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| If you've been disappointed with hearing aids in
the past... don't give up. There is nothing more precious than your hearing. Talk to me, and
together we can explore today's solutions to your hearing problems.
Hearing aids have come a long way...
Today's hearing aids are discreet, and comfortable. The newest mini canal hearing aids are so small you could
think of them as a contact lens for your ear.
The latest hearing aid circuits reduce bothersome background noise,
so when talking with a friend, it will be easier to understand what they are saying, even in noisy places.
Also available in my office, are digital and programmable hearing
aids that are set and adjusted by a computer. I carry many different brands and models. |
Conventional Electronic Hearing Aids:
Hearing aids which use conventional electronics have been the mainstay of the hearing aid industry for 35 years.
Conventional hearing aid electronics use basic analog Class A technology to provide quality, linear-type amplification
to patients with a wide range of hearing losses.
Class A amplifiers have as their defining feature the
characteristic of adding the same amount of amplification to all levels of sound intensity. Thus, low bass-type
sounds will be amplified with the same amount of volume as high treble sounds. For this reason, some patients may
find that conventional electronic hearing aids provide either too little sound or too much sound to comfortably reach a
listening level for the particular hearing loss. When this is the case, the patient should consider a prescription
circuit instrument of the advanced or digital technology type.
Advanced Technology:
The result is a hearing aid with the ability to limit the level
of incoming sound volume. This delivers a more natural loudness throughout the patient's entire listening range,
without getting too loud or too quiet as can be the case with conventional hearing aids. Amplifiers used in
advanced technology hearing aids are predominately from the Class D family with the benefit of longer battery life and
lower distortion. Circuit designs used in this category are composed of either: (1) Killion Amplifier (Treble
Increases at Low Levels) circuitry, (2) Automatic Signal Processing (Base Increases at Low Levels) circuitry, (3)
Automatic Signal Processing/Automatic Gain Control Input, or (4) Automatic Signal Processing/Automatic Gain Control
Output. Advanced technology hearing aids can also employ multi-channel technology, multiple directional microphone
technology, plus Adaptive Compression and variable release compression.
Miniaturized Technology:
Micro miniaturization of circuitries has reached the
ultimate in small size within the past two years. Developed to fit into the tiniest hearing aid shells
called Deep Canal, MicroCanal or CIC (completely-in-the-canal), the majority of these instruments use Class D or
K-AMP circuitry. Class D amplifiers offer longer battery life and lower distortion, while K-AMP amplifiers
are designed to amplify soft sounds. A few brands offer Class A and Class B circuitry.
These components are strategically placed to take the least
amount of space in the shell. This allows the instrument to be inserted deeply into the ear's canal. Its
placement, along with a darkened faceplate, usually make it virtually impossible to see.
Programmable Technology:
Programmable hearing instruments
represent the most advanced technology available today. These instruments contain a computer chip which can
be programmed by the audiologist using a computer. This offers a better way to accommodate a given patient's
amplification needs because it allows the greatest flexibility and most fine-tuning capability. This unique
technology separates the incoming sound into bands and processes each band independently. This class of
hearing instruments utilizes separate circuit paths to independently process different frequency regions of
sounds. Most of the technology at this level includes programmable hearing instruments featuring variable
volume, adaptable frequency response, adjustable and optional input or output compression.
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