Maico Audiological ServicesPaving the way for digital hearing aids were several iterations of models in the years leading up to their release. Previously, the main type of hearing aids was analog in nature. Now, there are remote controls where you can set your hearing aid at the exact setting you want for the optimum in comfort. From perks like background noise filtration and Bluetooth hook ups, digital hearing aids offer many benefits to the user. Below, check out the long-running advancement of digital hearing aids. Here we explore just how the progression has occurred and what’s on the horizon. Wireless technology and microelectronics have given the hearing impaired community a new way to hear crisper and clearer. Around for just 15 years, digital hearing aids can be programmed according to user preferences, such as in the case of volume control. It all depends on the amount of hearing loss as well.
Improved Connections
Increased range of frequency is just one benefit of digital hearing aids, plus you also get digital noise reduction, higher frequency transposition, connections to Bluetooth and other wireless technological services.
Digital Noise Reduction (DNR)
DNR came about after directional microphones, which didn’t really address certain traits within speech modulation. Fortunately, digital noise reduction DNR technology addresses the physical characteristics of noise and speech rather than the separation of space.
Self-Learning
Self-learning technology, great for hearing aids so that the user doesn’t have to adjust the settings each time, is inherent in this self-regulating approach. As a result, so-called smart hearing aids can adjust settings like volume automatically after a period of time to give control back to the user.
The First Digital Hearing Aids
The hearing impaired community first saw the emergence of digital hearing aids in 1996.
Characterized by DSP, which stands for digital signal processing, users could benefit from faster processing speeds. This brought about increased hearing capacity and range of amplification.
Noise Filtration
Recent advancements allow manufacturers to break down technology walls with the use of digital magnetic wireless communication via chips in the devices that control settings like switch position and microphone modes. One huge complaint users of hearing aids have historically made is that it’s difficult to hear clearly with all the background noise. Older hearing aids amplified all sound, which was great for hearing words but this also presented an added challenge of filtering out the background noise that was also amplified. Today’s hearing aids can easily filter out that noise so that the user can hear words but not all the other stuff. Improvements in wireless technology have allowed for improved speech recognition and SNR, which stands for signal-to-noise ratio.
The Outlook
Showing a lot of promise is the digital hearing aid. Its use will continue to expand, although now about 90 percent of hearing aids are digital. With their perks being increased flexibility, technological compatibility and versatility, you can expect these to be the wave of the future.