Sonic Ion User Manual

www.sonici.com

User Guide

2

SONIC

Owner Information

Hearing Aid Model:

Battery Size: 10A

Hearing Aid Serial Number:
(Located inside battery compartment)

Left: Right:

Listening Program

Number

Listening Situation

1

2

3

4

3

IONTM USER GUIDE

3

Table of Contents

Hearing Aid Benefits ........................................................4

Hearing Expectations ......................................................5

Warranty & Repair ...........................................................7

Ion

TM

Hearing Aid ..............................................................8

Turning Your Hearing Aid On and Off ............................10

Start Up Delay ................................................................11

Changing Listening Programs ......................................12

SmartTones

TM

................................................................13

Changing The Battery ....................................................13

Battery Type ...................................................................13

Change Batteries Regularly ..........................................14

Important Information About Your Battery ..................16

Putting Your ion

TM

Hearing Aid On Your Ear ................. 17

Removing Your Hearing Aid ...........................................18

Telephone Use ................................................................18

Correcting Feedback/Whistling ....................................19

Daily Maintenance & Storage ........................................20

Warnings to Prospective Hearing Aid Users ................24

Troubleshooting .............................................................25

Compliance with Requirements for Europe .................27

4

SONIC

Hearing Aid Benefits

Congratulations on your purchase of the extremely­comfortable, incredibly-discreet, and fullyfeatured
ionTM open ear hearing aid from Sonic. ionTM
incorporates our advanced digital processor for more
lifelike sound. With ionTM, you will be able to enjoy more
natural sound quality in a wide variety of listening
situations without the isolation commonly experienced
with traditional hearing aids.
Your hearing aid has been programmed to fit your
hearing and communication needs. If you require
programming changes, your hearing healthcare
professional can make adjustments to improve the
sound.

Please review this user guide carefully. It contains
information on the use and care of your hearing aid. With
proper use and care, your hearing aid will improve your
connection with the world around you.

5

IONTM USER GUIDE

Hearing Expectations

Set Appropriate Expectations

It is important that you have the right expectations
regarding your hearing aids. Hearing aids will give you
better hearing, but they are not a cure for hearing loss.
People whose expectations are too high (“I thought
they would make my hearing normal”) are likely to be
disappointed and may give up.

Hearing Aids Can:

• Help you hear and understand better in most
situations.

• Allow you to participate more in group situations
and meetings.

Hearing Aids Cannot:

• Give you normal hearing.

Hearing Aids May Not:

• Let you hear very soft sounds.

• Block ALL background noises–especially in noisy

groups. (Even people without hearing loss may
have difficulty hearing in the presence of back­ground noise.)

6

SONIC

Be Patient

Unlike eyeglasses, which correct your vision as soon
as you first put them on, hearing aids need some time
for proper adjustment. It may take several weeks or
months to completely adjust to your hearing aids, so try
to be patient. During the first week or so, try different
listening situations, such as one-on-one conversations
with family and friends and conversations with two
or three people at home or in quiet settings. Also, try
having conversations in noisier places like parties,
restaurants, meetings, and outdoors. But do not forget
that some situations are simply too noisy in general
– even for people without hearing loss. So, do not get
discouraged.

Consistent use of your hearing aid is strongly recom­mended. In most cases, infrequent use does not allow
you to obtain the full benefit from your aid.

The use of a hearing aid is only a part of total hearing
rehabilitation, and may need to be supplemented by
auditory training and instruction in lip reading.

7

IONTM USER GUIDE

Warranty & Repair

Sonic will repair any defective hearing aid part within
the period covered by your warranty.
(Ask your hearing care provider for details.) Parts
and labor are covered by this limited warranty. Ifyour
hearing aid malfunctions, contact your hearing
healthcare professional.
Accessory items, such as batteries, tubes and domes
are not covered under the warranty. Loss and/or
damage due to misuse, abuse, accidents, tampering,
or negligence are not covered under the warranty.

If your hearing aid malfunctions, it must be serviced by an
authorized Sonic service representative or your warranty
may be voided.

Note: Your hearing healthcare professional may charge
a service fee for processing warranty repairs.
If you have any questions regarding repairs
contact your hearing healthcare professional
orSonic Customer Care.

Sonic Customer Care
1020 Discovery Road, Suite 170
Eagan, MN 55121, USA
Call Toll Free in USA: 1-888-678-HEAR (4327)

See back cover for phone number outside of USA.

