Unitron Indigo User Manual

Indigo

™

ITE Guide

Table of Contents

Your Indigo™ Hearing Instruments ................................1

Practical Solutions to Everyday Problems ......................2

Getting the Most Out of Your Indigo™ Hearing

Instruments..................................................................3

Using the Indigo™ ITE Guide .........................................4

Turning Your Indigo™ Hearing Instruments On and Off 5

Inserting and Removing ITE and CIC Hearing Instruments

6

Feedback-Free Listening .................................................7

Replacing the Battery .....................................................8

Operating Instructions ITE and CIC ...............................10

Caring for Your Indigo™ Hearing Instruments..............16

Cleaning Your Indigo™ Hearing Instruments ...............17

Warnings .......................................................................18

Troubleshooting Guide .................................................20

Warning to Hearing Instrument Dispensers ................22

1

Your Indigo

™

Hearing Instruments

Hearing Healthcare Professional: _________________________

_____________________________________________________

Telephone: ___________________________________________

Model:_______________________________________________

Serial Number: ________________________________________

Replacement Batteries: Size 10 Size 312 Size 13

Warranty: ____________________________________________

Use Automatic Program for 1: Quiet

2: Group/Party Noise
3: Intense Noise
4: Music

Use Program 2 for: _____________________________

Use Program 3 for: _____________________________

Use Program 4 for: _____________________________

Date of Purchase:______________________________________

2

Practical Solutions to Everyday Problems

Congratulations on choosing Indigo™ITE (In-the-Ear)
hearing instruments.

For over 40 years, Unitron Hearing has been committed
to making life better for people with hearing loss. This
means a commitment to developing high-quality hearing
solutions that incorporate special features to solve the
everyday problems and concerns you have with hearing
loss and hearing instruments.

Indigo is a premium hearing instrument that delivers
superior sound quality, performance, and extraordinary
results. Indigo’s automatic program reads your listening
environment and automatically determines a sound
destination that is most effective for optimal listening as
your listening needs change throughout the day. Three
additional manual programs give you added flexibility
to meet your particular listening needs. Indigo’s
sophisticated adaptive features offer you the latest in
digital technology so your hearing instruments do the
adapting without manual adjustments or fiddling
required by you.

3

Getting the Most Out of Your Indigo

™

Hearing Instruments

Adjusting to your new hearing instruments will take
some time. In the beginning it is important that you do
not use the hearing instruments for longer than is
comfortable. Depending on your previous experience
with hearing instruments, a few hours a day may be
enough and then you can increase wearing time
gradually. Once you have become accustomed to your
hearing devices, you should wear them all day everyday
since frequent use will help you adapt to your hearing
devices and enjoy their full benefits. The quicker you get
used to the everyday sounds around you, the less you
will notice that you are wearing hearing instruments.

4

Using the Indigo

™

ITE Guide

Refer to the table of contents for a complete listing of
the topics covered in this guide.

Use the diagram below to identify some of the
components on your hearing devices. Because each
device is custom-designed and molded to fit an
individual ear, the physical appearance and exact
positioning on your hearing devices may vary slightly
from those shown. Have your hearing healthcare
professional place a check beside the diagram that best
describes your ITE style.

Legend

1 Microphone

2 Program Button

3 On/Off Manual

Volume Control

4 Program Button or

Volume Control
(depending on your
customized fitting)

5 Battery Door

6 Vent

7 Removal Handle

5

3

6

2

1

5

3

6

2

1

Full Shell

Half Shell

Canal

Mini Canal

CIC

5

3

6

2

1

1

5

3

6

2

1

5

6

7

4

5

Turning Your Indigo

™

Hearing Instruments

On and Off

Your Indigo hearing instruments may
have a volume control that also serves
as an on/off switch. To turn your hearing
instruments on, rotate the volume control
towards your nose. Note: If the start up delay is

activated, your hearing instruments will not turn on for
10-15 seconds after rotating the volume control towards
your nose.

