MP3 Players Under Attack
A Louisiana man has sued Apple Computer Inc., claiming that their iPod products are defective in that they can make a person deaf and yet they do not display any warnings to that effect. The popular MP3 player can emit sounds as high as 115 decibels (dB) which, audiologists caution, can cause permanent loss of hearing. France has regulations that require Apple to modify iPods it ships there so the volume limit is 100 dB. Read more at www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/ 5222.html.
The House Ear Institute is combating dangerous noise from another angle with “It’s How You Listen That Counts,” a campaign aimed at the so-called “MP3 Generation.” The campaign’s television ads on MTV and Web ads on five Yahoo! Web sites aim to educate young consumers who like to “crank up the volume” but are unaware of the serious threats that loud music (85 dB and above) can pose to hearing. For more, visit www.hei.org or call 213.483.4431.
Antibiotics and Titanium Bond to Prevent Implant Infections
Researchers at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, Pa., announced that they have found a way to combat the painful and costly infections associated with inserting a medical device. They learned that an antibiotic can be connected to titanium, a material used in orthopedic implants, creating a chemical bond that kills bacteria and prevents infection. Infections associated with orthopedic implants are one of the major causes of implant failure. Read the full report in the Jan. 16 Advance for Audiologists or at http://audiology.advanceweb.com.
Baha Hearing System Now Covered by Medicare
The Baha® system, an osseointegrated auditory implant system produced by Cochlear Americas, is now covered by Medicare under a new policy issued by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The Baha system was previously classified as a hearing aid and, therefore, not covered but in November 2005 CMS revised its classification and initiated Medicare coverage for the system.
The Baha system is designed to ameliorate single-sided deafness, mixed and conductive hearing loss. The device, which is placed behind the ear on the deaf side, transfers sound through bone conduction, stimulating the affected cochlea from the normal-hearing ear. For more information, call 800.523.5798 or visit www.cochlear.com.
