Auditory Devices
The AG Bell website has an informative overview of hearing aids and cochlear implants.
HEARING AIDS
The hearing aid is the assistive device used by deaf and hard of hearing people. It is an electronic device with a small microphone that amplifies sounds. Because hearing loss affects people in different ways, you need to get the right device for you. There are several types of hearing aids: behind the ear, in the ear, in the canal and implantable hearing aids. Each type offers different advantages, depending on its design, levels of amplification, and size. A certified audiologist can test your hearing and help determine the best hearing aid for you.
For more detailed explanations, check out the NIDCD guide to hearing aids.
Hearing Aid Companies
Amplisound
Audio Controle
Beltone
Elkon
Interton
Microtech
Oticon
Persona Medical (formerly Magnatone)
Phonak
ReSound
Rexton
Siemens
Sonic Innovations
Sonovation
Starkey Laboratories
Unitron
Widex
COCHLEAR IMPLANTS
In the event that hearing aids don’t provide enough sound or clarity to help you to function in daily life, a cochlear implant may be an option. A cochlear implant is a surgically implanted electronic device. Unlike a hearing aid, it does not make sound louder or clearer. Instead, the device bypasses damaged parts of the auditory system and directly stimulates the auditory nerve
Cochlear Implants consist of 2 main components: the externally worn microphone, sound processor and transmitter system. The implanted receiver and electrode system, which contains the electronic circuits that receive signals from the external system and send electrical currents to the inner ear.
There are many hospitals in the area with cochlear implant centers. They can tell you if you a cochlear implant might help you
Here are some links to simulations that try to show what hearing through a cochlear implant sounds like:
University of California – Irvine
Auditory Research Laboratory at Rush University Medical Center
Bone Conduction Devices
Information about bone conduction devices can be found here.
Cochlear Implant Manufacturers
Advanced Bionics
Cochlear
MED-EL
General Information on Cochlear Implants
For a more detailed explanation of cochlear impalnts, check out the NIDCD guide to cochlear implants.
This FDA site has a short, but descriptive movie that is well worth viewing.
House Ear Institute’s website has a helpful history of the cochlear implant