To turn your hearing instruments off, rotate the volume
control away from your nose.

For hearing instruments without a volume control, close
the battery door to turn your hearing instruments on.
Open the battery door or remove the battery to turn your
hearing instruments off.

6

Inserting and Removing ITE and CIC
Hearing Instruments

ITE and CIC hearing instruments are color-coded red for
the right ear and blue for the left ear. The color is
indicated either on the shell or on a label on the hearing
device.

To insert ITEs and CICs:

1. Hold the hearing device between your thumb and
index finger with the battery door away from your ear.

2. If your hearing device is a CIC, insert by holding the
hearing device with the removal handle at the
bottom.

3. Gently insert the canal portion of the hearing device
into your ear using your index finger to push back and
tuck the hearing device completely into place.

To remove ITEs and CICs:

1. If your hearing device is a CIC, gently pull on the
removal handle. To remove ITE hearing devices, grasp
the device with your thumb and index finger.

2. Move your jaw up and down or apply pressure to the
back of your ear to help loosen the device.

Note: Never use the volume control or the battery door
to remove your hearing devices.

7

Feedback-Free Listening

Your Indigo hearing instruments have an optional start
up delay that can be activated by your hearing
healthcare professional. If the start up delay is activated,
your hearing devices will not turn on for 10-15 seconds,
even if you rotate the volume control. The hearing
devices return to the start up delay position each time
you turn your hearing devices on. This allows you to
insert your hearing devices without experiencing
whistling.

If you wear hearing devices now, you may have
experienced whistling from your hearing devices when
you talk, chew, use the telephone or hug someone.
Indigo’s feedback technology dramatically reduces this
uncomfortable whistling before you or anyone else can
perceive it.

8

Replacing the Battery

1. Gently swing out the battery compartment with your
fingernail.

2. Grasp the battery with your thumb and index finger
and remove.

3. Insert the new battery into the battery compartment
with the plus (+) sign on the battery facing the same
way as the plus (+) sign on the edge of the battery
door. This will ensure that the battery door closes
properly.

Note: If the battery is inserted incorrectly, the door will
not close.

4. Close the battery door.

Low Battery Warning

When you hear two long beeps, your digital hearing
devices are warning you that their batteries are low. You
will hear the warning approximately every 30 minutes
until you change the batteries or the batteries die. After
the first warning, you may experience some reduction in

Plus (+)
Signs

Plus (+)
Signs

9

sound quality. This is normal and can be remedied by
inserting fresh batteries in the hearing devices. If you
prefer, your hearing healthcare professional can change
the pitch and loudness of the low battery beep or turn it
off entirely.

Caring for Batteries

• Always discard batteries carefully.

• To prolong battery life, remember to turn your hearing
devices off when not in use.

• Remove the batteries and keep the battery door open
while hearing devices are not in use. This will allow
internal moisture to evaporate.

Warnings

• Never leave hearing devices or batteries where small
children and pets can reach them.

• Never put hearing devices or batteries in your mouth.
If a hearing device or battery is swallowed, call a
physician immediately.

Operating Instructions ITE and CIC

Changing Programs on Your Indigo™Hearing
Instruments

Your Indigo hearing devices have an automatic program
and up to three additional manual programs. Indigo’s
automatic program will satisfy most of your listening
needs by adjusting to different listening environments
without requiring manual adjustments. Up to three
additional manual programs can be individually tailored
by your hearing healthcare professional to meet your
particular listening needs.

Your hearing devices may come equipped with a push
button which has been set for switching between
programs or adjusting your volume. This push button
could also be disabled by your hearing healthcare
professional. If you have an active push button program
control, each time you push the button, you will move to
a new program.

