Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a computerized radio transmission technology. It's used to wirelessly link computers, peripherals and Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), but it's also being used for wireless headsets for phones, and it's starting to be used in hearing loss products, too.

Basically it's tiny radio transmitters and receivers that are two-way (so you can talk and listen to your headset that's wirelessly linking to your phone).

Some cars even have Bluetooth systems that let you talk on the phone by talking to your steering wheel and listening to the other party through the stereo. If you can hear well enough to understand speech on the radio in your car, that may be a terrific way to hear better on your cell phone.

The range is short, only a few meters, but that's enough for many applications that may benefit people with hearing loss.

Hearing aids may start using Bluetooth technology in the future. The Phonak SmartLink already uses it to connect hearing aids to Bluetooth compatible phones. Using the SmartLink with a Bluetooth compatible phone, the only thing you'd do with the phone is initiate and terminate calls. Once you dialed a number, you'd actually talk into the SmartLink and your hearing aid would get the incoming sound through your FM receivers (probably boots). The Smartlink would simply connect to your phone so it could do the transmission to the phone system. The phone, itself, could be in your pocket or glove compartment during the call.

Although hearing loss applications are mostly phone related now, there's no reason that other things besides phones (like TVs or Stereos) shouldn't be Bluetooth compatible in the future. That could significantly improve assistive listening technology for people with hearing loss.

Since Bluetooth is "computerized", Bluetooth compatible devices can figure out which allowable devices are nearby and establish a link. For example, in the future, your hearing aid may "know" which things it can couple with (TVs, Phones, Stereos, ALDs, Car Stereos etc) no matter where you go. If you come near other Bluetooth compatible devices and if you give your hearing aid permission to link to them then, your Bluetooth could automatically, and wirelessly, make their audio available to your hearing aids.

There are only a few Bluetooth compatible phones so far, and they are expensive (not as hearing aids go, but compared to other phones). But, the price will come down rapidly since Bluetooth has a lot of other applications and will benefit from high volume sales.

Check Out Our Sponsors
Banner ad to indicate