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Hearing Aids

Hearing Aids. By Christian Chipouras. What is a Hearing aid?. A hearing aid is a device used to regulate and amplify sound for the user Hearing aids are used by the partially deaf but not the completely deaf

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Hearing Aids

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  1. Hearing Aids By Christian Chipouras

  2. What is a Hearing aid? • A hearing aid is a device used to regulate and amplify sound for the user • Hearing aids are used by the partially deaf but not the completely deaf • They can greatly improve the hearing of someone partially deaf but it cannot cure or help complete deafness. • Placed either in and or around the ear • They have 4 major parts: the microphone, battery, amplifier, and receiver

  3. History • Late 1700s: Early hearing aids consisting of a horn and a long thin tube that concentrated the sound to the ear were created. These were known as ear trumpets • In the 19th century hearing trumpets were mass produced to aid the hearing impaired and partially deaf • In 1898 the first carbon-type hearing aid was made due to the invention of the carbon microphone. • In 1899 The first carbon-type hearing aid was patented by Miller Reese Hutchinson • In 1920 vacuum tubes were added to the hearing aids to improve sound quality and clarity.

  4. History cont. • In 1952 the first hearing aid with an on/off switch was created. This new model was known as a transistor hearing aid • In the 1990’s digital hearing aids were created allowing clearer and better hearing for the user • 2000s- much smaller hearing aids were produced and are barely visible on the user.

  5. The hearing aid today • Today there are 5 Major types of hearing aids • Behind the ear hearing aids (BTE)-can be used for slight to nearly complete hearing loss • On the ear hearing aids(also known as mini BTE’s)- less visible version of BTE’s • In the ear hearing aids (ITE) –Very large and fits in ear • In the canal hearing aids (ITC) -fits in ear canal used for mild hearing loss • Completely in canal hearing aids (CIC)-used for mild hearing loss very difficult to adjust and maintain

  6. The hearing aid today cont. • The newest hearing aids are small and self-adjust to allow clearer hearing. They also adjust when the user enters loud areas allowing the users inner-ear not to be harmed • The newest hearing aids can wirelessly receive sounds from electronic devices such as computers and T.V.’s • The digital hearing aid has become the main type of hearing aid used, as it is more versatile and produces clearer sounds

  7. How it Works • The hearing aid works by the microphone receiving the sound and converting the sound into electric impulses using the battery • The hearing aid than sends the impulses to the amplifier which amplifies the impulses to the desired level and send them to the receiver. • The receiver than converts the Impulses into amplified sound Waves which vibrate and stimulate the hair follicles in the inner ear to allow hearing

  8. Limitations • Hearing aids only amplify sounds making them useless to the deaf and nearly deaf • Can have problems concentrating on single sounds allowing background noises to interfere • They are visible and can cause irritation to the areas that are in contact with the device • Loud noises can become very loud when amplified • Many frequent hearing issues • Problems and difficulties with adjustment

  9. Future of the hearing aid • Complete wireless compatibility • Better sound quality • More efficient digital hearing aids • Better sound distinction (between background noise and the noise trying to be heard) • Ability to listen and to be compatible with cell phones and listening to music through the hearing aids • Smaller and lighter versions

  10. Bibliography • Valente, Michael. Hearing Aids: Standards, Options, and Limitations. New York: Thieme, 2002. Web. 7 Oct 2012. • Edwards, Brent. "The Future of Digital Hearing Aids." Trends in Amplification’s Special Issue on Digital Hearing Aids: 2-6. Web. 7 Oct. 2012. <http://brent.edwards.name/Papers/Future_of_Digital_Hearing_Aids.pdf>." •  Dillon, Harvey. Hearing Aids. New York: Thieme, 2001. Web. 7 Oct. 2012. • "Hearing Aid." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Sept. 2012. Web. 07 Oct. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hearing_aid>. • "Ear Wax Museum, a History of the Hearing Industry, Hearing Aids, Assistive Listening Devices, Etc." Ear Wax Museum, a History of the Hearing Industry, Hearing Aids, Assistive Listening Devices, Etc. Starkey Labs, n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2012. • <http://www.hearingcenteronline.com/museum.shtml>. • Colin Blakemore and Shelia Jennett. “hearing aid.” The Oxford Companion to the Body. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 7 Oct. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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