8

SONIC

IonTM Hearing Aid

Sound
Tube

Dome

Battery
Compartment

Front
Microphone

Rear
Microphone

Sound
Outlet

Program
Button

Retention Lock

ion+TM
Earhook

9

IONTM USER GUIDE

Manufacturer

Right/Left
Indicator

Red = Right
Blue = Left

Serial Number

10

SONIC

Turning Your Hearing Aid On and Off

The On/Off switch for your hearing
aid is integrated into the battery
compartment door.
When the battery compartment
is fully closed the hearing aid is
turned on.

Before turning your hearing aid
off, wipe away any moisture with
a soft cloth.
To turn the hearing aid off,
open the battery compartment
halfway, until it clicks into the
Off position.

To prolong battery life, turn your
hearing aid off when not in use.

On

Off

11

IONTM USER GUIDE

Start Up Delay

Your hearing aid may have a delayed start up feature,
which allows you to insert your hearing aid without
creating feedback or whistling.

This feature can be activated by your hearing
healthcare professional and set to meet your individual
time requirements for putting on the hearing aid.

When this feature is activated, closing the battery
compartment turns the hearing aid on and begins
the start up countdown. (You will hear a series of
beeps while the countdown is in process.) Position
the hearing aid in your ear. After several seconds, the
hearing aid will turn on and you will hear the “power
on” tones play, indicating the hearing aid is fully
activated.

12

SONIC

Changing Listening Programs

Your hearing aid comes equipped with
a push button that allows you to
choose from up to four listening
programs. When you first turn
on your hearing aid (by closing
the battery compartment), your
hearing aid will be in listening
program 1.

Change listening programs by
pressing the push button, located
on the top of the hearing aid.

When changing to a new listening program, your
hearing aid will play a number of beeps equal to
the number of the program to which it is chang­ing. For example, if you are in listening program 2
and you press the program button, you will hear
3beeps indicating that you have changed to listening
program3.

With each press of the program button your hearing
aid will cycle through up to four listening programs in
order. For example: 1, 2, 3, 4, 1 ...

Note: Your Hearing Care Professional may not activate
all listening programs.

Push Button

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IONTM USER GUIDE

Event Tone Description

Start Up Delay A slow sequence of double beeps.

Power On A fast sequence of beeps rising in pitch.

Program Change A sequence of beeps rising in pitch. Number

of beeps matches listening program position.

Low Battery A slow, double beep from a high to low pitch.

Dying Battery A fast sequence of beeps descending in pitch.

Changing The Battery

The life of your hearing aid battery will vary depending
on your hearing program, the listening situation, and
the length of daily use. A tone sequence or Voice Alert
will tell you when the battery in your hearing aid is low.
When you hear the warning, change the battery in your
hearing aid. If the battery gets so low that it cannot
supply enough power to your hearing aid, a SmartTone™
power off sequence will play and the aid will shut off.
Place a new battery in the aid to turn it back on. If your
hearing aid is not in use, open the battery door to slow
the battery use.
Always remove the battery if your aid is not in use for
long periods.

Battery Type

Stainless steel zinc-air batteries are recommended.
Your hearing aid uses a 10 A battery.

SmartTones

TM

14

SONIC

Change Batteries Regularly

If your hearing aid is not in use, open the battery
compartment door to turn the aid off. This will
prevent battery drain. Also, your hearing aid may be
programmed with SmartTones™ or Voice Alerts to tell
you when to change the battery.

Below is a table designed to help you determine when
you should change the batteries. The exact battery life
you experience may vary.

Hearing Aid Model Battery Type Change

Battery Every*

ion 400 10A 58-75 hours

ion 200 10A 96-108 hours

ion 10A 96-108 hours

*Approximate number of hours

15

IONTM USER GUIDE

Remove the old battery:

1. Before turning your hearing aid off, wipe away any
moisture with a soft cloth.

2. Open the battery compartment by pushing up on
the battery door catch.

3. Turn the aid over and gently shake the battery out
into your hand. Be careful not
to lose the battery.

Insert a new battery:

1. Place a new battery into
the battery compartment,
plus side up.

2. Close the battery door.

16

SONIC

Important Information About Your Battery

Keep batteries out of children’s reach and discard used
batteries carefully. Care must be taken so that your
hearing aid and its accessory items are not accessible
to children. Do not change batteries in front of children
or let them see where you keep your supply.

Never put batteries in your mouth for any reason.
Never let a child obtain a battery or place it in his or
her mouth. Batteries are small and can be harmful if
swallowed. Keep batteries out of the reach of pets and
small children.

In case of ingestion, contact your physician. In the
United States you may also call the National Button
Battery Ingestion Hotline collect at:

[phone].

!

