LASER HEARING AID

[HearingWellClub]

LASER HEARING AID

Hearing with Light The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved the marketing of a hearing aid that uses a laser diode and direct vibration of the eardrum to amplify sound. The device uses a phenomenon known as the optoacoustic effect, in which some of the photons of certain types of light are absorbed and their energy is transformed into sound-generating waves when the light strikes a surface. About 10 years ago, scientists began exploring how this ability to “hear” light could be used in hearing aids. 

The EarLens Contact Hearing Device is the world’s first hearing device to use light to transmit sound. Unlike hearing aids, which are in effect tiny speakers that simply turn up the volume on air conducted sound, the EarLens Contact Hearing Device comprises two components: a light-based Behind the Ear (BTE) sound processor, and a removable, custom-made Tympanic Contact Actuator (TCA) placed at the base of the ear canal. 

The BTE uses a microphone and a digital signal processor to pick up sound and convert it to infrared light. This non-visible light carries both the power and the sound signal to the TCA, which then converts it into vibrations that are directly applied to the eardrum through a tiny custom contact pad and perceived as sound. The EarLens System's unique mechanism of direct sound delivery potentially opens the door to a level of sound performance achieved by no hearing aid on the market today. 

The EarLens Contact Hearing Device is designed to transform the user’s own eardrum into a speaker, which enables delivery of an ultra-wide frequency range (from 125 to 10,000 Hz) and a higher maximum gain margin. The intended result is the next generation of sound performance. Be sure to go to www.EarLenscorp.com and watch the amazing and informative video that shows how it works. 

Visit  www.EarLenscorp.com and watch the amazing and informative video that shows how it works.