Chapter 14: Couplers & Ear Molds for BTE Fittings

Natural ear canal resonance enhances our ability to hear _______.

Part of the purpose of earmold design is to maintain _____.

For a severe to profound hearing loss, which is usually the most appropriate type of earmold?

What type earmold is needed for a Body Instrument?

A free field mold is a mold that does not cause_______.

What size vent would be most appropriate for a HI user with normal hearing in the low frequencies and a sharply sloping loss above 2000Hz?

An example of an acoustic modification to an earmold is the ____ which enhances high frequencies by increasing the volume of air at the end of the earmold.

When taking an ear impression, which method do earmold labs generally report as the most accurate, resulting in fewer remakes?

The smallest vent that can be created for a hearing instrument is called the _____ vent.

The skeleton mold contruction outlines the rim of the ear but still seals the canal. This style earmold is most suitable for ________.

The diagonal vent is in close proximity to (but not touching) the sound bore.

Where does the acoustic seal in an earmold occur?

In all cases, the diameter and length of the vent determines the _________effects of the earmold on the response of the HI in the ear.

The outer diameter of the tubing changes the high frequency response of the hearing aid in the ear.

In adjusting BTE HIs, gain and output are _____ by the declining inside diameter of the tubing between the hook and the mold.

It is acceptable to insert the otoblock and then carefully make an impression on a patient who has had mastoid surgery on his ear and who has a very large open mastoid cavity.

To compensate for medical allergies in patients requiring BTE instruments, the material of choice for earmolds is:

In order to choose the most appropriate earmold material, the dispenser needs to consider_____

For high power BTEs, the best performing earmold is generally made of:

It is sufficient to examine the ear canal for foreign bodies, cerumen accumulation, and abnormal growths with the earlight if the batteries on your otoscope are dead.

If during your otoscopic exam you notice a foreign body in the meatus, it is permissible to continue with the impression if there is no associated pain or discomfort.

For minimizing feedback, a parallel vent is preferable to a diagonal vent.

A perfect impression, either for a BTE or custom product will demonstrate:

An unfilled cymba will result in a loosely fitting instrument/mold.

Even if the helix isn’t filled, there will not be feedback from the instrument.

A short canal length of the mold/custom instrument (before the second bend) could result in the sound bore lodging against the side of the canal. The patient might perceive this as no output from the hearing aid, which could lead to a return and refund.

An underfilled canal despite appropriate positioning of cotton dam or otoblock could result in feedback.

You have a patient who can “wiggle his ears.” You notice that his ear canals are very flexible with a lot of movement when he talks or opens his mouth. You decide that the best method for taking the impression is_________.

The most common problem caused by an allergic reaction to the earmold material is___.

Which of the following choices are considered an important part of proper earmold impression-taking technique?

For profound losses, the earmold is usually _____.

When critiquing a completed impression, the dispenser should evaluate_________.

If you have difficulty deciding what mold or acoustic options to put on your earmold/custom instrument, what action should you take? (check all that apply)