Portable printer used in hearing test for the young

Able Systems, the Cheshire based mini-printer specialist, has received an order for over 1,000 of its Ap800 fixed head thermal printers from a leading US hearing test equipment manufacturer. The application in which the units are to be used is one which could save the hearing of hundreds of children and can also be used on adults.

The printers are to be used in a pioneering hand-held unit for testing the hearing of babies and young children. Designed for quick training the unit is easy to use and a print out of results is generated automatically when the instrument is placed in a 'cradle' unit. Using this new system, complete hearing tests in 6 frequencies can be conducted in just a few seconds.

Young children are difficult to test for hearing using traditional methods, yet statistics show up to 24,000 children born each year suffer from some degree of hearing loss. This device is unique in that it can be used on very young children whose hearing impairment may previously have gone unnoticed. Scientific evidence shows that infants whose deafness is detected early can learn to communicate far better than those whose impairment is found later in life.

Placed gently in the ear of children or adults, the system tests 6 frequencies and automatically saves the data to memory. Following the test, the instrument is placed in the cradle of Able systems’ high speed Ap800 printer and the results are printed in less than 6 seconds.

The printer uses a thermal mechanism, which produces a low noise output, preventing distraction or distress during the printing of the results. Battery powered, the Ap800 is highly portable and compact with excellent reliability, which is imperative in such medical applications.
 
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