Dan Solcher's Bionic Ear Blog

No, this is not a bluetooth earpiece

2008-07-14T18:01:00.002-05:00

Just a heads-up to look out for the sneaky people stealing the bluetooth - err, the cochlear implant ear piece. Makes no sense, but I've been approached several times to remove the earpiece - until I showed the magnets headpiece. They got spooked as I showed how to put it back on.

How to Fight a Health Insurance Denial

2008-03-26T18:19:00.001-05:00

Here is an link on fighting the "denial of benefits" by health insurance - and I think it is very common thing to do these days....

http://www.divinecaroline.com/article/22291/43737

New web site about hearing loss

2007-12-04T21:04:00.001-06:00

A friend of mine who went to my old school, Sunshine Cottage School for Deaf, made a great informative web site about hearing loss. It is intended as an informative source on hearing loss and is for everybody. It is at http://www.nolimitstexas.org/ Please check it out and get well-informed on hearing loss!

Rude Telemarketer to a deaf person

2007-12-03T19:36:00.001-06:00

This was found at digg.com:

"I recently received a “cold” call from a web marketing firm that suddenly took a turn for the worse.

Also, a little background: I have what is medically described as “profound” hearing loss in one ear, and “severe” hearing loss in the other. For the most part I can do OK with telephone conversations, but occasionally need to ask a person to repeat something. This is especially true when the caller has an accent (relative to mine), or the call is coming from an IP phone.

http://www.automateyourworkflow.com/telemarketer_insult.html

(transcription of the call is found here)

Thanksgiving for hearing new sounds...

2007-11-20T22:18:00.001-06:00

It is thanksgiving time, and there are many that we are thankful - and for the sounds of life around us.

We are thankful for the engineers and their leadership to invent and improve the cochlear implants we wear today.

We are thankful for the amazing doctors who put the implants in our heads and become a part of hearing world.

We are thankful that we have friends and family that supports us during our cochlear implant journey.

AMEN!

Laser Cochlear Implant???

2007-09-03T21:10:00.000-05:00

Very interesting and daring research using lasers instead of electrcity for cochlear implants....

http://www.technologyreview.com/Biotech/19206/

Latest Studies about bilateral hearing

2007-09-03T21:03:00.000-05:00

More new studies that confirm "Why we hear with two ears...."
http://www.physorg.com/news103857821.html

How to get 8 "394" batteries from a 12V battery

2007-08-24T20:58:00.000-05:00

http://www.flixxy.com/replacement-batteries.htm

For those we use 394 batteries in many electronic items... and save $40!!!

Dan

Two Heads are Better than one...

2007-06-12T08:37:00.000-05:00

From AT&T Corporate Archives:

For Bell Labs, two heads are better than one when it comes to researching the ways people locate the direction of sound. Practical results of the "double dome" research — the improvement of stereophonic radio and TV programs — are transmitted nationwide over telephone facilities. In the experiments, two microphones in the ears of the dummy, "Oscar II," were substituted for human ears. Oscar's head reproduced the "shadowing" of sound by a human head. Persons participating in the tests — such as Mary Lou Hartig, shown — wore the extra head so that motions of their heads would be reproduced, for even very small movements influencing hearing. The natural sounds received in each microphone were altered electronically by acoustics scientist R.L. Hanson, and were delivered to the earphones. Listeners were asked to point to the apparent direction of the altered sound. Normally, the ear that is closer to a sound hears it earlier and louder than the other ear. Murray Hill, N.J., 1961.

Sophia's Cousins at my home & Hearing

2007-06-01T23:11:00.000-05:00

This is one experience that I would never forget - and I hope all deaf parents read this:

One day, Sophia invited her 3 cousins into my house. Then my wife had go to store, an now I am in charge of the kids.

Sophia is 2 1/2 years old, LJ is 5 years old, Lindsey is 8 years old, and Larry is 13 years old. I let them go have fun around the house - and then I took off my implants when my wife left. I did that on purpose to prove that I can locate all 4 kids without my hearing. 8 minutes into the test, I gave up ! I was wrong!!!! I can't keep track of all four kids who all are in the different rooms and are either downstairs or upstairs. I had to walk around to look for them and check if they are fine.

I was so stressed out so I gave up. So I put implants back on and the whole sounds came alive in my mind. Now I can hear where they are, what they are doing, and how they are. I did not need to see them visually, since they are talking and making noises so I can tell what is going on. so I just sat down and watched TV without being stressed at all.

I am a true believer in total parental responsibility and that hearing is the most important part of the parenthood.

Blind Man sees world with hearing (Video)

2007-06-01T23:09:00.001-05:00

So cool and incredible!!! This is about a young man, who is blind, uses echolocation to see:

http://www.flixxy.com/extraordinary-people-seeing-without-eyes.htm

To tell you truth, I do use echolocation to 'see' the world around me, and getting better over the time.

