Ear Inserts—General Information Almost since the beginning of the first hearing devices appearing, there have been attempts to miniaturize these devices. Most of these attempts with acoustical aids were largely unsuccessful. Ear inserts of various types were attempts to produce some improvement in hearing while keeping the devices hidden or invisible. These came in many forms and were labeled "pinna inserts," "earwells," "ear cornets," "cup anatomicals," etc. Unfortunately, most of them were of little use in improving hearing, or were even considered outright fraudulent. There were also patented devices, such as, Vibraphones, Electraphones, Radium Ear, etc. In some cases they may have been of help in opening up a collapsed ear canal, but even assuming some change in resonance due to their size, they did little to enhance sound for someone with a hearing loss. These types of devices have been around since the early 1800s and have appeared right up to the mid 1930s. |  | Click picture for larger view | |
Example of Ear Inserts
Click on the "Non-Electric" button (on
the left), then on "Ear Inserts" to see the details of these and other ear inserts. | | | |  |
Click the above button to see general information on the previous category of non-electric hearing aids. | |