Program Beeps

Your hearing devices beep to indicate which program

Program 1 (i.e. Automatic Program) 1 beep

Program 2 (i.e. Group/Party Noise) 2 beeps

Program 3 (i.e. Easy-t/Telephone) 3 beeps

Program 4 (i.e. Music) 4 beeps

Easy-t/Telephone short melody

10

11

you are in (i.e. one beep for program 1, two beeps for
program 2, etc.) If you prefer, your hearing healthcare
professional can adjust the pitch and loudness of the
program beep or turn it off entirely.

Adjusting the Volume

The volume on your hearing devices adjusts
automatically in response to the loud or quiet sounds
around you. Your hearing instruments are set to your
ideal volume by default. Your ideal volume is indicated
by 1 beep. If you have a push button volume control or a
manual volume control, you can further adjust the
volume.

Push Button Volume Control

Volume Beeps

Your ideal volume is indicated by 1 beep. If you adjust
your volume, you will hear two beeps:

• One beep and one high-pitched beep indicates you
have increased your volume.

• One beep and one low-pitched beep indicates you
have decreased your volume.

Volume Setting Beep

Ideal 1 beep

Increased loudness 1 beep + 1 high-pitched beep

Decreased loudness 1 beep + 1 low-pitched beep

12

Your hearing healthcare professional can help you identify
your different volume settings if required. If you prefer,
your hearing healthcare professional can adjust the pitch
and loudness of the volume beep or turn it off entirely.

Manual Rotary Volume Control

Rotate the volume control towards your nose to increase
the volume or away from your nose to decrease the
volume. Note that your volume control may be disabled
by your hearing healthcare professional and, therefore,
could be inactive.

Listening in Windy Environments

Indigo’s wind noise manager will engage automatically
based on whether wind conditions are moderate or high.
When wind noise manager is engaged, sounds such as
speech, may become quieter because the wind noise
manager is working to reduce the loud noise produced by
the wind. When you are no longer in a windy environment,
the wind noise manager will not be active and desirable
sounds, such as speech, will once again become louder.

Listening in Quiet and Noisy Environments

Your Indigo digital hearing devices may have a directional
microphone system to meet your listening needs in
different environments. The directional system focuses on
sounds in front of you (i.e., speech) while reducing
sounds from the sides or behind you (i.e., noise). The
directional system can be set to track moving noise
sources and adapt to changing noise levels so that

13

background noise is reduced. Your hearing healthcare
professional can tell you how your directional system
has been customized for you and which listening
programs have the directional microphones activated.

In addition, Indigo contains technology that identifies
and minimizes sudden impulse sounds that many
hearing device wearers find irritatingly loud such as
slamming doors or clattering dishes. This technology is
designed to increase listening comfort in adverse
listening situations without impacting sound quality or
your ability to understand conversations.

Using Indigo™with the Telephone

Indigo has the ability, depending on hearing loss, vent
size and style of hearing device to provide feedback-free
phone use without program changes. For many wearers
this means, when the phone rings, all you have to do is
pick up the telephone and hold it to your ear normally. In
some situations when using a cell phone, you may
experience digital interference that sounds like static,
buzzing or beeping. If you experience interference,
increase the distance between your hearing instrument
and the phone receiver.

Easy-t for the Telephone or Cell/Mobile Phone

Indigo can also come equipped with an optional easy-t
(automatic telephone switch) that can help you listen on
the telephone. Easy-t automatically switches your
hearing instrument into a telephone listening mode with

14

hearing instrument compatible phones. You will hear a
short melody to indicate you are in the telephone (easy­t) program. If your phone is hearing instrument
compatible, it will have a magnetic coil and easy-t will
activate automatically when the telephone is held to the
ear. Once the telephone is removed from the ear, the
hearing instrument will switch back to the normal
listening mode. Since the location and strength of the
magnetic coil varies among phone manufacturers, it may
be necessary to move the telephone receiver slightly to
find the best reception. If the hearing instrument does
not switch to telephone program automatically when the
telephone receiver is placed in proximity, the magnet for
easy-t hearing instruments should be attached to the
telephone receiver. The magnet is designed to
strengthen the magnetic field at the ear piece of hearing
instrument compatible telephones.

