. Nor must they be dried in microwave ovens or other ovens.
Wipe the batteries carefully if moisture is present as it may affect their performance. Using
an anti-humidity kit can help to avoid these problems and may even extend the life of your
hearing instrument. Consult your Hearing Care Professional for further advice.
The chemicals in cosmetics, hairspray, perfume, after shave lotion, suntan lotion and
insect repellant can damage your hearing instrument. You should always remove your
hearing instrument before applying such products and allow time for the product to dry
before reinserting your hearing instrument. If you use lotion, be sure to wipe your hands
dry before putting on your hearing instrument.

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Using your hearing instrument
It takes time to adjust to a new hearing instrument. How long this adjustment takes
differs from person to person. It will depend on a number of factors, such as whether you
have had a hearing instrument before and the degree of your hearing loss.
Seven easy steps to better hearing
1. In the quiet of your home
Try to accustom yourself to all the new sounds. Listen to the many background sounds
and try to identify each sound. Bear in mind that some sounds will seem different from
what you are used to. You may have to learn to identify them again. Note that in time you
will get accustomed to the sounds in your environment – if not please contact your
Hearing Care Professional.
If using the hearing instrument makes you tired, take them off for a little while and have
a rest. Gradually, you will begin to be able to listen for longer periods of time. Soon, you
will be able to wear your hearing instrument comfortably all day long.
2. Conversation with another person
Sit with someone else in a quiet room. Face each other so you can read facial expres-
sions easily. You may experience new speech sounds, which can seem a little disturbing
in the beginning. However, after the brain has adapted to the new speech sounds, you
should hear speech clearer.
3. Listen to radio or TV
When listening to the TV or the radio, start out by listening to news commentators since
they usually speak clearly, then try other TV programs.
If you find it difficult to listen to TV or radio, your Hearing Care Professional should be
able to give you advice on available accessories to enhance your listening capabilities
for TV and radio.

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4. In group conversations
Group situations are usually accompanied by a greater degree of background noise, and
are, therefore, naturally more difficult to cope with. In such situations, therefore, focus
your attention on the person you want to hear. If you miss a word, ask the speaker to
repeat.
5. Telecoil use in church, theatre, or cinema
An increasing number of churches, theatres and public buildings often have loop
systems installed. These systems send out wireless sound to be received by the telecoil
in your hearing instrument. Typically, a sign will let you know whether the place has a
telecoil. Ask your Hearing Care Professional for details.
6. Using the telephone
When using the telephone tilt the receiver edge lightly on your cheek-bone in order to let
the sound flow directly into the hearing instrument microphone opening. This way, the
hearing instrument will not whistle and you ensure the best conditions to understand
the conversation. When you have the receiver in this position, remember to speak directly
into the microphone on the telephone in order to ensure good understanding in the
opposite “end of the line”.
If your hearing instrument has a telecoil (and your telephone has a built in tele-loop) you
can switch into telecoil program in order to improve the sound reception further.
Remember that the telecoil in hearing instrument may pick up disturbing signals from
electronic devices, such as a fax machines, computers, televisions or similar. Make sure
that the hearing instrument has a distance of 2–3 meters to such devices when using the
telecoil program.

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7. Wireless and mobile phones
Your hearing instrument is designed to comply with the most stringent Standards of
International Electromagnetic Compatibility. However not all mobile phones are hearing
instrument compatible. The varying degree of disturbance can be due to the nature of
your particular mobile phone.
If you find it difficult to obtain a good result while using your mobile telephone, your
Hearing Care Professional should be able to give you advice on available accessories to
enhance listening capabilities.
Use your hearing instruments all day long
The best way to ensure better hearing is to practice listening until you can wear your
hearing instruments comfortably all day. In most cases, infrequent use of a hearing
instrument does not give you the full benefit. In most cases, you will not get the full
benefit of the hearing instuments if you use them infrequently.
Your hearing instruments will not restore normal hearing. Nor will they prevent or
improve a hearing impairment resulting from a physiological condition. What they will
give you, however, is help towards making better use of the hearing ability that you
have. If you have two hearing instruments always wear both.
The most important benefits of wearing
two hearing instruments are:
• Your ability to localize sounds will improve.
• It will be easier to understand speech in noisy surroundings.
• You will experience a fuller, more comfortable sound picture.

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If none of the above solutions solves the problem, ask your Hearing Care Professional
for assistance.
Common problems and their solutions
Symptom Possible causes Solutions
No sound Worn-out battery Change battery pg. 20
Clogged sound outlet Clean sound outlet or change NoWax pg. 28 & 30
Intermittent
or reduced sound
Clogged sound outlet Clean sound outlet or change NoWax pg. 28 & 30
Moisture Wipe battery and instrument with dry cloth pg. 31
Worn-out battery Change battery pg. 20
Squealing
noise
Hearing instrument inserted improperly Reinsert hearing instrument pg. 12
Ear wax accumulated in ear canal Have ear canal examed by your doctor