"My world comes alive when I put my aids in. My aids help me to be a safer person. They help me find and repair noise problems in my work. Sandia keeps my aids working and the service is excellent."

Gale E., Roswell, NM

Hearing Instruments

What types of hearing aid technology are used today?

Today, there are microchips, computerization, and digitized sound processing, used in hearing aid design. The main circuit type used in today’s hearing aids is a digital programmable circuit. Digital programmable aids use “digitized sound processing” to convert sound waves into digital signals. A computer chip in the aid analyzes the signals of your environment to determine if the sound is noise or speech. The chip then makes modifications to provide a clear, amplified distortion-free signal. Most digital hearing aids are self-adjusting. These hearing aids also have optional features that can be built in to assist in different communication situations. Some of these features include a directional microphone, a telephone switch, and a direct audio input which allows the user to connect to other devices like a computer, CD player, radio or television.