SoundPoint and SoundPoint
Tinnitus
SoundPoint and SoundPoint
Tinnitus are hearing aid fitting tools
that enables the patient to participate in the fine tuning process by
moving a pointer on an Apple®
iPad® screen or
your computer's monitor. When the patient moves the pointer to different
areas of the screen, instantaneous changes to the frequency shaping, gain,
and compression parameters of the hearing aid
or tinnitus stimulus occur. SoundPoint and
SoundPoint Tinnitus can be used in both the initial and
follow-up fittings, or when the patient indicates the aid doesn't
sound right, providing you with information that your patient often cannot
easily articulate. SoundPoint and
SoundPoint Tinnitus can lead to a rewarding partnership
between you and your patients. SoundPoint
is available for all 24, 20,
16, 12, 10,
and 8 channel products
except S Series, E Series,
Xino Classic,
Zōn, and Destiny,
and SoundPoint Tinnitus is only available for the Honor,
Pride, Pride IIC, Z
Series, and Xino
Tinnitus products.
Either a single or dual monitor PC configuration with or without an
iPad can be used. Touch screen monitors can be used with the PC, however,
the touch screen functionality is not supported in SoundPoint
or SoundPoint Tinnitus. Touch screen functionality is only
supported on the iPad. If using an iPad, both the iPad and fitting
PC must access the same wireless network. In addition, the SoundPoint
App must be installed on the iPad prior to accessing SoundPoint or
SoundPoint Tinnitus.
Real-time changes to the frequency response curves can be observed in
Inspire as SoundPoint for amplification is being utilized by the patient. If
a single monitor is used, the SoundPoint screen can be moved in order
to view both the SoundPoint and Inspire screens and if a dual monitor
is used, the SoundPoint screen can be moved to the second monitor, if
desired.
Inspire provides numerous audio files to play (e.g., Airplane,
Car Horn, Rain, etc. and samples of the various voice indicators) via
, however, audio files and categories (e.g., Moderate Sounds,
Speech, etc.) can be added and maintained via Audio Files
Preferences. Prior to using SoundPoint or
SoundPoint Tinnitus, it is important to calibrate your
system speakers. See Speaker
Calibration for more information.
When SoundPoint or SoundPoint
Tinnitus is launched for hearing aids with user-initiated
volume control or user-initiated
tinnitus therapy stimulus level capabilities, the current
reserve gain or output
is retained. As the patient explores the SoundPoint space, any gain applied
will be limited based on the current reserve gain
or output.
If Tinnitus Stimulus is enabled
for any memory and a rate of modulation other than Off
is selected via , the modulation is temporarily
disabled in all applicable memories while in SoundPoint Tinnitus. Disabling
this feature ensures that the changes the patient is hearing are from
SoundPoint Tinnitus, not from modulation. Once SoundPoint Tinnitus is
exited, the rate of modulation is re-enabled in all applicable memories.
Connect and select the desired hearing aid(s)
to fine tune via .
| Note: The
hearing aid(s) must be in the patient's ear(s). |
Click on the Read Device Settings or radio
button and then click 
.
Click SoundPoint.
Note: SoundPoint
is only available if the hearing aid connected supports this
feature. If fitting CROS/BiCROS devices, only the receiver
aid will be adjusted. If any memories are linked,
they will be unlinked during the SoundPoint session. If the
criteria to launch SoundPoint is not met, an alert  displays. Point to and details regarding the criterion
not met displays in a tool tip. For example, if fitting binaurally
but viewing monaurally, both hearing aids will be adjusted
if SoundPoint is available in both devices. |
| |
| Tip: Click
SoundPoint Tinnitus from the
Tinnitus screen to access. This link is only enabled if Enable Tinnitus Stimulus
is checked for one or both ear sides. Continue at step 6. |
If
the connected hearing aid is a Tinnitus product, click on the
SoundPoint or SoundPoint
Tinnitus radio button to fine tune the amplification or tinnitus
stimulus, respectively.
Fine tune via the iPad
or Desktop/Laptop.