Dan

So many medical researchs being done on bilateral cochlear implants!!!!!

2007-05-20T09:46:00.000-05:00

Go to google and use phrases for search:

abstract bilateral cochlear

and I found so many medical researches being done on bilateral cochlear implants. I can't even find one research that does not support the bilateral advantages.... YEA!!!!!

I have never seen so many medical research being done on the bilateral cochlear implants today than in the last few years.

I also added more links to the "LINKS" section at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bilateralCI/links

for us to use with insurance appeals and filings. The insurance agents can then use these winning medical research abstracts to convince their bosses for the approval of the funding towards the second cochlear implants for their clients!!!!

Thanks!!!
Dan

Bilateral Implants to be "Gold Standard"....

2007-05-19T16:58:00.001-05:00

This is an interesting and "turn of time" article about the difficulties in acquiring second cochlear implants for bilateral hearing....

Click this to read the article

I am hoping someday soon that two cochlear implant will be mandatory instead of single implants. The best way to make that happen will take an act of Congress to change the Medicare guidelines. Most insurances go by Medicare guideline as health care standard.

Comparing the bitrates in iPods

2007-04-30T20:49:00.000-05:00

Found an interesting article on comparing the amount of bitrates used in mp3's (128 vs. 256, etc...) and how we can tell the difference, especially as we hear through our cochlear implants.... check here

Amen to Harmony!!!

2007-04-26T16:19:00.000-05:00

I have Harmony for two weeks and I love it!!!
Big discoveries:

1) 2 Year Old's: I can understand much better of what my 2 years old said. 2 years old's voices are pretty much in high range so discerning these pitches apart are extremely difficult for me to understand using hearing aids or other processors. With Harmony, I can finally understand what she said!

2) Nature sounds - Heard so many new sounds such as bird songs, crickets, leaves falling, winds blowing, and more. Harmony has widen these sounds even greater and it is amazing to hear more!

3) Conversations: I am very comfortable to make the conversations in very loud places and never a loss for the words.

4) Noises: All the noises (background, white, etc...) is no longer a bottleneck in listening. These goes away when I can focus on listening the conversations or radio.

5) Myself: I am no longer an tired person after 10 hours of listening through the old processors. Harmony helped me greatly to understand the sounds easily!!! I think Harmony helped my brain to process the simulations faster and with less energy, therefore no more being a tired person!!

Happy Listening!!!

Harmony Harmonics, Part II: Inside Concrete Building

2007-04-19T12:15:00.000-05:00

BEFORE HARMONY: Being inside the concrete building, is the harshest place for listening. I am in a corner cafe - and I do not like this place, because the walls, floor, ceiling are concrete, which is it is very harsh on my ears. All the echos, talking (actualy they talk loud to get message across) the noises from counter, and more so I do not like being inside of it.

NOW WITH HARMONY: No more unpleasant hearing. It is very bearable to be in the concrete building. I have been inside for almost two hours, working on my laptop without any discomfort and distraction. I am very pleased and and really enjoying being a part of the "cafe" scene.

Harmony Harmonics, Part I: Going Down the Freeway

2007-04-19T12:09:00.000-05:00

This is my summary of Harmony experences, which I will be creating over the time:

BEFORE: As I was driving my SUV, I can't even hear the radio or conversation because of all the noise such as road, turbulence, and more.

NOW WITH HARMONY: I can hear the music from the radio very clearly as I drive down the freeway at 70 mph - no more turbulence or road noises at all.

DOUBLE DARE HARMONY: To up the ante on the Harmony's prowess, I rolled down all four windows and I still can hear the music very clearly, and not hearing the sounds of roaring 70 mph winds at all. Is that amazing?!?!?!?! Now I can hear better than anybody!!! Yippee!!!!

Day Three on Harmony Processors

2007-04-19T12:05:00.000-05:00

Hi,

This is Day 3 with Harmony Processor. Here are my observations:

Very pleasant to hear
Very wide spectrum of sounds
No backgrounds noise
Can hear people taking very clearly
Very light and easy on my pinna (ear lobe)
Not tired at all during evening after hearing all day

My summary of experiences follows this.....

Thanks for reading this!!!

I got the HARMONY Processors!!!

2007-04-14T23:44:00.000-05:00

To all,

I just got 2 Harmony processors, which can be programmed to use HiRes120, a program to use 120 virtual channels on my 16 channels. That's about hundred times more powerful and also can hear thousand more new things everyday!!!!

Yes, I will start making posts to this blog about my Harmony hearing experiences, techinical details, and more.

I am waiting for an appointment with my audiogists - hopefully on Monday morning.

I will be posting images of Harmony processors in a few hours....

Thanks!!!

