Intra aural hearing aid, Copenhagen, Denmark, 1981
An intra-aural hearing aid sits in the ear canal rather than externally behind the ear. So successful is the design that it has been copied in recent years for audio earphones. This small hearing aid amplifies sound down the ear canal to the ear drum. This in turn vibrates and passes the sound to the bones of the middle ear, which are called ossicles. These bones vibrate and amplify the sound to pass it to the inner ear, which contains the cochlea. The hairs of the bones in the inner ear send a nerve impulse to the brain.
Object number:
1981-2249
Related Themes and Topics
Glossary:
Glossary: deafness
A condition where the hearing in both ears in not functional to ordinary levels.
Glossary: hearing aid
A small electronic apparatus that amplifies sound and is worn in or behind the ear to compensate for impaired hearing.