SoundPoint
and SoundPoint Tinnitus via iPad
Click iPad
and the
SoundPoint screen opens in a dialog window.
| Tip: Click
Cancel to cancel SoundPoint and
return to Inspire. |
Launch the SoundPoint App on the iPad and tap
Connect to Inspire and a list of available
iPads appear on the PC's SoundPoint screen. Click on the iPad to use.
| Tip: Click
Back to go back to the previous
screen to select Desktop/Laptop
if an iPad can't be located. |
Click on the specific memory to fine tune.
| Note: If
fine tuning tinnitus stimulus and Enable
Tinnitus Stimulus is unchecked for a specific memory in
both ear sides, that memory button is disabled. If fine tuning
Honor, Pride, or Pride IIC
products, SoundPoint for amplification is not available for
Telecoil, Autocoil, Loop, or Music memories. |
| |
| Tip: Click
Exit SoundPoint to cancel SoundPoint
and return to Inspire. |
Select the Audio File
to play from the drop down list and it automatically starts
playing.
| Note: The
default audio file is SoundPoint
Stimulus which is a speech-in-noise stimulus from the
Connect Speech Test presented in a background of multi-talker
babble at a level approximating that of average speech. The
audio file loops continuously until it is paused. To play
a different audio file, select the file from the drop down
list and it automatically starts playing. |
| |
Tip: The
Play  button
changes to Pause  . Click
Pause to pause
the playback. Click Play to resume
the playback. |
Drag the Volume 
slider in either direction to increase
or decrease the volume of the audio file.
| Note: It
is recommended to play the audio file between 58-66 dB. A
colored circle representing a specific dB range and the actual
level displays to the right of the slider bar. Yellow represents ≤57 dB, green 58-66 dB, and red ≥67 dB. |
Tap Start on the iPad
to begin the session.
| Note: The
current response is the default starting point for all parameter
offsets and is represented by a speaker icon in the center
of the SoundPoint space. If at any time the SoundPoint App
on the iPad is closed before the session is complete, the
PC's SoundPoint screen reverts to a Desktop/Laptop
session. |
| |
Tip: For
instructions on using SoundPoint, click Help
 on the PC's SoundPoint screen. Click
Help again
to close the instructions. |
Instruct the patient to move his/her finger around
the SoundPoint space and listen for changes in their hearing aid(s)
as they explore.
When he/she reaches a spot that sounds good,
instruct the patient to tap his/her finger once to mark that
spot with a push pin
.
| Note: The
same colored push pin on the iPad also displays on the PC's
SoundPoint screen. If
fine tuning amplification, the
original soft, moderate, and loud output curves are represented
in dotted lines on the fitting graph and the current soft,
moderate, and loud output curves corresponding to the SoundPoint
push pin setting are represented in solid lines. The currently selected automatically
displays. |
Recommend the patient repeat steps 7-8 until
at least 3-4 spots are marked.
Tip: If the
patient is unable to locate a spot that sounds good, click
Current Settings 
on the PC's SoundPoint screen to reset the hearing aid(s)
to its original settings and return the speaker icon on the
iPad to the center of the SoundPoint space. |
Have the patient listen to the aid(s) to compare
the marked spots by moving the mouse alternately between push pins on
the PC's SoundPoint screen. To play a different audio file or adjust
the volume, repeat steps 4-5.
Tip: To remove
a marked spot, click Clear
on the PC's SoundPoint screen beneath the push pin. To remove
all marked spots and tiles, either shake the iPad or click
Clear All 
on the PC's SoundPoint screen. |
Once the patient has identified their favorite
spot, instruct him/her to tap the push pin twice on the iPad to change
it to a star
.
| Tip: Click
the push pin on the PC's SoundPoint screen to mark the patient's
favorite spot. If the incorrect spot was marked, either remove
the spot or mark the correct spot. |
Click Save on the
PC's SoundPoint screen to save the favorite setting to the hearing
aid(s) and return to the memory selection screen.
| Note: This
button is only enabled if a favorite spot has been marked. |
| |
| Tip: Click
Cancel to not save the settings
to the hearing aid(s) and return to the memory selection screen. |
If
tinnitus stimulus was fine tuned, click Copy to
All to apply the same adjustments to the tinnitus stimulus
in all tinnitus memories if desired.
| Note:
This button is only enabled if Enable Tinnitus Stimulus
is checked for more than one memory. An arrow pointing to
all memories that will be adjusted displays by pointing to
the Copy to All
button. |
Repeat steps 3-13
to fine tune additional memories if desired.
| Note:
If the tinnitus stimulus was adjusted in one memory
(e.g., Normal) but the adjustments weren't copied to all other
tinnitus memories in step 13, and then a second memory (e.g.,
Car) was adjusted, if Copy to All
was now selected, the tinnitus stimulus from the second memory
(e.g., Car) was automatically applied to the first memory
(e.g., Normal) overriding the previous adjustments. |
Click Exit SoundPoint
to close the SoundPoint screen and return to Inspire.