Dan

My Sophia at 24 months

2006-10-29T08:20:00.000-06:00

Hi,

Sophia is now two years old and she is taking over the house. She is talking very much, but she can listen more words that what she speaks, too.

I just can't image what I would do if I did not get the cochlear implants at this time. I would have a very hard time doing that with hearing aids and more. And my voice quality with my hearing aids at that time was not clear so Sophia would have hard time understanding me!!! With my cochlear implants, my hearing is so good I can understand every word except for Spanish words, which she picked up from her mother. And my speech is very good and I can teach her new words with clarity and correct punucation that she can follow from me.

Sometime Sophia would say a word, three words at a time, or in a complete sentence. She is absorbing all the words into her mind, and she says it later. When we watch an animal cartoon show, she would say 'elephant', 'lion', 'hippo', and more. If she does not know a word for an animal, she would point at it and goes, "hmmm?? " and I help her out.

For Sophia, our main emphasis is the 'language development', is very important at this time of her life and I am so glad to be doing that for her!!

Dan

Iraqi girl gets cochlear implant

2006-08-25T08:27:00.000-05:00

Read an article of a Iraqi girl who received the cochlear implant in USA!

Sophia

2006-08-21T23:57:00.000-05:00

IMG_5754, originally uploaded by texdanny1.

Hi,

This is Sophia showing off her new Dora outfit that her mother made personally for her. She loves Dora and checks anything that has Dora!!!

I'm back!

2006-08-09T22:39:00.000-05:00

Hello fellow blog readers!!!

I am back, and I did not forget to post - there is no time for me to sit down and collect the thoughts for me to write on. I've been busy at AT&T and also at home with my 22 month old daughter who demands me very much.

My daughter Sophia is talking and starting to add two or three words together, and I am enjoying listening to her. I am grateful to have bilateral cochlear implants, since there are so many sounds in her voices, there is no way I can hear it with my hearing aids. That is whole reason why I had the cochlear implants.

I think it's important to have a good hearing, and one reason as being a parent raising the children. The language development is very important during the first three years of child's life. That's when the child's brain starts to form the language development in order to speak and listen. Most people do not realize what it takes to understand what was heard and how to say it, and it does not come out naturally, either. It is the encouragement and understanding the world around them makes the difference to become a good communicator.

Have a great day!

Dan

Download this information to your ear....

2006-04-19T13:24:00.000-05:00

I just learned something for fun today:

The most remarkable feature of AB's Hi-Res processor is that it processes the incoming sounds at a rate of 90,000 times a second. In turn, its processor and implant chips does the math to pass the sound information in my cochea - at a rate of 83,000 times a second, in form of electrical simulation or "pulses"!!

So I did my math to figure out how much I "downloaded" the pulses in terms of "byte" as a digital file size, to my brain:

One Implant:
1 second: 83,000 pulses
1 minute of hearing:4,980,000 pulses
1 hour of hearing: 298,800,000 pulses
1 day of hearing: 7,171,200,000 pulses (similar to 7.1 GB of file size, about size of a DVD )
1 Week of hearing: 50,198,400,000
1 Month of hearing: 200,793,600,000
1 Year of hearing:: 2,619,280,800,000 (2.6 Terabytes of information about 366 DVD's in all!!)

Two Implants:
In 1 second: 166,000 pulses
1 minute of hearing: 9,960,000
1 hour of hearing: 597,600,000
1 day of hearing: 14,342,400,000, ( about 2 dvd's of information a day)
1 week of hearing: 100,396,800,000
1 Month of hearing: 401,587,200,000
1 Year of hearing: 5,238,561,600,000 (5.2 terabytes of information, about 732 DVD's worth!)

That is a lot of information to download.... it will take more than a few month for me to download a terabyte worth of information on my PC. Good news, I don't wear the implants when I go to sleep... thank god!!!

Smiling!

Dan

FYI: in computer parlance, a byte has 8 bits of information to resemble a character that you type. Also for DSL or Cable Modem, the rate of download is in "bits", not bytes!!! (lower case b stands for bit, capital letter B stands for byte) In reality, a pulse should be one bit of information, but I substituted the "bits" with "byte" for conceptual purposes like the size of a digital file instead of download speed.

Meet Timo

2006-02-08T22:23:00.000-06:00

Meet Timo -

Timo is a computer generated talking face program designed for autistic, deaf, and other language-challenged children, Animated Speech Corporation produces software that increases the rate of learning—and retaining—speech and language skills. Backed by 15 years of university research, tested and refined in pilot school programs, and designed to accommodate individual needs, our products provide learning environments that children want to return to again and again.

This is an excellent program for young kids learning the vocabulary, reading, and learning comprehesion. I really enjoyed taking a spin with Timo, and I think it is great for kids to have an interactive computer to learn along. They have a demo program available for downloading - and I hope you can give it a try!!!

Have a great day!!

Dan