Hearing Aids

Many of our previous posts have been about everyday technology and recent, more futuristic technology but medical technology is also commonly overlooked, despite the amount of research towards it globally. Hearing aids are devices which are designed to improve the hearing of the user, and their design and functionality have evolved over time to currently being able to process environmental noises into more intelligible sounds like being able to cancel noises and wind or amplify speech and voices.

The first idea of a hearing aid began during the 1600's in the form of ear trumpets which only helped direct sound towards the user's ear and were often cumbersome and impractical. The first modern, electric hearing aid was developed in 1895 by Miller Reese Hutchison, sparked by the invention of the telephone, and they became commercially available in the late 1900's. With the integration of the carbon microphones, transmitters and more advanced computer technology as a whole, the hearing aid evolved to what it is today. Other than hearing aids, the cochlear implant has also been developed for those who are completely deaf in one or both ears.

The idea and development of the hearing aid is a significant piece of the broad spectrum that is technology as it shows how much of an impact advanced technology makes towards some people's everyday lives.