One of the most revolutionary inventions of our time is the hearing aid.

In general, hearing impairment is not a new condition. It has afflicted all animals– both human and not– for as long as life has existed in its current capacity. And unfortunately for those who suffer from this ailment, the technology used for hearing aids is relatively new. 

So, how exactly did we come from using things like animals horns to having the technology to implant a device that simulates normal hearing? 

Let’s have a look at the history of hearing aids: 

When was the first hearing aid invented?

Technically speaking, the first hearing device to have its use recorded was the ear trumpet devised in the 17th century. Exactly what it sounds like, this invention was made from various materials (such as sheet metal and animal horns) and was designed to be put up to the ear to assist the user in hearing during conversation. 

Naturally, there were some disadvantages to this. For example, the ear trumpet only worked when the user was actively holding it next to their ear, which quickly became tiresome due to the device’s weight. Additionally, it was only in use when the user was engaged in conversation. If they didn’t know you were speaking to them, they obviously wouldn’t be using it. 

The first hearing aid as we know it, however, was created much further down the line in 1898 by a man named Miller Reese Hutchinson. This aid was modeled after Alexander Grahm Bell’s telephone and was designed to amplify weak electrical signals. 

How have hearing aids evolved since then? 

After that first hearing aid design, it was another decade or so before hearing aids began to be commercially manufactured for household use. This happened in 1913, though the devices created during this time were only slightly better than the ear trumpet in terms of weight and portability. 

Then, in the 1920s, hearing aids evolved again with the invention of the vacuum tube hearing aid by Earl C. Hanson. With this design, sounds would be converted into electrical signals before being amplified and sent to the user’s eardrum. This invention was coined the “Vacuphone” and was later produced by the Western Electric Company. 

These aids worked better than any previous invention. Still, as time went on and WWII raged, the idea of miniaturization was explored for several different technologies– the hearing aid was one of them. 

In 1948, the transistor was created as a crucial element of certain war technologies. This invention was critical to the advancement of hearing aids, as it replaced the vacuum tube and allowed for smaller designs, less battery power, and lower distortion. The first hearing aid to use the newly created transistor technology was know as the Solo-Pak and was manufactured and distributed by Allen-Howe Electronics Corporation. 

As time went on, new technologies continued to develop as part of the technological revolution, eventually leading to the creation of the microprocessor. Hearing aids that used this microprocessor began to be manufactured near the end of the 1980s. Meanwhile, however, the 1970s saw the experimentation of cochlear implants, eventually leading to clinical trials and treatment programs involving the new hearing technology. 

From this point onward, hearing aid technology evolution was steady and significant. Every few years, the microprocessor evolved and led to better hearing technology until 1991 saw the first-ever all-digital hearing aid. 

Since then, the world has watched these digital hearing aids develop past what the hearing impaired ever thought possible. Over the next 20 years, these aids would gain convenience features such as volume controls, static filtered, next-to-zero distortion rates, and even Bluetooth capabilities. 

Today, more companies than ever are involved in the field of Audiology. Hearing aids that are waterproof, shockproof, and dustproof is essentially normal. There even exists an app that transforms the iPhone into an interactive hearing device that amplifies sound and repeats back conversations. 

Conclusion

Over time, hearing aids have evolved from large, cumbersome objects into tiny implants that are nearly invisible in the ear. As such, the lives of the hearing impaired have improved vastly and have even led most to live completely normal lives. 

And while what may happen next in the evolution of hearing aids is uncertain at best, one thing is for sure: 

The hearing aid has centuries of evolution behind it and centuries more ahead.