oticon SAM User manual

We believe that it takes more than technology and
audiology to create the best hearing instruments.
That’s why we put the individual needs and wishes of
people with hearing loss first in our development of
new hearing care solutions.
www.oticon.com
906 66 910 00/09.05 Printed in Denmark
Guide to using SAM
(Sound Activity Meter)

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Contents
Thank you for taking SAM home with you! 4
What does SAM do? 6
How do I use SAM? 8
How and where should I attach SAM? 9
When do I wear SAM? 10
How do I store SAM? 12
Warning 13
Checklist 14
Personal Notes 15

We believe that it takes more than technology and
audiology to create the best hearing instruments.
That’s why we put the individual needs and wishes of
people with hearing loss first in our development of
new hearing care solutions.
www.oticon.com
906 66 910 00/09.05 Printed in Denmark
Guide to using SAM
(Sound Activity Meter)

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Thank you for taking SAM
home with you!
This guide is to help you measuring your world of sounds and help
you answer some of the questions you may have about SAM.
Hearing is as much about our sound environments as it is about
our hearing abilities. For instance, it is more difficult to understand
someone talking when there is noise around. Therefore our listening
needs are determined as much by our lifestyles as they are by our
physical capabilities.
Your world of sounds
SAM is a handy little device that measures your world of sound. The
information it gathers will help us find a solution that matches your
lifestyle and listening needs. SAM will tell us e.g.:
• How noisy - or quiet - your world is.
• How often you need to understand speech in noisy environments.
SAM is short for
Sound Activity Meter!

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• SAM analyses the type of sound environment you are in at any
given moment.
• The information SAM collects will provide a clear picture of the
type of sounds you encounter.
• SAM adds all this information up to provide a picture of your
personal sound universe - the EnvirogramTM.
• When you return to us, the Envirogram shows how much time you
have spent in different kinds of sound environments.
• Everybody has different needs and SAM can help us
choose the right solution and adjust it to match your
specific listening patterns.
The EnvirogramTM can help us find the right solution
for your particular listening needs.
What SAM does not do!
SAM does not record your conversations or when you had
them. Just like the rain gauge that does not know when it rained.
SAM only knows how much sound you have been exposed to.
Not when the sound occured.
What does SAM do?
For us to really understand the sound environments you personally
encounter we would need to follow you around during the course of
your day. And that wouldn’t be convenient for either of us! This is why
we have SAM.
Just like a rain gauge can register how much rain has fallen, SAM can
register how much time you have been spending in quiet or noisy
surroundings, and how much noise there was. SAM can also tell
how much time you have spent in conversation with others.

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How do I use SAM?
• First open the battery door, and insert the battery.
• Close the battery door. This will activate the device and make it
ready to wear.
• There is no indicator lamp to tell you that SAM is on; it turns on
automatically when the battery door is closed.
Remember:
• Do not close the battery door before you are ready to
wear SAM.
• Always leave the battery door open whenever you take
SAM off.
• Carefully open the safety pin on the reverse side.
• Attach SAM as you would a pin or brooch to the outer layer of
your clothes, somewhere between your heart and shoulder.
• Remember to close the safety pin.
• Never place SAM under a shirt or under a jacket or hide it under
the lapel of the jacket. In fact, do not cover SAM at any time.
• Avoid placing it close to a shirt button as this can cause
interference e.g. scratching sounds.
• Be aware that some fabrics are not suitable for safety pins. They
tend to leave marks on silk shirts or other fragile items.
• Whenever you add a layer of clothes, e.g. a jumper or coat,
remember to move SAM to the outer layer!
• In rainy conditions, continue wearing SAM on the outside layer but
use an umbrella for protection.
How and where should I attach SAM?
ON - while awake and wearing SAM:
• Close the battery door with the battery in place. SAM will
automatically turn ON.
OFF - while sleeping or not wearing SAM:
• Open the battery door with your fi ngernail. SAM will
automatically turn OFF.

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What should I say if people ask me what SAM is?
Tell them that good hearing is as much about the sound
environment as it is about hearing.
Explain that SAM is a smart little device that analyses your
sound environment and that the information it gathers will be
used to make a personal Envirogram. Your hearing care profes-
sional will then use this to find the hearing instrument solution
that best matches your lifestyle and listening needs.
When do I wear SAM?
In order to give us a full and accurate picture of the sounds you
encounter throughout the day, you need to wear SAM from the time
you get up in the morning until the time you go to bed.
• Simply attach SAM to your clothing each morning, and then just
forget about it.
• Enjoy your normal everyday activities - don’t do anything special or
change your normal program, just because you are wearing SAM.
• Wear SAM wherever you go – but do NOT expose it to excessive
moisture or water.
• Wear SAM all day long so that the readings accurately reflect your
normal lifestyle.
• If you take a short nap during the day it will be quite safe to just
leave SAM on.
• At night, remove SAM and return it to its storage case.
• Remember to open the battery door to turn SAM OFF.

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Warning
SAM and batteries can be dangerous if swallowed or used improperly. Such actions can
result in severe injury or can even be fatal.
Before using SAM, please familiarise yourself fully with the following general warnings
and the entire contents of this brochure.
• SAM, its parts, and batteries are not toys and should be kept out of reach of children
and anyone who might swallow these items or otherwise cause injury to themselves.
• Never change the battery or adjust the controls in front of infants, small children or
people with learning difficulties.
• Discard batteries carefully in a place where infants, small children or people with
learning difficulties cannot reach them.
• Batteries have occasionally been mistaken for pills.
Therefore check carefully before swallowing any pills.
• Never put SAM or batteries in your mouth for any reason, as they are slippery and
could be swallowed by accident.
If you accidentally swallow SAM or a battery, see a doctor immediately.
How do I store SAM?
• When you go to bed, place SAM in its storage case.
• Always leave the battery door open to keep it in the OFF position.
• Remember that no readings will be taken while SAM is in the OFF
position.

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Notes
It would be very useful to note down the experiences you have with SAM.
We have suggested some topics here but please add your own as needed:
(E.g. noisy situations, dining out, family gathering, watching television,
going to the theatre or cinema, being at work, playing sports, spending time
with friends, being with the grandchildren, etc.).
Checklist
• Hearing is as much about our sound environments as it is about
our hearing abilities.
• SAM registers how much time you have been spending in quiet or
noisy surroundings, and how much noise there was.
• SAM adds data up to provide a picture of your personal sound
universe - the Envirogram.
• SAM is not a tape recorder and cannot be used as such.
• Always wear SAM following the specifi c instructions.
• Never cover SAM at any time under your clothes.
• To turn ON SAM: Always close the battery door with the battery
in place.
• Always wear SAM all day long so that the readings accurately
refl ect your normal lifestyle.
• When you go to bed, place SAM in its storage case and turn SAM
OFF.
• To turn SAM OFF: Leave the battery door open.
• When not wearing SAM, leave in the OFF position.
OFF position

We believe that it takes more than technology and
audiology to create the best hearing instruments.
That’s why we put the individual needs and wishes of
people with hearing loss first in our development of
new hearing care solutions.
www.oticon.com
906 66 910 00/09.05 Printed in Denmark
Guide to using SAM
(Sound Activity Meter)