If
tinnitus stimulus was fine tuned, click Go to
Tinnitus to access the Tinnitus
screen if desired.
SoundPoint
and SoundPoint Tinnitus via Desktop/Laptop
Click Desktop/Laptop
and the SoundPoint screen opens in a dialog window.
| Tip: Click
Cancel to cancel SoundPoint and
return to Inspire. |
Click on the specific memory to fine tune.
| Note: If
fine tuning tinnitus stimulus and Enable
Tinnitus Stimulus is unchecked for a specific memory in
both ear sides, that memory button is disabled. If fine
tuning Honor, Pride, or Pride IIC
products, SoundPoint for amplification is not available for
Telecoil, Autocoil, Loop, or Music memories. |
| |
| Tip: Click
Exit SoundPoint to cancel SoundPoint
and return to Inspire. |
Select the Audio File
to play from the drop down list and it automatically starts
playing.
| Note: The
default audio file is SoundPoint
Stimulus which is a speech-in-noise stimulus from
the Connect Speech Test presented in a background of multi-talker
babble at a level approximating that of average speech. The
audio file loops continuously until it is paused. To play
a different audio file, select the file from the drop down
list and it automatically starts playing. |
| |
| Tip: The
Play button
changes to Pause . Click
Pause to pause
the playback. Click Play to resume
the playback. |
Drag the Volume slider in either direction to increase
or decrease the volume of the audio file.
| Note: It
is recommended to play the audio file between 58-66 dB. A
colored circle representing a specific dB range and the actual
level displays to the right of the slider bar. Yellow represents ≤57 dB, green 58-66 dB, and red ≥67 dB. |
Click Start to begin
the session.
| Note: The
current response is the default starting point for all parameter
offsets and is located in the center of the SoundPoint space. |
Instruct the patient to move the mouse around
the SoundPoint space and listen for changes in their hearing aid(s)
as they explore.
When he/she reaches a spot that sounds good,
instruct the patient to click the mouse to mark that spot with
a push pin.
Recommend the patient repeat steps 6-7 until
at least 3-4 spots are marked.
Once the patient has finished exploring the SoundPoint
space and marked several spots, point to any push pin and a toolbar
displays. Click Lock 
to lock the session to compare spots and the Media Player and fitting
graph(s) displays.
| Note: If
fine tuning amplification, the
original soft, moderate, and loud output curves are represented
in dotted lines on the fitting graph and the current soft,
moderate, and loud output curves corresponding to the SoundPoint
push pin setting are represented in solid lines. The currently selected automatically
displays. |
Have the patient listen to the aid(s) to compare
the marked spots by moving the mouse alternately between push pins.
To play a different audio file or adjust the volume, repeat steps
3-4.
Tip: If the
patient would like to explore the SoundPoint space again to
mark new spots, point to any push pin and click Unlock
 . To remove a marked
spot, point to the push pin and click Trash
 . To remove all marked spots and tiles,
press Backspace and the screen clears and the session unlocks. |
Once the patient has identified their favorite
spot, instruct him/her to click the push pin to change it to a starand
a dialog box appears asking if the settings should be saved to the
memory.
Click Yes, Save to Devices! and
return to the memory selection screen.
| Tip: If the
incorrect spot was marked, click Cancel
to not save the settings to the hearing aid(s) and close the
dialog box. Either repeat steps 6-12 or click X
on the Title Bar to close the SoundPoint screen and return
to the memory selection screen. |
If
tinnitus stimulus was fine tuned, click Copy to
All to apply the same adjustments to the tinnitus stimulus
in all tinnitus memories if desired.
| Note:
This button is only enabled if Enable Tinnitus Stimulus
is checked for more than one memory. An arrow pointing to
all memories that will be adjusted displays by pointing to
the Copy to All
button. |
Repeat steps 2-13
to fine tune additional memories if desired.
| Note:
If the tinnitus stimulus was adjusted in one memory
(e.g., Normal) but the adjustments weren't copied to all other
tinnitus memories in step 13, and then a second memory (e.g.,
Car) was adjusted, if Copy to All
was now selected, the tinnitus stimulus from the second memory
(e.g., Car) was automatically applied to the first memory
(e.g., Normal) overriding the previous adjustments. |
Click Exit SoundPoint
to close the SoundPoint screen and return to Inspire.
If
tinnitus stimulus was fine tuned, click Go
to Tinnitus to access
the Tinnitus
screen if desired.
QuickTIPS
| SoundPoint |
SoundPoint
Tinnitus |
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