Effects of Consumer versus Professional Earmold Impression-Taking on Custom Hearing Protection Device Attenuation

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Consumer Health Products
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Consumers increasingly purchase custom hearing protection devices (HPDs) online.
• DIY ear impression kits are commonly used by consumers for custom HPDs.
• Traditionally, audiologists perform earmold impressions due to their expertise.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the performance of custom HPDs made from consumer (novice) ear impressions versus audiologist-taken impressions.
• To evaluate the efficacy of do-it-yourself ear impression kits for custom HPD manufacturing.

Main Methods:

• A repeated-measures experimental design was employed.
• Ten participants had bilateral earmold impressions taken by both a novice and an audiologist.
• Custom full-shell HPDs were manufactured and evaluated using real ear measurements, occluded testing, and visual inspection.

Main Results:

• HPDs from novice impressions demonstrated significantly lower sound attenuation compared to those from audiologist impressions.
• A majority of HPDs made from novice-taken impressions did not meet manufacturing acceptability standards.
• Audiologist-taken impressions yielded superior custom HPD performance.

Conclusions:

• Earmold impressions for custom HPDs should be taken by trained professionals, such as audiologists.
• Professional impression-taking ensures better fit, performance, and safety of custom hearing protection.
• The study underscores the critical role of audiological expertise in custom HPD production.