About Us

     Scan Sound began in 1986 with the development of MRI Patient Stereo Sound Systems and that is how the company name Scan Sound came about. We have since developed various niche products, including specialty headphones, single-ear stereo earphones, prism glasses and our signature sound systems for MRI Scanners. 

     We strive to work like a small business when it comes to keeping close ties with all our customers. Orders may be small as single items or large enough to supply major manufacturers with specialized products. Our team is dedicated to the development and distribution of your favorite audio products, audio accessories and we also offer specialty products for medical imaging facilities.  Our products are designed and developed in the United States and we ship what we sell. Most orders ship one day following order placement from a fulfillment company located in Pompano Beach, Florida.

     Our company is committed to enhancing your audio experience. Many of our audio products are unique, hard to find and often only available through our web marketplace. We strive to exceed our customer expectations in terms of the overall value, quality of our products and prompt delivery. We value customer feedback and take great pride in the fact that we have delivered excellent customer service for over the past 25 years.

COMPANY HISTORY - Development of the MRI Patient Stereo

     As a Biomedical Engineer and MRI Systems Specialist, Barry Leeper saw many patients who were intrepid about undergoing an MRI scan, mainly because they feared being entombed in the confined space of the MRI scanner. Barry came up with a novel way to allow patients to hear music inside the MRI scanners using plastic airline-style headphones that were invisible in the resulting MRI scan images. Barry successfully developed the very first MRI patient stereo sound system and then formed his new family business in 1986, calling the company Scan Sound, Inc.  After filing for patent protection Barry and his wife offered new MRI Stereo systems in kit form (See Business Briefing). The Scan Sound MRI stereo systems helped improve patient throughput, reduced the number of aborted scans (due to claustrophobia), and the first imaging centers with a sound system began increasing their revenue as a result of Barry's invention. MRI facilities that were competing head-to-head with other scanners in their area found the stereo systems gave them a marketing edge as patients raved about the pleasant experience and relaxed feeling during their scan. The Scan Sound MRI stereo systems reduced the need for medicating anxiety ridden patients and the scanning facilities stayed closer to their intended schedule as fewer patients experienced claustrophobia. In most cases, the improved throughput actually enabled the MRI stereo systems to pay for themselves in a very short period of time. 

      Word spread quickly among the growing number of MRI facilities that the Scan Sound MRI stereo systems were a 'must have' item. Barry began building audio equipment when he was 9 years old, and put himself through college servicing televisions and sound systems. Being an audio enthusiast, Barry had a great appreciation for higher-end sound systems and well made audio equipment. When designing the MRI stereo kits he selected exceptionally high quality sound system components. Each of the resulting MRI stereo kits utilized well known commercially made stereo systems manufactured by companies such as Bose, Sony and Polk Audio to achieve the best sound quality. From the very beginning, all the MRI stereos kits offered by Scan Sound were built to achieve the highest level of performance and long-term reliability at an affordable price. Scan Sound has carried this same philosophy forward to the present day and as a result, the company has established a very high level of customer satisfaction. 

 COMPANY PRODUCTS

     Scan Sound was an early adopter, using the Internet to promote the sale of products online at www.scansound.com as early as 1994. Scan Sound used the web to offer a variety of accessories for the sound systems, including stethoscope-style acoustic earphones, corresponding replacement foam ear tips, noise-reducing acoustic headphones and sanitary headphone covers. The sanitary stretchable headphone covers would allow multiple patients to use the same headphones without spreading contagion. These same headphone covers, first used with MRI patients, also began to be purchased by dental offices, dialysis facilities and student computer labs for regular headphones, as the covers helped to avoid the spread of lice, viruses and bacterial infections. MRI facilities began to request other audio-related equipment and Scan Sound expanded its product line to include specialty items such as mono earphones, audio extension cords and various adapters.  

