Scan Sound began in 1986 with the development of the very first commercially made MRI Patient Stereo Sound Systems. The name of our company “Scan Sound” was derived from the idea that we enabled MRI patients to listen to music during their MRI scan. Over the years, our product line was expanded to provide customers with various niche products that are all designed to help people in some way. Our founder, Barry Leeper, is a Biomedical Engineer and he has dedicated his career to serving the needs of the public by developing products that help people to enjoy music, overcome challenges and improve their lives in one way or another. Our products include MRI patient stereo sound system kits, specialized headphones, 1-BUD single-ear stereo earphones, reversible prism glasses, microphone windscreens, headphone earpads and replacement leatherette cushions as well as sanitary disposable stretchable covers for headphones, headsets and microphones.
It has always been our goal to serve our customer’s needs by being responsive to their phone calls and emails. Many of our customers used to depend on their neighborhood Radio Shack stores for guidance. Over time many of those customers have reached out to our company as so many of those brick-and-mortar stores have disappeared. We have continued to serve their needs by offering low cost earphones, headphones, audio adapters and many of the parts needed for wired connectivity. Our many foam earpads and leatherette cushions have enabled people to restore their favorite headphones. Over time, we have developed many hard to find items, creating a niche market for products that can only be sourced through www.scansound.com.
As our family business has grown, we have continued to maintain the philosophy that we need to make time to listen to our customers in order to meet their needs at the same time that we learn what may be needed for the future. Scan Sound continues to meet the needs of individual consumers while also serving the needs of many large corporations, Our web site provides many graphical drawings and images, making it possible to educate consumers, so that these educated consumers will always return to find the special items they need. We know that we receive just as many orders from consumers as businesses and our web site is designed to meet their needs. The web site is evolving, with improved ways to check out and securely pay for each the products online. Our company has always placed a high priority on customer communications. In the process solving our customer’s issues, we have also learned what products to develop for the future. Many of the products that are most needed just are not available anywhere. This realization has led us to develop special single-ear earphones, reversible prism glasses and stretchable sanitary disposable headphone covers. The further expansion of our products has contributed to our overall growth. Unlike many other companies, most of our products are our designed and developed in the United States. We maintain stock on all the items shown on our web site, and that makes it possible to quickly ship each of the orders very quickly from our Florida fulfillment center.
We design what we sell, have them manufactured and we know our products very well. We are always open to criticism, because we know that is how we can learn how to make our products better. Many of the items we sell are totally unique, and often times they are only available through our website. We hope that we will always exceed your expectations in terms of the overall value and quality of our products. We work hard to ensure that they are delivered to you promptly and in good shape. We value customer feedback and take great pride in the fact that we have delivered excellent customer service since 1986.
COMPANY HISTORY - Development of the MRI Patient Stereo
As a Biomedical Engineer and MRI Systems Specialist, Barry Leeper saw many patients who were literally scared to go in for 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 with help from his wife, they formed their new family business in 1986, calling the company Scan Sound, Inc. After filing for patent protection Barry and his wife offered their 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, Sangean 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.
Our eldest Son Josh has been a vital member of the team. He was just a small boy when the company was started in 1986 and he has followed the company history throughout the years. Today Josh is involved in all the facets of the company, and he personally builds each of the MRI headphones. Josh was working as a gaming development specialist and he was pursuing his Doctorate in Psychology when our company began to experience a period of very rapid growth. Josh put his career and education on-hold when joining the company. He rolled-up his sleeves and dug into the new web site development at that time. Today Josh is still focused on the web development and he also manages the company's customer service department.
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 expanded their product line to include more specialty earphones, audio extension cords, replacement headphone foam earpads, leatherette cushions, microphone windscreens and many specialty audio adapters. Their company web site began 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. During the SARS outbreak, the sanitary cover business grew, and a new TeleMask phone cover was added to the variety of available disposable covers. Microphone covers were added to make headsets completely protected, and during the Covid-19 outbreak, the microphone covers and headphone covers became highly sought after products. The MRI sound systems evolved to facilitate wireless internet connectivity, streaming music services and Bluetooth connectivity, enabling patients to give the technologist their phone, and asking to have them play their own chosen music wirelessly from their phone.
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 enabled 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 when patients were pushed into the magnet head-first. Scan Sound developed a new type of prism glasses with reversible-prisms and the new reversible prism 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 frame of the glasses. This changed the patient view, enabling patients who were pushed into the scanner feet-first to 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. The prism glasses were also well suited for many other uses besides MRI scanning. They have enabled many disabled individuals with neck issues to read and see downward or relax and view a TV screen while lying down. They have also enabled many workers avoid repetitive neck strain from looking downward for long periods.
1-BUD SINGLE-EAR STEREO EARPHONE HISTORY
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 no commercially made earphones like that available anywhere. Barry began experimenting with various earphone designs and he finally came up with one that would successfully combine both audio channels. After much experimentation, Barry ultimately came up with a design that would mix the sound into one earpiece, however he still had one more challenge to overcome because the earphone would not work with all MP3 players. Eventually Barry came up with a mixing circuit that would work with all MP3 players and it would universally connect with 2-conductor (mono) and 3-conductor (stereo) jacks. 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! 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. Scan Sound holds the patent for the 1-BUD single-ear stereo earphone.
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 smart phones with a built-in microphone, push-button answering switch, slide volume control, and a cord protected by Kevlar giving the cord added strength. Other models are designed with a contoured rubber earpiece, making it especially beneficial for those who always have difficulty making their earphone stay in their ear.
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.
OUR PRODUCTS ARE SHIPPED TO ALL COUNTRIES WORLDWIDE