Skötsam

The project has been performed in a close collaboration with Hörsam who works in the field of hearing technology. In a first meeting with the company, the Project group was showed a few existing storage boxes for hearing aids. The company thought they were unnecessarily large with plenty of unused space and wanted a new, smarter solution to be developed. The project began with user studies in which audiologists, maintenance technicians, future users and others were interviewed. The purpose was to obtain their views on today's storage boxes and to find out how well the users maintained their hearing aids. It proved to be a large lack of knowledge regarding the management of hearing aids within the users. As a result, new ways to clean their hearing aids were found. The group decided, therefore, to include extra batteries and cleaning articles in the storage box. It would give the user a sense of security, knowing they have everything they need in one place. If earwax or moisture gets stuck in the sound channels to the hearing aid, the sound will disappear completely or partially. It is similarly, if the batteries run out. Hearing aid batteries last only about two weeks after activation and they are very small and difficult to handle for people with stiff joints. In the current situation, there are a variety of cleaning articles with different designs. Each hearing aid manufacturers have basically their own kit. Despite this, it is the same tools that are recommended by all. This is a brush, a loop, a cloth, a long needle and an air blower. In some cases the use of a rod with a magnet helps to facilitate replacement of batteries. The batteries are magnetic and therefore easily stuck on the rod, which help the user to handle the batteries. After several suggestions of solutions the result became a storage box that the group has chose to call Skötsam. It has a soft and handy shape that offers the user a good grip. Skötsam is fitted for both those who only have one hearing aid and for those who have one to each ear. In the battery compartment there is space for at least two extra batteries, depending on its size. The different cleaning articles are located in a smart and clever way, while all functions are easy to use. In a comparison with today's storage boxes Skötsam have seven new features. It has been tested by future users with successful results. Even audiologists and technicians and others who have tried Skötsam are very satisfied with the result. All the requests and demands set out during the project have been met