PRISM GLASSES

     Commercially made prism glasses had been adopted for patients to use during MRI scans as a tool to help avoid claustrophobia. The glasses enable the brain to perceive open space and allow the patient to see a friend or loved-one nearby during the scan, imparting added patient comfort. Unfortunately most prism glasses had drawbacks because they were not originally made for MRI use. They had metal hinges and only would see outward if the patient was pushed into the magnet head-first. Scan Sound developed a new reversible-prism type of prism glasses, and these new glasses are completely free of any metal components. The prisms may be slid out of a channeled groove and rotated, before sliding them back into the glasses' frame. This changed the patient view so patients pushed into the scanner feet-first would still have an outward view. Scan Sound eliminated all metal from the reversible prism glasses and thus removed the possibility of imaging distortion that is typically seen in the MRI with the older style prism glasses. The Scan Sound Reversible Prism Glasses also have removable temples, enabling a flexible strap to be used in place, to hold the frames onto the head. This made the prism glasses well suited for all kinds of uses besides MRI scanning, so that they could be used by individuals who are disabled, have neck issues and even mountain climbing instructors who can avoid repetitive neck strain from looking skyward for long periods.

1-BUD SINGLE-EAR STEREO EARPHONES

     The very first Single-Ear Stereo Earphone was designed to combine the audio from both the left and right stereo channels to work with an iPod^®. The concept began when a concerned father called Barry Leeper, exasperated because he’d searched high and low for a special earphone for his son who was hearing impaired in one ear. Barry, a Bio-medical Engineer, inventor and audio enthusiast did some research online and found many people were searching high and low for a stereo earphone for one ear and there were none that were commercially available. Barry began experimenting with various earphone designs and he finally came up with one that would sucessfully combine both audio channels. After much experimentation, Barry ultimately came up with a design that would mix the sound into one earpiece while remaining compatible with all types of MP3 players. His design actually fools the stereo circuit from most audio units into thinking that two earphones are connected, when in reality the sound is combined into a single earpiece. Barry was extremely gratified to ship the finished single-ear stereo earphone to the boy, knowing that the child would now be able to hear all the sound in one ear.

     And so the 1-BUD™ was born! What was very unique about this earphone was that it also worked perfectly with Mono and Stereo equipment without any adapters or switches. Barry filed a patent for this earphone design and his company, Scan Sound, Inc., began offering the 1-BUD earphone online at www.scansound.com in early 2008.

     The single-stereo earphone is extremely well suited for those who have a unilateral hearing impairment, also known as Single Sided Deafness (SSD). The 1-BUD has also enabled many to safely use an earphone while keeping their other ear open to the activities going on around them. The 1-BUD has enabled people everywhere to enjoy stereo music in one ear whether they are running, jogging, bicycling, driving or just relaxing with their MP3 Player, iPod^®, iPhone^®, iPad^® or Computer. The 1-BUD has recently evolved from its early design, due mainly to customer feedback. The new models are compatible with nearly all types of stereo and mono audio devices, including versions for cellular phones which have a built-in microphone, push-button answering switch, slide volume control, and a cord braided with Kevlar for added strength. Other models are designed to stay put during all kinds of physical activity using a lasso style weatherproof cord.

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK IS CRITICAL TO OUR BUSINESS

     We thank our past customers for critiquing our products and providing suggestions about what they would like to see in the future. You too will find that Scan Sound treats its customers well, and focuses on exceptional customer service. Through the this web site, Scan Sound hopes to maintain the lines of communication that are essential to building a solid business. Should you have a question or wish to comment on our web site, please take a moment to fill out our customer service inquiry form, so that we may fully serve your needs. Nearly all of the company's products have been designed in the USA by Scan Sound to directly serve the need of our customers. Your needs are our future products; We are always listening.

Scan Sound, Inc.
1121 S. Military Trail, Unit 118
Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442
USA
1-866-722-6763 Toll-Free
954-425-0199 Phone
954-827-2408 Fax