17

IONTM USER GUIDE

Putting Your ionTM Hearing Aid On Your Ear

1. Place your hearing aid over the top of your ear.

2. Grasp the sound tube where
it bends and push the dome
into your ear canal. The
dome should be placed far
enough into the ear that the
sound tube lies flush with
your head. When the dome
is placed appropriately, you will not be able to see
the sound tube sticking out when you look directly
into a mirror.

3. Use your finger to position the retention lock
comfortably in the bowl of your ear.

18

SONIC

Removing Your Hearing Aid

To remove your hearing aid, hold the sound tube and
gently pull the dome out of your ear canal. Liftthe
hearing aid case from behind your ear. Open the
battery compartment to turn off the device.

IMPORTANT: Should the dome become separated from
the sound tube and remain lodged in your ear canal
after removal of the hearing aid, DO NOT attempt to
remove the dome yourself. Seek immediate care from
your hearing healthcare professional or physician.

Telephone Use

Your hearing aid allows you to use the telephone as you
normally would. Select the listening program on your
hearing aid that is best for you when using the phone.

If you experience discomfort from the dome pressing
in your ear canal, you may need a different size sound
tube. In this case contact your hearing healthcare
professional.

19

IONTM USER GUIDE

Correcting Feedback/Whistling

If the hearing aid whistles or squeals, the most likely
reason is that the dome is not placed correctly in the
ear canal. Other reasons can be buildup of earwax in
the ear canal, or that the sound tube connection to the
hearing aid has become loose, in which case the sound
tube must be changed.

It is also possible that the program settings are not
optimal. If you have ruled out other reasons for your
hearing aid whistling or squealing, we recommend that
you contact your hearing healthcare professional.

Your hearing aid may include a feature that will
eliminate constant feedback. Should you experience
excessive feedback or whistling, follow these steps to
remove constant feedback.

1. Make sure you are in a quiet environment.

2. Press and hold the push button on your hearing
aid for approximately four seconds until you hear
the program change tones followed by the dying
battery tones.
Note: If you do not hear the tones, this feature is
not enabled in your hearing aid.

After your hearing aid is trained, it will return to your
first listening program.

20

SONIC

Daily Maintenance & Storage

General:

• Keep your hearing aid clean and dry.

• Avoid exposing your hearing aid to moisture such

as rain, or water from the shower.

• If your hearing aid is exposed to excessive
moisture, leave the battery compartment open
and empty overnight. This will allow it to dry out.

• Never use alcohol to clean your hearing aids,
sound tubes, or domes.

• Gently wipe the case of your hearing aid with a
soft cloth or tissue after use to remove body oil
and moisture.

• Always remove your hearing aids when using
haircare products. The hearing aid can become
clogged and cease to function properly.

• A hard plastic case may be provided to carry and
store your hearing aid when not in use.

• If your hearing aid will not be used for an
extended period of time, remove the battery and
place the hearing aid in the hard plastic case.

21

IONTM USER GUIDE

To avoid the need for repairs not covered under the
warranty:

• Never immerse the hearing aid in water or other
liquids as this may cause permanent damage to
the circuitry.

• Protect your hearing aid from rough handling, and
avoid dropping it on hard surfaces or floors.

• Do not leave the hearing aid in or near direct heat
or sunlight as excessive heat can damage the
hearing aid or deform the casing or sound tube.

21

22

SONIC

The Sound Tube:

The sound tube and the dome should be cleaned
regularly:

1. Remove the sound tube from the hearing aid by
turning and pulling it off. (Use your thumbnail if
you have difficulty.)

2. Use a damp cloth to clean the outside of the
sound tube and dome.

3. Use the black cleaning rod to push any debris
out of the sound tube. The cleaning rod should
be inserted where the sound tube attaches to the
hearing aid casing and pushed all the way through
the sound tube and out through the dome.

4. To attach the
sound tube snap it
straight onto the
hearing aid.

You should never
attempt to modify the
shape of the sound tube
yourself.

23

IONTM USER GUIDE

It is not recommended that you submerge or rinse
the sound tube or dome in water. Water may become
lodged in the sound tube. If this should occur, it will
prevent sound from coming through the sound tube,
and may be harmful to the electronics of the hearing
aid.

The sound tube conducts the amplified sound from
the hearing aid to your ear. It is important that the
sound tube and the dome fit correctly into your ear. If
the sound tube or the dome irritates your ear in any
way and prevents you from wearing your hearing aid,
please contact your hearing healthcare professional.
The sound tube and dome should be changed every
third month, or sooner if the sound tube becomes stiff
or brittle.

