What are channels on a digital hearing aid?
Digital hearing aids have dominated the hearing aid market since the late 1990s, almost completely replacing analog circuit hearing aids. According to Todd A. Ricketts, director of the Dan Maddox Hearing Aid Research Laboratory, digital hearing aids aren’t superior to analog just because they have digital circuits. Channels are what make digital hearing aids superior; channels allow for better signal processing.HistoryDigital hearing aids were first introduced in 1987. According Ricketts, these first digital hearing aids had little success due to their large size and high battery drain; they quickly disappeared from the market. In 1996, digital hearing aids were reintroduced. Thanks to technological advancements, digital hearing aids quickly became the hearing aid of choice.FunctionDigital hearing aids use digital signal-processing circuitry to convert sound waves into strings of numbers. By breaking down sound waves, a digital hearing aid offers greater flexibility and control over so
