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Now new technology and a rare bipartisan push from lawmakers who are trying to reduce regulations for the sale of hearing aids are raising hopes that more people with mild to moderate hearing loss will be able to buy hearing devices a lot more cheaply and without seeing a doctor.
It's a modest-sounding goal, but supporters believe the measure on Capitol Hill could lower prices, spur innovation, and ultimately get hearing aids into the ears of far more people. Only 15 to 30 percent of people who need hearing aids actually get them, according to some estimates.
Currently, regulations in most states, including Massachusetts, require consumers to go to a licensed audiologist or other specialist to purchase a hearing aid. The average cost: $2,300 per ear.
Legislation sponsored by Democratic Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren and Republican Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa would supersede individual state rules and force over-the-counter hearing aids into the national market. It has the support of AARP, which is the largest lobbying group for seniors and advocates for people with hearing loss. But it is drawing opposition from hearing aid makers and a major trade association for audiologists.
Supporters say the bill could unleash competition and put hearing aids that cost a few hundred dollars on the shelves. It could also foster technology that, among other benefits, allows consumers to use smartphones to control their hearing aids.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by kaszz on Friday April 14 2017, @02:42AM (1 child)
Here are photos if the interior in a hearing aid:
Analog hearing aid teardown [dreamstime.com] close up [dreamstime.com]
Modern hearing aid teardown [flickr.com] close up [staticflickr.com]
Given these modern horrible small surface mount components. It should be a solvable problem to design even for a professional amateur?
The plastic shell can be made from a 3D-print. PMMA?
The interior needs a power supply with button cell zinc–air batteries. These provide circa 1.35 - 1.45 volts. So perhaps a SMPS is needed.
The signal path ought to be something like 2x microphones for noise cancellation -- input amplifier -- A/D -- DSP -- D/A -- amplifier -- speaker (piezo?). The DSP has to run a filter algorithm such that specific frequency ranges can be adjusted for amplitude. Frequencies has to not differ in latency or phase. Circa 100 ms of latence for the whole path is usually the maximum that can be tolerated and should be no problem for modern DSPs. Inductive reception needs to be added for compatibility with existing hearing aid installations.
Any estimates on work, complexity and price?
(Score: 2) by takyon on Friday April 14 2017, @10:14AM
Sure. I'll sell it to you for $2,250.
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