Can You Hear Me Now?

Sci-Fi Devices

Pfaff has seen huge changes in the options available to treat hearing loss. “What’s really changed in the last decade is the sophistication of the hearing instruments—the hearing aids. We’ve gone from the analog world to digital processing in hearing aids,” Pfaff says. “The digital world in hearing aids allows instruments to be programmed to where they recognize the differences between loud sounds and soft sounds; [and] the differences between speech input and noise input; whether or not the primary signal is coming from the front, the back, or the side of the patient.”

Pfaff says the sophistication of hearing devices is astounding. “These hearing aids are getting to a point of artificial intelligence,” he says. “These hearing aids literally can pay attention. Sounds coming into the microphone are analyzed and measured, and the hearing aid responds accordingly.”

The latest models offer the same Bluetooth technology that’s used for cell phones. “We now have a brand new product that even allows wireless communication between other electronic devices that we’re using every day in this culture. They can be patched directly into the hearing aid without any wires attached,” Pfaff says. Other devices that work in tandem with the Bluetooth technology include cell phones and MP3 players.

The brain needs information from both ears to be able to tell from which direction a sound originates. A hearing aid user who needs a device in each ear has one of two options: devices that work independently of one another, or devices that work together. If the hearing devices don’t share information, the result is hearing that is somewhat like a mono radio—all the sound is there, but it originates from the same place. Improvements in the computers that control hearing devices have made it so two devices can work together to provide a hearing experience that is analogous to a surround-sound home-theater system where each ear can hear where a sound originates from speakers situated around the room. “The two hearing aids are now working together to preserve the natural timing and locational cues,” Pfaff says. “Now these two aids are working in a way that your two ears normally work. They work together and let the brain decide and process it.”

Audio Appearance

Since the first hearing aids appeared on the market, the “look” of the devices has been an issue for wearers. That started to change in 1983 when President Ronald Reagan was fitted with a hearing aid from Starkey Laboratories, Inc., an Eden Prairie–based hearing device company. After Reagan started to publicly appear with his hearing aid, sales throughout the industry increased.

Now the trend is toward smaller devices that allow the user to feel less conspicuous. “We don’t call them hearing aids anymore—we call them personal hearing devices,” Pfaff says. “And they’re miniature devices that sit on top of the ear, slightly behind it. But they’re very much smaller than they used to be, and they are fit with a tiny wire where the speaker lays down into the ear, but the computer is behind the ear. It is very inconspicuous and extremely comfortable for patients to wear. They no longer feel like they have to plug their ear up with a chunk of plastic. Which equates to: If it’s more comfortable to wear, the patient chooses to wear it more often.”

Devices with fast computer processors and fine-tuned, self-adjusting capabilities do not come at a cost that is typically covered by insurance. Prices range from $1,000 to $3,600 per ear, and differ based on the quality of the computer and the degree to which the device is customized.

The convergence of technologies that enhance hearing and connect with other devices will undoubtedly result in an increase of hearing device users. Which could lead to fewer people needing to ask that pesky question: “What did you say?”