The Hearing Company (Glasgow) Ltd Incorporating Clements & Osborne Hearing Centres

236 Ayr Road Newton Mearns Glasgow, G77 6AA, United Kingdom, 0141 616 2624, edgreg101@hotmail.com

Receiver in the Ear (RITE)

http://www.ecomhearing.co.uk

10:10 07-Sep-2010

 Speaker-in-the-ear hearing aids (also known as a receiver-in-the-ear hearing aid, or RITE) are extremely lightweight and are essentially invisible hearing aids, just like standard open fit hearing aids. They consist of a small plastic casing that sits on top of and behind the wearer’s ear and that houses all of the electronic components of the hearing aid (except for the speaker). A thin clear tube is attached to this case, through which very thin wires are run to attach to the speaker, which is located in the end of the tube. From this sound tube, there is a retention line that rests in the bottom of the bowl of the user’s outer ear, keeping the hearing aid securely in place. delta_red.jpg 

deltafitting.gif Here we see how the speaker is held in the ear canal by a soft plastic dome, which provides purchase without blocking the ear - hence the term "open ear fitting" 

The Benefits

The speaker-in-the-ear hearing aid can be programmed to accommodate two distinct hearing losses, a sloping high frequency loss and a more severe hearing loss covering a wider range. As with open fit hearing aids, this type of hearing aid does not require an earmold, so it leaves the ear canal unoccluded, providing a more natural sound quality to the user’s own voice. For those who have a high frequency loss, the unoccluded ear will hear low frequency sounds naturally, through the ear canal, offering a more natural sound quality than a hearing aid that fills the ear canal.


For individuals who have a wider range of severe hearing loss, meaning that there is a loss in the low frequencies as well as the high frequencies, having the receiver placed down in the ear canal will provide more gain and thus fit a greater hearing loss than standard open fit hearing aids. Because the speaker is in the ear canal, the sound does not need to travel down the acoustic tube, which means that these nearly invisible hearing aids are able to provide improved sound quality for those with this type of severe hearing loss.

Another benefit of a speaker-in-the-ear hearing aid is that it is much easier to insert into the ear than a custom hearing aid, because the speaker-in-the-ear hearing aid is one-third the size of a custom fitting. This means that this hearing aid can now be an option for users with severe hearing loss and limited mobility.


The Fitting Range

The fitting range for a speaker-in-the-ear hearing aid for a wide range hearing loss would be a maximum of 60dB in the low frequencies and 80dB in the high frequencies. Those with more severe hearing loss and that require this greater gain can still take advantage of a speaker-in-the-ear hearing aid with the addition of a dome tip ear plug, or custom earmold, which other open fit hearing aids may not allow. While other users may not require an earmold with this type of hearing aid, the addition of one can help to meet the increased gain requirement of those with severe hearing loss with less risk of feedback.

Some excellent examples of the latest Receiver in the Ear hearing Instruments are shown below.
Delta
We fit all Delta Models within 48 hours of first consultation. Please call for details Finally a hearing device you'll actually want to wear! Featured in CNN, Newsweek and the New York Times...
Dot
Almost invisible An amazing new instrument Now you can have unparalleled sound performance in the tiniest form possible! So the only thing you'll notice about dot by ReSound is an immediate...
Micro Power
No one will see how much you can hear Until now, the smallest hearing instrument design was reserved for those with mild to moderate hearing losses. With microPower, we welcome users with a...