The History of Hearing aids

iMini™

First Hearing Aids

1588 Giovanni Battista Porta Describes wood carvings that resemble

animal ears used to help people hear.

Ear Trumpets

In 1627 Francis Bacon wrote about the importance of ear trumpets to the hearing impaired.

Cosmetic Concerns

Even at this early stage the importance of cosmetics in hearing aids emerges.

Ear Trumpet Spectacles

The Urn

Hearing Aid…Thrones?

In 1820 King Goa the 4th of Portugal had a throne crafted to aid in hearing his subjects when they knelt before him.

Carbon-type hearing aids

In 1881-1886 several inventers applied to get patents for Carbon Transmitters.

Siemens enters the world of hearing technology

1878 PHONOPHOR: special telephone receiver for the hearing-impaired, invented by Werner von Siemens.

1898 the first carbon-type hearing aid was produced in the U.S. by the Dictograph Company

1910 Siemens makes its first line of hearing instruments using this technology for hearing impaired employee's and their family members

From 1914-1940 Siemens produced many forms of personal amplifiers. All limited by size of components required.