Oaktree Products

Oaktree Products is now offering the Vorotek O Scope, a head worn binocular microscope. A new question asked by customers is "How does a head worn binocular microscope differ from a convention loupe?" To appreciate the main difference between the two, it's important to understand convergence. 

Both conventional loupe and the O Scope provide magnification. Unlike conventional loupes, the O Scope is equipped with mirrors at precise angles to converge the eyes closer together. This convergence is essential to achieving depth perception in narrow cavities like the ear canal. Loupes are not designed to converge; when used to inspect the ear canal, visualization is accessible to one eye only, resulting in loss of depth perception. In contrast, the O Scope converges the eyes to 12 mm apart, making it the ideal light and magnification source for cerumen removal and other audiology applications involving the ear canal. 

Loupe or O Scope: what do you recommend?

There is room for both conventional loupes and a head worn binocular microscope like the Vorotek O Scope. If you are looking mainly for magnification of the ear canal, the JedMed VDC loupe is my personal favorite. If you are more interested in achieving accurate 3D viewing of the ear canal, the Vorotek O Scope is the way to go.  

Reese's Law requires child resistant packaging of hearing aid batteries manufactured after March 2024. Closed professional Facebook groups have a fair share of provider posts expressing concerns about the level of difficulty required to open tamper-resistant packaging.

In many cases, accessing the first battery from a new battery card requires cutting the card along either side of a battery cell to card center with scissors (click PLAY VIDEO 1 below). The small triangular section may be hard to handle and often accompanied with sharp, pointy edges. Subsequent batteries from the same card are accessed by making another cut, resulting in another triangular section (with potentially sharp, pointy edges).

While scissors are still required, ZeniPower hearing aid battery packaging seems more straightforward and, in my personal opinion, easier to open for those experiencing difficulties with the new child resistant packaging (click VIDEO 2 below). To access the first battery of a card, cut once along the bottom of the card (where indicated). The battery cell drops out of the packaging with no need to create or handle a triangular cut-our card section. To access the next battery, turn the battery wheel and cut an opening in the bottom of the cell compartment located at the bottom of the card.

At the end of January 2024, the manufacturer was in the process of reformulating the product. The reason for the reformulation was not communicated nor was it clear why the original formula was not made available during the reformulation process. With the product temporarily unavailable, Otoferm was removed from the Oaktree Products website in early 2024 as the timeline for product availability remained unknown. In the interim, audiologists were searching for a comparable alternative to Otoferm. Since Otoferm is a silicone-based cream lubricant, the thicker gel lubricant Audiologist's Choice AudGel was suggested.

When the reformulated Otoferm was finally available, the anticipation quickly waned. Despite the use of the term "creme" (e.g., cream) on the product label, the new and improved "cream formulation" was no longer a cream.  When the sorely missed Otoferm resurfaced, the reformulated product is unequivocally a gel. 

Providers considering the Earigator often wonder whether the equipment purchase should include the Earigator cart or if a different (and perhaps less expensive) cart should be purchased separately. To be clear, a cart is needed for the irrigation system; the question is whether to purchase it with vs without the Earigator-branded cart

A clear majority of Earigator users highly recommend purchasing the Earigator cart upfront. Providers with experience using the unit both with the Earigator cart and with an alternative cart purchased elsewhere preferred the Earigator cart due ot the customized fit. Most providers sourcing an alternative cart at first ended up purchasing the Earigator cart. 

While I have never used an Earigator in clinical practice, I have provided direct patient care and managed many busy clinical practices. In my personal opinion, the time and energy exerted to save a few bucks on a cart that wasn't specifically designed for the unit is probably not worth it. In other words, get the Earigator with the Earigator cart and be done!