Wayne Staab

Dr. Staab is an internationally recognized authority in hearing aids. As President of Dr. Wayne J. Staab and Associates, he is engaged in consulting, research, development, manufacturing, education, and marketing projects related to hearing. His professional career has included University teaching, hearing clinic work, hearing aid company management and sales, and extensive work with engineering in developing and bringing new technology and products to the discipline of hearing. This varied background allows him to couple manufacturing and business with the science of acoustics to bring innovative developments and insights to our discipline. Dr. Staab has authored numerous books, chapters, and articles related to hearing aids and their fitting, and is an internationally-requested presenter. He is a past President and past Executive Director of the American Auditory Society and a retired Fellow of the International Collegium of Rehabilitative Audiology. Interests engaged in outside of the above include: fishing, hunting, hiking, mountain biking, golf, travel, tennis, softball, lecturing, sporting clays, 4-wheeling, archery, swimming, guitar, computers, and photography. These are great topics of discussion away from business.

Hearing Aid Distribution – III

This week is a continuation of the discussion of the past two weeks – on hearing aid distribution systems. Last week’s post focused on distribution systems related to contract services, purchasing groups, big box retailers, pharmacies, and health care companies. This week, additional distribution systems that have been tried are discussed. SAME-SESSION FIT Lens Crafters (1987)

Hearing Aid Distribution – II

HEARING AID DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS Last week’s topic initiated the conversation on hearing aid distribution systems, explaining that many have been tried over the years. This topic was brought on because of current discussions concerning hearing aid sales and how these instruments are/should be dispensed. Hearing Aid Distribution – I produced commentary on manufacturer trends, franchises, insurance carriers, and low

Hearing Aid Distribution Systems – I

HEARING AID DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS Many current discussions concerning hearing aid sales relate to how hearing aids are dispensed – what distribution system is being used? Where is the hearing aid industry going with regard to distribution systems? What is the best system? How will I survive? Just about everyone has a solution they think is most appropriate. I suspect that

Directional Microphone Demonstration

Directional microphone hearing aid performance has become standard technology with current hearing aids. The primary advantage is to improve the SNR (signal-to-noise ratio) to allow those with hearing impairment to have better speech understanding in difficult listening situations. The software demonstration provided by Daniel Warren of Knowles Electronics allows interested parties the opportunity to modify directional microphone parameters and visualize

Wireless Systems for Hearing Aids: Part II

This week’s presentation is Part II of “Wireless Systems for Hearing Aids” authored by Dr. Cynthia Compton-Conley. Part I focused on the various types of wireless systems. Part II is directed toward what to expect as technology moves forward, and what should be considered in a needs assessment program. Dr. Compton-Conley’s career has focused heavily on understanding how wireless systems

Wireless Systems for Hearing Aids

I am pleased to announce that this week’s blog, as well as that for next week, will be discussing the state of the art when it comes to wireless systems and hearing aids. Our featured writer, Dr. Cynthia Compton-Conley, is no stranger to ALDs (assistive listening devices), having spent much of her career directly involved in understanding not only how

Tympanic Membrane and Hearing Aid Fitting III

Two previous blogs related to the behind-the-scene interaction of the tympanic membrane (TM) to the hearing aid fitting process focused on basic anatomy, especially that related to ear canal length (Part I), and to a better visualization of the TM orientation compared to general artistic renderings (Part II). Part III will draw these issues together and describe how they interact

Tympanic Membrane and Hearing Aid Fitting Part II

Last week’s blog provided basic anatomical background related to the tympanic membrane (TM). The intent of this week’s blog is to take the anatomical information related to the TM from last week, combine it with some additional information, and then show how the TM, working behind the scenes, influences the clinical hearing aid practice. Originally scheduled for two parts,

Featured image for “Tympanic Membrane – Anatomical Influence on Hearing Aid Fittings”

Tympanic Membrane – Anatomical Influence on Hearing Aid Fittings

Descriptions of the ear canal, and understanding not just its anatomy, but also its termination (tympanic membrane/eardrum), have significant implications for the taking of ear impressions, and also for any device that couples an auditory device to the ear. There are certain issues that have always bothered me relative to this topic, so I decided to post this blog to

Hearing Aid Dispensing – IX

Attempts to Control Hearing Aid Sales Costs at the Federal Level Medicare Influence on Hearing Aid Dispensing System In 1978, the House Ways and Means Committee approved a change in Medicare law to delete the requirement that a physician prescribe the plan of treatment for speech-impaired Medicare beneficiaries. A subcommittee of this Committee proposed extending Medicare coverage to include the