Skaneateles Falls, NY
Welch Allyn, a leading manufacturer of frontline medical products and solutions, today introduced the OAE Hearing Screener, a fast, objective pediatric hearing testing device that can be administered in about 10 seconds per ear. The portable, handheld device delivers sounds into a child's ear canal and measures the otoacoustic emission (OAE) response produced by outer hair cells in the cochlea. Designed to detect hearing loss in newborns, infants, toddlers, pre-school and school-age children, the device does not require patient response or practitioner interpretation of exam results.
"The Welch Allyn OAE Hearing Screener gives providers a fast, accurate response so their patient doesn't have to," said Kim McNeilly, senior product manager, Ear Care, at Welch Allyn. "But this new hearing screener is more than a state-of-the-art diagnostic device--it's a solution for healthcare professionals who will now be able to enroll even their youngest patients in early intervention programs to prevent language disabilities before they occur. It literally improves patient outcomes in a matter of seconds."
The Welch Allyn OAE Hearing Screener presents a soft pair of tones (distortion product OAE) through a probe placed in the patient's ear canal. A small microphone in the probe measures the OAE and compares the response to normal data--assigning a "pass" or "refer" result to the screening. The presence of "passing" OAEs is highly correlated with normal hearing and middle ear function.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) supports the statement of the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (1994), which endorses the goal of universal detection of hearing loss in infants before three months of age, with appropriate intervention no later than six months of age. The AAP recommends that all infants and children, in addition to universal newborn hearing screening, receive periodic objective screenings for hearing impairment through age 10. And the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing recommends biannual hearing screening for children with preexisting risk indicators.
"Significant hearing loss can develop after the newborn period, so screening at birth is not enough," added McNeilly. "Regular hearing screening is important throughout childhood. The availability of a fast, accurate and objective device means pediatricians can perform more tests on younger patients and increase the number of at risk patients they refer to a hearing specialist for further evaluation and treatment."
The OAE Hearing Screener can be fitted with a variety of disposable ear tip sizes including newborn, infant, toddler, and adolescent. It has 10-test memory storage capacity and comes equipped with a label printer to streamline patient data documentation. Results from both ears may be printed on a self-adhesive label and placed on a patient's record chart or downloaded directly into a PC ASCII file.
For more information about the Welch Allyn OAE Hearing Screener, please call 800.535.6663 or visit www.welchallyn.com/oae.
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About Welch Allyn
Founded in 1915 and headquartered in Skaneateles Falls, New York (USA), Welch Allyn is a leading global manufacturer of medical diagnostic equipment and a complete range of digital and connected solutions. With over 2,300 employees working in 17 different countries, Welch Allyn specializes in helping doctors, nurses, and other frontline practitioners across the globe provide the best patient care by developing innovative products, breakthrough technologies, and cutting-edge solutions that help them see more patients, detect more conditions, and improve more lives. More information about Welch Allyn and its complete line of connected products and solutions may be found at www.welchallyn.com.
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