The Sound Dome

We recommend that you have your hearing healthcare
professional change the domes for you. If your hear­ing healthcare professional instructs you to change
the domes yourself, make sure that they are securely
fastened to the sound tube before you insert them in
your ear. A failure to change the domes in accordance
with these instructions could result in personal injury.

24

SONIC

Warnings to Prospective Hearing Aid Users

If you find a foreign object in your ear canal, experience
skin irritation, or experience excessive wax buildup
with the use of your hearing aid, consult a physician.

Always remove the aid when undergoing any kind of
electromagnetic treatment such as X-Rays, Magnetic
Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computerized Axial
Tomography (CAT), Electroencephalogram (EEG),
Electrocardiogram (EKG), Short Wave Diathermy, or
other electrical or magnetic treatment.

Other types of radiation (burglary alarms, room
surveillance systems, radio equipment, mobile
telephone, etc) will not damage the hearing aid. They
could, however, momentarily affect the sound quality
or create strange sounds in the hearing aids.

Do not wear the hearing aids in mines or other
explosive areas, unless those areas are certified for
hearing aid use.

Keep the hearing aids away from children under the
age of 3 since they contain small parts which may
present a choking hazard.

25

IONTM USER GUIDE

Troubleshooting

If you are having trouble with your hearing aid, check
this guide to quickly find a possible solution.

Problem Solution

No Sound

Battery vent may be clogged
with moisture

Wipe off moisture from battery
door

Battery vent may be clogged
with debris

Ask your hearing healthcare
professional to replace the vent
membrane

Battery may be low or dead Replace battery

Hearing aid may not be on Turn on the hearing aid

Start up delay is on Wait a few seconds for device

to turn on

Sound tube or dome is blocked
with moisture or debris

Use the vent cleaning tool to
clear the sound tube or dome

Not Loud Enough

Dome not inserted properly Re-insert dome

Battery may be low or dead Replace the battery

Sound tube or dome is blocked Clear the sound tube or dome

Program settings not optimum Consult your hearing

healthcare professional

Your hearing has changed Consult your hearing

healthcare professional

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SONIC

Problem Solution

Program Button Doesn’t Work

Battery may be low or dead Replace the battery

Whistling or Feedback

Sound tube is loose Remove and replace sound tube

Dome not inserted properly Re-insert dome

Program settings not optimum Consult your hearing

healthcare professional

Sound is Distorted or Not Clear

Battery may be low or dead Replace the battery

Dome not inserted properly Re-insert dome

Program settings not optimum Consult your hearing

healthcare professional

Battery Door Won’t Close

Battery not positioned correctly Make sure the battery is prop-

erly positioned in the battery
compartment.
The “+” side must face the
battery door.

Debris in the battery
compartment

Remove the debris before
inserting the battery

Battery Stuck in Aid

Battery may be jammed Use the magnet end of the

cleaning brush to remove the
battery

Battery may be rusted Use the magnet end of the

cleaning brush to remove the
battery

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IONTM USER GUIDE

Compliance with Requirements for Europe

This device is in conformance with the requirements of
the Directive 93/42/EEC of the Council of the European
Communities concerning medical devices, MDD. This is
certified by applying this marking.

Declarations of conformity are available at:
Sonic Innovations, Inc.
2501 Cottontail Lane
Somerset, NJ 08873

03.13 | 4001296 | US

www.sonici.com

World Headquarters

Sonic Innovations, Inc.

2501 Cottontail Lane
Somerset, NJ 08873 USA
+ 1 888 423 7834

Canada

Sonic Innovations Canada Ltd.

2885-B le Corbusier Blvd
Laval, Québec H7L 4J5
+ 1 800 667 7664

Australia

Sonic Australia

1/10 Dorsey Street
Milton, QLD 4064, Australia
Tel: + 61 7 3368 4044
Free call (Australia only)
1800 639 263

International

Sonic AG

Morgenstrasse 131B
3018 Bern, Switzerland
+ 41 31 560 21 21

France

Sonic France

Parc des Barbanniers
3 allée des Barbanniers
CS 40006
92635 Gennevilliers cedex
[phone]

Sonic AG

Morgenstrasse 131B
3018 Bern, Switzerland
+ 41 31 560 21 21

Sonic Innovations, Inc.

2501 Cottontail Lane
Somerset, NJ 08873 USA
+ 1 888 423 7834

Germany

Sonic Hörgeräte GmbH

Nunsdorfer Ring 14
12277 Berlin
+ 49 30 24 63 28 0

Italy

Sonic Italia

Piazza delle Crociate 16
00162 Roma
+ 39 06 44 24 68 52