AiKeng Posted October 16, 2012 Report Share Posted October 16, 2012 Hi We as a family love to go to the beach but my son's processors start flashing after sitting at the beach for 30 minutes and he's no where near the water yet. Are we the only one experiencing this? Also, found out that cochlear is developing a special bag for CI users to use in the water. Please see: http://cochlearimplantonline.com/site/aqua-accessory-review/ Does anyone know if something similar is coming out for Med-el ? Thanks for listening. AiKeng Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilygirl630 Posted October 16, 2012 Report Share Posted October 16, 2012 I don't know what the plan is, but I was told by an audiologist who does CI mapping and who also has Med-El implants herself that Med-El has heard everyone's complaints and requests for more water-resistant and/or water-proof processors. I am really hoping this is true, but considering that Cochlear and Advanced Bionics currently have them beat in those areas, I can believe they would be researching it. I do hope that they can come up with something other than the aqua bag that Cochlear is developing. I think the aqua-bag could be a great temporary fix, but when it comes to the pool, I would rather have something like ABs water-proof processor. Maybe part of me wonders how the processor would stay on with the bag, especially if you have long hair like me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weimar Posted May 19, 2013 Report Share Posted May 19, 2013 It sounds like your son's processors might have gotten moisture in them from sweat. I fought a never-ending battle with this and I understand your frustration with waterproofing. I would love to have a waterproof processor but certainly not at the expense of comfort and/or quality. It seems to me though that the "ziploc bag" is counterproductive and besides, I really see no reason to actually swim or bathe with my processor on. I ride bicycles and enjoy mowing my yard and get pretty sweaty while I'm out there - therefore I would love to see some moisture resistance to combat sweat. However, I am a big proponent of EarGear's "sweat sock" - you get two in a pack and it really works extremely well. I've been using mine for 2 years now and have not had a single problem since! I really think that MedEl is working on this issue and that moisture-resistance is a big priority for them. I also believe that a big part of the puzzle is figuring out a way to incorporate such resistance without altering the product itself (making it bulky) or lowering the standards (poor sound quality). Give the sweat socks a try - I'm so glad someone turned me to them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Adam Posted May 19, 2013 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted May 19, 2013 For your son to be having issues so soon after getting to the beach sounds pretty unusual. I sweat quite a bit during exercise if there is no protection for the processor, it still takes a while for them to be affected by the moisture. I would contact your sons audi and let him/her know the isssues. they might want to take a look at it to make sure everything is ok. As Chuckie mentioned, ear gear has a neoprene type sleeve that works very well in protecting against moisture. I wore them for a 24 hour ultramarathon and my processors stayed dry the entire 24 hours. I did run the entire time as well. from what I have heard, Medel is taking a serious look at the issue. I actually got my hands on the bag from cochlear and tested it out. I know each person is different but I was just not impressed at all. I will leave it at that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simekj Posted May 20, 2013 Report Share Posted May 20, 2013 He's not getting sand in them is he? salty humidity? But i thought blinking lights meant flat battery, so how would sand or moisture cause the battery to go 'flat' faster if he is on the beach? Or do they blink for other reasons too? K Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weimar Posted May 21, 2013 Report Share Posted May 21, 2013 the flashing light can be indicative a many things - dead batteries, specific programs and/or shorts in the processor. When my processors got wet, the "shorting out" was typically the device turning on/off in a rapid succession in such a way that it was very unpleasant and seemed to cause the muscles and nerves in my face to also react. Based off of my experience in the past, I took Ai Keng Ong's description to possibly mean that the processor was shorting out from sweat as she stated that they were at the beach and had not yet entered the water yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simekj Posted May 21, 2013 Report Share Posted May 21, 2013 whoa! Thanks Chuckie for making us aware of that issue. Definitely want to avoid that unpleasant experience. At the moment we pull the processors apart which is why they are not very moisture proof. They will probably need to make them self contained more to avoid that issue. Maybe that is one reason for the rondo move? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weimar Posted May 21, 2013 Report Share Posted May 21, 2013 As far as moisture resistance, the Rondo is certainly a step in the right direction as it is more out of the way for sweat since it is worn above the ear and higher up (where the implant is) but it is no more moisture resistant that the Opus and/or the Tempo. The reason I believe it is so hard to waterproof these devices is because the mic itself needs to be exposed so that it can pick up sounds more clearly. Also, being able to change the batteries, etc. creates a need for additional openings which in turn, creates more avenues for moisture to make its way in. I have the Opus but am a big fan of the Rondo - good luck! One thing that makes life easier though is an electronic dryer. It doesn't make the device waterproof BUT it does dry the processor, etc. out completely so that there is no residual moisture in it from the previous day. This makes a HUGE difference in durability, logevity and performance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HearPeers Heroes Adam Posted May 21, 2013 HearPeers Heroes Report Share Posted May 21, 2013 Chuckie you are right. The more moveable parts you have, the more chance you give moisture to get in. That being said, for a processor that is not waterproof, the opus 2 does a great job in keeping most of it out. We can help things dramatically by using ear gear, the dry and store plus some good old fashioned common sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christianlove777 Posted June 1, 2014 Report Share Posted June 1, 2014 I know this post is over a year old and I'm wondering if anybody found a good EarGear's "sweat sock" and where can I buy it at? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leblisa Posted June 1, 2014 Report Share Posted June 1, 2014 I can't say enough about the Dry 'N' Store or Zephyr machines. I've used them (for my hearing aids and now my CI's) for well-over 20 years and they certainly prolonged the lives of my HA's. Once I accidentally sent my HA's partway through a cycle in the washing machine before I remembered I'd put them in my pants pocket and frantically opened the churning washer to get those pants out! I opened up the HA's, tossed the batteries, manually dried them, blew hair dryer on them a while and then put them in the Dry 'N' Store machine, which I kept going 24/7 for the entire weekend (luckily this happened on a Sat morning). They were fine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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