Hearing aids are incredible pieces of technology. This technology has revolutionized hearing for many individuals around the world. Like any piece of modern technology, there is a rich history behind their development; the ideas, the people, and creativity. For that reason, hearing aids are no exception when it comes to their past.
Believe it or not, the predecessors of hearing aids have been around for a very long time. Did you know the first ‘hearing aid’ goes back to the 1300s! Historically, hollow animal horns, like those from cows and rams, called ear trumpets were used as the original hearing device.
Ancient History: 1800s
Ancient History: 1800sTraditional ear trumpets were ‘modernized’ in the 1800’s by Frederick C. Rein using different materials. They didn’t necessarily amplify the sound, but collected it and funneled it into the ear; for instance like when you cup your hand around your ear.
In 1870, Thomas Edison, who experienced hearing loss himself, added an adaptation to his telephone which increased the volume by 15dB! [That’s the roughly the equivalent of turning your TV from 10 to 20]. It wasn’t a lot, but it began the journey of modern hearing technology.
Hearing aids history follows along with the development of technology, beginning with the discovery of electricity!
Early Hearing Aids: 1900-1920s
With electricity came the first electronic hearing aids, known today as the Vacuum Tube hearing aids. Hearing aids became commercially available in 1913. These models were big, clunky, and in most cases not portable. Think of it as carrying your desktop computer attached to your ear.
But… they were able to increase the sound by almost 70dB; that’s a lot! It’s the difference between being able to hear a dog bark, someone playing the piano, or not hearing those things at all.
Over the next 10 years, technological advances allowed the hearing aids to get smaller and more compact.
In 1938, the first truly wearable hearing aids were created! These devices consisted of an earpiece, a microphone that clipped to clothes, and a battery pack worn around the leg.
1940s – 1950s
1940s – 1950sWorld War II brought about many advances in technology, one being the transistor, created in 1948 by Bell Telephone Laboratories. However, Norman Krim later adapted them for use in hearing aids. Transistors replaced vacuum tubes in hearing aids, allowing them to be much smaller and more portable.
1950s-1980s
Most notably, in the 1960s Zenith Radio introduced transistors made of silicon and microphones that went in the ear. Over the next few decades, transistor aids were further developed into progressively smaller styles of hearing aids; as a result, we still have these styles today. Those worn – behind the ear; in the ear, in the ear canal, and devices small enough that they are completely in the ear canal.
Modern Technology: 1990s-2000s
1996 saw the release of the first truly digital hearing aid. By 2005, hearing aids had programmability, allowing for customizable settings and fine-tuning. This kind of digital technology is the same circuitry used in cellphones and computers and has rapidly developed as such.
Even just a few years ago, hearing aids went from wired to wireless. In that case, during programming, there are no wires involved! The hearing aids put out a signal that is picked up by the computer and allow us to connect that way.
History in the making: 2019
Technology is always changing. That’s very true for hearing aid technology too. Just this year new technological developments in hearing aids were released by several manufacturers!
One being the sleek styling of the new Signia Styletto. More on those here.
Similarly, another manufacturer released a device they call the Livio AI. These hearing aids, although they may not look like much, “provide both superior sound quality and the ability to track body and brain health” through a ton of new features. For more information check out their website.
As a result of their history and development, with modern hearing aids, we can fine-tune, customize, and add some pretty amazing extra features. They can adapt to different listening environments, connect to other devices through Bluetooth or FM, and there is a big move towards rechargeability.
Hearing aids have come a long way from using animal horns. Looking at their history, we see the minds behind the technology and how much it has improved through the decades. Modern hearing aids are now sleek, in some cases almost invisible, and have an amazing capacity to improve hearing. Who knows where they’ll be in the next 5 years let alone 50!
For more information about any of our hearing aids give us a call 705-749-0707.
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