To affix the easy-t magnet:

1. Clean the telephone receiver.

2. Hold the magnet near the “listening end” of your
telephone receiver and release it (Figure 1). The
magnet will flip to the appropriate side and seek the
optimal position on the telephone receiver.

3. Place the double-sided tape in this optimal position
on the telephone receiver (Figure 2) and attach the
magnet to the tape (Figure 3).

15

Warnings

• Be sure the magnet is securely affixed to the
telephone.

• Keep loose magnets out of reach of children and pets.

• If the magnet falls into your ear, contact your hearing
healthcare professional.

• If the magnet is swallowed, contact your physician
immediately.

• The magnet may affect some medical devices or
electronic systems. Always keep the magnet (or the
telephone equipped with the magnet) at least 30 cm
(12”) away from pacemakers, credit cards, floppy
disks or other magnetically sensitive devices.

• Too high distortion during dialing or phoning may
mean that the phone handset is stressed by the
magnet. To avoid any damage, please move the
magnet to another place on the telephone receiver.

Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3

16

Caring for Your Indigo

™

Hearing

Instruments

• Open the battery door when not in use.

• Always remove your hearing instruments when using
hair care products. The hearing instruments can
become clogged and cease to function properly.

• Do not wear your hearing devices in the bath or
shower or immerse them in water.

• If your hearing devices do become wet, do not
attempt to dry them in an oven or microwave. Do not
adjust any controls. Open the battery doors
immediately, and allow your hearing devices to dry
naturally for 24 hours.

• Protect your hearing devices from excessive heat (hair
dryer, vehicle glove box or dashboard).

• Regular use of a dehumidifier, such as a Dri-Aid kit,
can help prevent corrosion and prolong the life of
your hearing devices. See your hearing healthcare
professional for more information.

• Do not drop your hearing devices or knock them
against hard surfaces.

17

Cleaning Your Indigo

™

Hearing

Instruments

Ear wax is natural and common. Ensuring your hearing
instruments are free of ear wax is an important step in
your daily cleaning and maintenance routine.

• Using the brush that was provided with your hearing
instruments, clean ear wax from your hearing
instruments everyday.

• Never use alcohol to clean your hearing devices.

• Do not use sharp tools to dislodge ear wax. Sticking
household items into your hearing instruments can
seriously damage them.

• Talk to your hearing healthcare professional about
regular appointments to have the wax removed from
your hearing devices.

18

Warnings

• Hearing devices should only be used as directed by
your physician or hearing healthcare professional.

• Hearing devices will not restore normal hearing and
will not prevent or improve a hearing impairment
resulting from organic conditions.

• Do not use your hearing devices in explosion hazard
areas.

• Allergic reactions to hearing devices are unlikely.
However, if you experience itching, redness, soreness,
inflammation or a burning sensation in or around
your ears, inform your hearing healthcare
professional and contact your physician.

• In the unlikely case that any parts remain in the ear
canal after the removal of the hearing instrument,
contact a physician immediately.

• Remove your hearing devices for CT and MRI scans or
for other electromagnetic procedures.

• Special care should be exercised in wearing hearing
devices when maximum sound pressure levels exceed
132 decibels. There may be a risk of impairing your
remaining hearing. Speak with your hearing
healthcare professional to ensure the maximum
output of your hearing devices is suitable for your
particular hearing loss.

19

Precautions

• The use of hearing devices is only part of hearing
rehabilitation; auditory training and lip reading
instruction may be required as well.

• In most cases, infrequent use of hearing devices does
not provide full benefit. Once you have become
accustomed to your hearing devices, wear your
hearing devices everyday all day.

