The Days of the Big, Bulky The Days of the Big, Bulky

BTE Hearing Aid Are Over:

Meet the Open Fit and RIC

The most common

style of hearing aid,

primarily because it is primarily because it is

more powerful, more

comfortable and

more durable than

other smaller aids, the

BTEs larger size also

allows it to have more

features.

It is composed of two

parts: 1. A plastic case

which houses which houses

electronic

components rests

behind the ear and

2. A custom ear

mold that sends

sound into the ear.

A few years ago the

Open Fit hearing aid

was introduced. was introduced.

While still a type of aid

worn over the ear, the

part of the hearing aid

that fits behind the ear

is much smaller.

Since the ear

canal is more canal is more

open and is not

completely filled

by an ear mold, a

more natural and

comfortable fit

results.

The newest type The newest type

of BTE is the

Receiver-in-the-

Ear (RIC) device.

These hearing aids look similar to an Open Fit, but

instead of the receiver being in the part of the aid

that sits behind the ear, it is placed inside a small that sits behind the ear, it is placed inside a small

dome that fits inside the ear canal.