otometrics Aurical Hit User manual

AURICALHIT and the
OTOsuite HITModule
User Guide
Doc. No. 7-50-1230-EN/02
Part No. 7-50-12300-EN

Copyrightnotice
No part of this documentation or program may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any
means, electronic,mechanical,photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written consent of GNOtometricsA/S.
Copyright© 2014, GNOtometricsA/S
Published in Denmark by GNOtometricsA/S, Denmark
All information, illustrations, and specifications in this manual are based on the latest productinformation available at the time of
publication. GNOtometricsA/S reserves the right to make changes at any time without notice.
Versionrelease date
2014-02-25
Technical support
Please contact your supplier.
2 Otometrics - AURICALHIT

Table of Contents
1 Introduction 4
2 Unpacking AURICALHIT 5
3 Installation 5
4 The test chamber 5
5 Testing hearing instruments 9
6 Maintenance and Calibration 15
7 Other references 16
8 Standards 16
9 Operating environment 16
10 Transport and storage 17
11 Definition of symbols 17
12 Warning notes 18
13 Manufacturer 19
Otometrics - AURICALHIT 3

1 Introduction
AURICALHIT is designed for Hearing Instrument Testing and Coupler-Based Fitting.
AURICALHIT connects via USB to a computer running the OTOsuite software.
• With the OTOsuite HITModule you can perform traditional hearing instru-
ment testing according to either the ANSI or IEC test protocols, and obtain a
consistent picture of every hearing instrument, regardless of manufacturer or
type.
• With the OTOsuite PMM Module you can perform Probe Microphone Meas-
urements in a coupler for pre-programming and pre-fitting hearing instruments
without the client being present.
1.1 Intended use
AURICALHIT is intended for testing purposes by audiologists, hearing instrument dispensers, and other health care pro-
fessionals in testing programmable hearing instruments.
Required qualifications
It is assumed that the user has a basic knowledge of how to compare the results of the hearing instrument tests with the
specifications from the hearing instrument manufacturer and to detect typical malfunctions of the hearing instrument.
1.2 Typographical conventions
The use of Warning, Caution and Note
For safety reasons and appropriate use of the device and/or software, the manual contains Warnings,Cautions and Notes.
These headings are used as follows:
Warning•Indicates that there is risk of death or serious injury to the user or patient.
Caution•Indicates that there is a risk of injury to the user or patient or risk of damage to data or the device.
Note •Indicates that you should take special notice.
4 Otometrics - AURICALHIT
1 Introduction

2 Unpacking AURICALHIT
1. Unpack the device carefully.
When you unpack the device and accessories, it is a good idea to keep the packing material in which they were
delivered. If you need to send the device in for service, the original packing material will protect against damage dur-
ing transport, etc.
2. Visually inspect the equipment for possible damage.
If damage has occurred, do not put the device into operation. Contact your local distributor for assistance.
3. Check with the packing list to make sure that you have received all necessary parts and accessories. If your package is
incomplete, contact your local distributor.
3 Installation
• Place AURICALHIT on an absolutely stable surface.
• In order to exclude ambient noise and to comply with the ANSI S3.22 standard, place the system in a moderately
quiet room.
3.1 Connecting the device
1. Install OTOsuite on the PC. See the OTOsuite Installation Guide.
2. Connect the USB cable from the USB socket under AURICALHIT to a USB socket in the PC. AURICAL HIT is powered by
the PC.
AURICALHIT is selected automatically in OTOsuite.
4 The test chamber
Using AURICALHIT and positioning hearing instruments in the test chamber are described in Testing hearing instruments
►9.
Otometrics - AURICALHIT 5
2 Unpacking AURICALHIT

A. The coupler assembly ►6
B. Elevation plate ►8
C. Cable groove ►8
The AURICALHIT handle ►8
(some models only)
4.1 The coupler assembly
The coupler assembly consists of the following parts:
A. Coupler adapter
B. 2 cc coupler cavity
C. Coupler microphone
6 Otometrics - AURICALHIT
4 The test chamber