• Your hearing devices use the most modern
components to provide the best possible sound
quality in every listening situation. However,
communication devices such as digital cell phones
can create interference (a buzzing sound) in hearing
devices. If you experience interference from a cell
phone being used close by, you can minimize this
interference in a number of ways. Switch your hearing
devices to another program, turn your head in a
different direction or locate the cell phone and move
away from it.

Labeling

For most ITE hearing devices, the year of manufacture is
located above the serial number. The first two digits
indicate the year of manufacture.

20

Troubleshooting Guide

CAUSE POSSIBLE REMEDY

No sound

• Not turned on

• Low/dead battery

• Poor battery contact

• Battery upside down

• Hearing devices blocked

with ear wax

Not loud enough

• Low volume

• Low battery

• Hearing devices not

inserted properly

• Change in hearing

• Hearing devices blocked

with ear wax

Intermittent

• Low battery

• Dirty battery contact

Two long beeps

• Low battery

• Turn on

• Replace battery

• Consult your hearing healthcare professional

• Insert battery plus (+) side up

• Refer to section “Cleaning Your Indigo
Hearing Instruments”. Consult your hearing
healthcare professional.

• Turn up volume; see hearing healthcare
professional for models without a manual
volume control or if problem persists.

• Replace battery

• Reinsert carefully. See “Inserting and
Removing ITE and CIC Hearing
Instruments”.

• Consult your hearing healthcare professional

• Refer to section “Cleaning Your Indigo
Hearing Instruments”. Consult your hearing
healthcare professional.

• Replace battery

• Consult your hearing healthcare professional

• Replace battery

21

Whistling

• Hearing devices not
inserted properly

• Volume too loud

• Hand/clothing near ear

• Poorly fitting hearing devices

Not clear, distorted

• Poorly fitting hearing devices

• Hearing devices blocked
with ear wax

• Change in hearing

• Low battery

“Motorboating”

• Low battery

• Dirty battery contact

Weak on the telephone

• Low volume

• Telephone not positioned
properly

• Hearing device requires
adjustment

For any problems not listed in the guide, contact your hearing healthcare
professional. If you do not have a hearing healthcare professional, please
contact the nearest office listed on the back page of this booklet.

• Remove and reinsert

• Turn down volume

• Remove hand/clothing from ear

• Consult your hearing healthcare professional

• Consult your hearing healthcare professional

• Refer to section “Cleaning Your Indigo
Hearing Instruments”. Consult your hearing
healthcare professional.

• Consult your hearing healthcare professional

• Replace battery

• Replace battery

• Consult your hearing healthcare professional

• Turn up volume

• Move telephone around ear for clearer
signal. See “Using Indigo with the
Telephone” and “Easy-t for the Telephone
or Cell/Mobile Phone”.

• Consult your hearing healthcare professional

CAUSE POSSIBLE REMEDY

22

Warning to Hearing Instrument
Dispensers

A hearing instrument dispenser should advise a
prospective hearing instrument user to consult promptly
with a licensed physician (preferably an ear specialist)
before dispensing a hearing instrument if the hearing
instrument dispenser determines through inquiry, actual
observation, or review of any other available information
concerning the prospective user, that the prospective
user has any of the following conditions: (i) Visible
congenital or traumatic deformity of the ear. (ii) History of
active drainage from the ear within the previous 90 days.
(iii) History of sudden or rapidly progressive hearing loss
within the previous 90 days. (iv) Acute or chronic
dizziness. (v) Unilateral hearing loss of sudden or recent
onset within the previous 90 days. (vi) Audiometric air­bone gap equal to or greater than 15 decibels at 500
hertz (Hz), 1,000 Hz, and 2,000 Hz. (vii) Visible evidence
of significant cerumen accumulation or a foreign body in
the ear canal. (viii) Pain or discomfort in the ear. Special
care should be exercised in selecting and fitting a hearing
instrument whose maximum sound pressure level
exceeds 132 decibels because there may be risk of
impairing the remaining hearing of the hearing
instrument user. [This provision is required only for those
hearing instruments with a maximum sound pressure
capability greater than 132 decibels (dB).]

