"It's incredible," says Curtis Alcock of Broom Reid & Harris. "Clients get to watch as an 3D image of their impression builds up point by point on the computer screen. In total it scans around 6,000 individual points. Within a few minutes we have a complete computer model of their ear which we can rotate on screen to check for defects.

"If we're happy with the scan, we send it straight to Widex together with details of the order. Their engineers then set about using that very same scan to design a bespoke hearing instrument or earmould made specifically for that individual's ear."

The hearing instruments and earmoulds are constructed using a process Widex called CAMISHA (Computer Assisted Manufacturing of Individual Shells for Hearing Aids), a Widex technology which began to revolutionise the Industry several years ago and has since been adopted by other manufacturers. Widex are now recognised by many as having the best shell builds of any hearing aid manufacturer.

"We've been extremely pleased with the results," continues Curtis Alcock. "They look so much better in the ear, and the turnaround time is phenomenal. It's easy to forget that we're talking about a bespoke, one-off product with advanced digital engineering in it!

"And as for the earmoulds, they are so beautfully crafted, our clients are finding they are enjoying wearing them because they look so good; they're very discreet. And amazingly, they are so accurate we can even fit a hard acrylic skeleton earmould to a severe-to-profound hearing loss. Ask most audiologists and they'll tell you that's virtually unheard of!"

The Benefits of Laser Scanning

• Impressions are scanned same day onsite, which speeds up production time and reduces the risk of shrinkage of the silicon. This results in a more accurate scan.
• The scan is stored onsite in Exeter and at Widex in London, so there's a complete backup if it ever the scan is needed in the future.
• The scan can be used to rapidly try different shell and earmould designs in the case of more challenging ear shapes.
• The process generally results in a much better fit, both cosmetically and comfort-wise.
• If the hearing aid is ever lost or damaged beyond repair, an exact duplicate can be recreated through the system.
• No risk of impressions being lost in the post.

Would you like to see the Scanner in action?

The Widex Laser Scanner is permanently available at Broom Reid & Harris' Exeter Hearing Centre. If you would like to see it in action, please contact us.

Better still, why not think of an excuse for us to use it for you?

That way you can experience the latest Widex build quality for yourself. Whether it's as a Completely in Canal (CIC) hearing instrument, or a new skeleton earmould because yours is getting old. The Widex Laser Scanner is ready and waiting to impress you with its precision and speed!