Nowadays hearing aids are a part of our everyday life. Thanks to new technology, sometimes you can’t even tell that somebody is wearing a hearing enhancing device solely due to its minuscule size.
One of the biggest complaints about hearing aids is the fit. There are many different kinds of hearing aids for a variety of different ears. Some people prefer a fitted hearing aid where the receiver (of the sound) in IN the ear and some prefer the receiver BEHIND the ear.
With that being said, those who prefer a fitted hearing aid IN the ear must go through a process of having their external auditory meatus (ear canal) molded. Once that’s done, the mold is sent to a manufacturer who then fits the hearing mechanism within the customized mold, and sends it back to the customer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lwQz19Vuxg
When you have something customized to fit you perfectly, you expect it to fit correctly, right? Especially if you’re paying thousands of dollars to help restore a sense that you are fully aware that you will never be able to completely regain. Here’s the catch. One of the biggest complaints of hearing aid wearers is the actual fit that was once constructed by the mold. A common complaint is irritation of the canal due to an ill-fitted mold. After working with audiologists, we have learned that people spend more money on maintenance to their molds than to the actual hearing device itself.
So how can we fix this? Why not print our own hearing aids!
According to new advances, using a 3-D printer to print hearing aids fitted to the ear can change the way we as humans wear and produce hearing aids. Gone are the days of irritated ears and enlarged costs of fixing and re-molding hearing aids. We can print them off ourself!
To learn more about 3-D printing of hearing aids, check out these other blogs and awesome websites! :
http://www.audicus.com/blogs/hearing-aids-blog/7800525-3d-print-your-future-hearing-aids
http://mediaroom.marlinfinance.com/healthcare-equipment/3d-printing-in-health-care-helps-production-from-hearing-aids-to-vaccines/
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