23

Important Notice for Prospective Hearing
Instrument Users

Good health practice requires that a person with a
hearing loss have a medical evaluation by a licensed
physician (preferably a physician who specializes in
diseases of the ear) before purchasing a hearing
instrument.

Licensed physicians who specialize in diseases of the ear
are often referred to as otolaryngologists, otologists or
otorhinolaryngologists. The purpose of medical
evaluation is to assure that all medically treatable
conditions that may affect hearing are identified and
treated before the hearing instrument is purchased.
Following the medical evaluation, the physician will give
you a written statement that states that your hearing
loss has been medically evaluated and that you may be
considered a candidate for a hearing instrument. The
physician will refer you to an audiologist or a hearing
instrument dispenser, as appropriate, for a hearing
instrument evaluation. The audiologist or hearing
instrument dispenser will conduct a hearing instrument
evaluation to assess your ability to hear with and
without a hearing instrument. The hearing instrument
evaluation will enable the audiologist or dispenser to
select and fit a hearing instrument to your individual
needs. If you have reservations about your ability to
adapt to amplification, you should inquire about the

24

availability of a trial-rental or purchase-option program.
Many hearing instrument dispensers now offer programs
that permit you to wear a hearing instrument for a
period of time for a nominal fee after which you may
decide if you want to purchase the hearing instrument.
Federal law restricts the sale of hearing instruments to
those individuals who have obtained a medical
evaluation from a licensed physician. Federal law
permits a fully informed adult to sign a waiver statement
declining the medical evaluation for religious or personal
beliefs that preclude consultation with a physician. The
exercise of such a waiver is not in your best health
interest and its use is strongly discouraged.

Children With Hearing Loss

In addition to seeing a physician for a medical
evaluation, a child with a hearing loss should be directed
to an audiologist for evaluation and rehabilitation since
hearing loss may cause problems in language
development and the educational and social growth of a
child. An audiologist is qualified by training and
experience to assist in the evaluation and rehabilitation
of a child with a hearing loss.

Australia

Level 2, Norwest Quay, 21 Solent
Circuit, Baulkham Hills, NSW, NSW
2153

Belgium

Baron de Vironlaan, 60
b-1700 Dilbeek

Canada

20 Beasley Drive, P.O. Box 9017,
Kitchener, ON N2G 4X1

China

No. 200 Suhong Road, Export
Processing Zone 4D, Suzhou
Industrial Park 215021

Denmark

Nitivej 10, DK-2000 Frederiksberg

European Representative

Daimlerstrasse 22, 70736
Fellbach-Oeffingen, Germany

France

5, rue Maryse Bastié - BP 15 69671
Bron Cedex, France

Netherlands

Archimedesbaan 19, P.O. Box 1214,
3430 BE Nieuwegein

New Zealand

10/215 Rosedale Rd., M277 Private
Bag, 300987, Albany, Auckland

Norway

Brugata 14 0186
Oslo, Norway

South Africa

First Floor – Selborne House,
Fourways Golf Park, Roos Street,
Fourways, Johannesburg

Spain

Urb. El Palmeral Bl. IX, 17-27
Alicate, Spain -- 03008

Sweden

Förmansvägen 2, 4 tr
SE-11743, Stockholm, Sweden

United Kingdom

St. George House, Cygnet Court,
Centre Park, Warrington, Cheshire
WA1 1PD

U.S.A.

Suite A, 2300 Berkshire Lane North,
Plymouth, MN 55441

Manufacturer

Unitron Hearing Ltd.

20 Beasley Drive, P.O. Box 9017, Kitchener, ON N2G 4X1 Canada

Unitron Hearing Distributors

Corporate Office/International

20 Beasley Drive, P.O. Box 9017, Kitchener, ON N2G 4X1 Canada

Distributor

E/08-039 029-5617-02 Printed in Canada

www.unitronhearing.com