Livonia, N.Y. - Tom Hudak is walking around his
Livonia home talking to himself.
He’s actually on the phone - a hands-free call.
While that may not be remarkable anymore, the technology behind this call is.
“As a severely hearing-impaired person, communication is a challenge,” Tom explains. “The lack of ability to hear is very isolating.” He has been gradually losing his hearing since his mid-20’s.
He now wears a device around his neck smaller than an iPod. With this scanner, Bluetooth technology interfaces directly with hearing aids he wears in each ear. The result is a whole new world of complex, understandable sound.
“The Bluetooth technology works by using radio frequencies to all compatible devices to communicate with each other,” says Dr. Ramona Pompei of the Rochester Hearing & Speech Center. When a phone rings “the person who is wearing hearing aids will hear the ring in their hearing aids.”
Because the rings is heard in each ear individually, it increases the quality of the sound. Tom explains by holding the phone up to one ear.
“If I have to talk with this up to my ear, it’s difficult to hear and I have to turn the sound way up,” he says. With the scanner device “its more like being inside a concert hall instead of having one speaker blasting out.”
The scanner device acts as a transmitter creating a mini wi-fi zone around the person wearing it. They can access up to eight Bluetooth compatible devices including a television, computer or MP3 player.
The scanner costs about $6,000 dollars. But Tom Hudak says the impact it’s had on his life is priceless. “It’s taken something that was a huge limitation for me and turned it into an advantage.”