Coupler adapter
The Accessory Box provides a range of adapters for easy positioning of different types of hearing instruments.
2 cc coupler cavity
During tests in the test chamber, the hearing instrument is connected to a 2cc coupler cavity manufactured in accordance
with the ANSI standard.
Coupler microphone
The coupler microphone is located in a coupler bottom piece which must be attached to the 2cc coupler cavity.
You can use the coupler microphone either directly in AURICALHIT or in the Accessory Box.
In AURICALHIT
A. BTE testing - Low coupler position
B. ITE, RIE, thin-tube testing - High coupler position
In the Accessory Box
Connect the mini-jack cable from the Accessory Box to the mini-jack socket under AURICALHIT, and insert the coupler
microphone in the microphone socket in the Accessory Box.
A. Wireless hearing instrument testing
Otometrics - AURICALHIT 7
4 The test chamber

4.2 Cable groove
Wrap the programming cable of the hearing instrument once around the
cable groove. This prevents the hearing instrument from being pulled
out of place when you close the lid for testing.
4.3 Elevation plate
Use the elevation plate to facilitate positioning of wireless transmitters
and body worn hearing instruments at a level where the microphone or
microphones are approximately centered in relation to the loudspeaker.
4.4 The AURICALHIT handle
Note •This only applies to models equipped with a carrying handle.
The handle is designed for carrying AURICALHIT.
Caution•If you carry AURICALHIT by its handle, do not use your other hand to support it by the lid, as this may
cause the lid to open and squeeze your fingers.
8 Otometrics - AURICALHIT
4 The test chamber

5 Testing hearing instruments
Testing a hearing instrument involves the following main tasks:
1. Calibrating the reference microphone
Otometrics recommends that you calibrate the reference microphone daily or weekly. Set up the interval to suit your pur-
poses. See Calibrating the reference microphone ►9.
2. Positioning the hearing instrument
General instructions are described in
•Traditional BTE hearing instruments ►11
•Thin-tube hearing instruments ►12
•ITE hearing instruments ►13
3. Testing
When you have positioned the hearing instrument correctly, you can test it using the OTOsuite HIT module as described
in How to perform a standard test ►14 , or you can perform coupler-based fitting as described in the AURICAL FreeFit
and the Probe Microphone Measurements User Manual.
5.1 Calibrating the reference microphone
1. Launch OTOsuite and select the HIT module in the Navigation panel.
2. Position the microphones in the center of the test chamber.
3. Position the reference microphone (1) pointing straight down from above and
centered 1-2 millimeters above the coupler measurement microphone (3).
4. During calibration the microphones must have the exact same distance to the
main loudspeaker (2), along the Z axis. You can ensure this by looking at the
test chamber from the side when you adjust the reference microphone pos-
ition for calibration.
5. Close the lid.
6. Select Tools > AURICALHIT Calibration > Reference Microphone.
7. Follow the on-screen instructions.
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5 Testing hearing instruments

5.2 Positioning the hearing instrument for testing
How you position the hearing instrument for testing in the test chamber depends on the type of hearing instrument or
device you wish to test.
Regardless of form factor (the type of hearing instrument), the only two important things to remember are:
• Aligning directional microphones along the loudspeaker axis.
• Positioning the reference microphone as close as possible to the front microphone of the hearing instrument without
touching it.
You can position the hearing instrument to perform all standard hearing instrument tests without repositioning the hear-
ing instrument between the individual tests:
• acoustic measurements,
• inductive telecoil measurements,
• directional microphone test.
Positioning the reference microphone
– As a rule of thumb, position the reference microphone as close as possible to the front microphone of the hearing
instrument without actually touching it.
Maximum permitted distances are:
Vertically (Y axis) 8mm (above)
Sideways (X axis) ±12mm
Back-to-front (Z axis) ±3mm
5.3 Using the battery simulator
1. Select a battery simulator and insert it in the hearing instrument.
With AURICALHIT you receive a set of 4 color-coded battery simulators, which are used to power the hearing instru-
ment. They are also used as probes for measuring the power consumption.
Red
Blue
Yellow
Green
10A/230
675
312
13
2. Insert the mini-jack connector of the battery simulator in the bat-
tery simulator socket in the test chamber.
AURICALHIT automatically detects the battery simulator.
Caution•When you have connected the battery simulator, make
sure that it does not touch other metal parts as this may short-cir-
cuit the system.
10 Otometrics - AURICALHIT
5 Testing hearing instruments