The History Of Hearing Aids And How They Have Evolved Over Time

Hearing aids have evolved massively over time, and these days they are complex technological devices that have ever-increasing abilities to facilitate better sound quality and hearing experiences for users.

That hasn’t always been the case, though, and hearing aids have experienced a journey to get where they are today and will likely be subject to changes and advancements as new technologies and devices are developed.

Earliest Hearing Devices

Hearing devices have come a long way since their first iteration in the 17th century. Hearing devices started as collapsible conical ear trumpets specifically designed for specific clients with hearing loss. They were made from various materials, including paper, metal and even animal horns. These devices didn’t amplify sounds; they collected the sound in the funnel and fed it through a narrow tube in the ear.

Hearing devices became commercially available in the 1800s, including conical trumpets, fans and hearing tubes.

The First Hearing Aids

However, when the invention of the telephone came the evolution of the hearing aids we know and use today. The first electric hearing aid was designed in 1898 by Miller Reese Hutchison. His designs used an electric current to amplify weak signals.

The Akouphone was the world’s first portable hearing aid. The device consisted of headphones, a battery, amplifiers and a separate microphone. It used a carbon transmitter that worked in a similar way to the telephone. The introduction of the first electronic hearing aid paved the way for the devices we know today. It led to some pretty incredible advances in hearing technology and hearing aid capabilities.

20th Century Hearing Aids

Hearing aids have come a long way since the very first hearing devices in the 17th century. And the 20th century has been quite possibly the most notable time period for advancements in hearing aids, and that is largely down to how technology and digitization have transformed the world in which we live in now.

But before we look at today’s modern hearing aids, let’s look at some of the technology that has led to this point:

• 1920s: Vacuum tubes hearing aids were produced, which could turn speech into electronic signals and then amplify the sound.
• 1930s: Vacuum tube hearing aids got an upgrade to become more wearable but still had a handheld microphone, and the user had to wear an amplifier and batteries around the neck.
• 1940s: Transistor hearing aids replaced the tubes. Transistor hearing aids were smaller, used less battery power and had less sound distortion than previous designs.

Over time, this design and technology allowed hearing aids to transition from the bulky devices they once were to the style of hearing aids we know today.

Digitization of Hearing Aids

The 1980s saw the transition from analog to digital as far as hearing aids occurred, largely in part to the invention of high-speed computing. This revolution brought around the hybrid analog-digital hearing aids, which were smaller and more discreet than older styles. This allowed wearers to feel more confident and comfortable wearing hearing aids while benefiting from an altogether better sound.

However, it was in 1996 that the industry really saw a change with the introduction of the first digital hearing aid, and the transition from analog to digital became complete.

Modern-Day Hearing Aids

From here, technology took over, and hearing aid advances snowballed. By the time we arrived in the 21st century, hearing aids had evolved to the extent they could now be programmed. This meant that users could benefit from a more personalized hearing experience and have a much more positive relationship with their devices.

Today, hearing aids have advanced so much that they are able to offer users a finely tuned personal experience using only the latest in technology. Modern hearing aids boast many features, including Bluetooth capabilities, directional microphones, app connectivity, AI, noise reduction technology, rechargeable batteries and feedback management systems.

Not only this, styles and designs mean that hearing aids are no longer the cumbersome plastic behind-the-ear models of the 80s; they are more discreet and come in a range of styles allowing you to customize the fit and wear in different ways such as behind the ear, in the ear or even in the canal. Talk with your audiologist about which hearing aid will be right for your personal needs.

If you want to learn more about the wide range of hearing aids on the market or discover precisely what hearing aids can do, call Advanced Hearing Services at (970) 449-0592 and our team will be happy to help in any way they can.