Too old to hear? A $1 self-assembled hearing aid is coming

Saad Bhamla has developed a cheap hearing aid made from off-the-go parts. FILE PHOTO: CRAIG BROMLEY
15 years ago, Saad Bhamla, a college student in Mumbai, India, wanted to buy a pair of hearing aids for his grandparents. But the price of hearing aids is staggeringly high, far beyond his financial capacity. Today, Bhamla is a bioengineer and has invented a device to help older people around the world: a DIY hearing aid made from cheap, easily available components.
A new study published in the Journal of Public Library of Science-General shows that the simple device can help millions of people with hearing loss as they get older to regain their hearing for less than a bottle of water, Science reported.
" is striking. "Johns, who was not involved in the study, said that the U.S. Hopkins University otolaryngologist Frank Lin said.
, about 230 million people aged 65 and over suffer from age-related hearing loss. Typically, trebles become difficult to distinguish. The conversation sounds vague, the background noise can be intrusive, and distracting. Lin says this not only creates a sense of isolation, but also accelerates cognitive decline.
to restore hearing, many older people turn to hearing aids. "Custom hearing aids amplify sound at frequencies that are not heard by the listener, but cost nearly $5,000 each, and for many low- and middle-income people, these devices are 'almost a luxury'." "Low-grade hearing aids are cheaper, but not customizable, and still cost as much as $500," says Bhamla. They're like 'cheap headphones on a plane'.
, Bhamla specializes in "the science of thrift" at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Inspired by his grandparents and a hearing-impaired colleague (the paper's first author), Bhamla and her team set out to develop a cheap hearing aid made from off-the-go parts.
they welded a microphone to a small board to capture sound and added an amplifier and a frequency filter specifically to increase the treble volume above 1000 Hz. They then added a volume control, a switch, an audio jack for plugging in standard headphones, and a battery base. The device, called LoCHAid, is the size of a matchbox and can be worn like a necklace.
, the equipment would cost less than $1 to manufacture.　Bhamla says anyone with free designs and irons makes them themselves and doesn't spend much -- about $15 or $20. These parts are easy to find and take less than 30 minutes to assemble.
Hamla and colleagues tested the device. They found that this method increased the volume of the treble by 15 dB while maintaining the volume of the bass. It also filters out interference and sudden, loud sounds such as dog barking and car horns. Finally, they tested it with artificial ears, which showed that LoCHAid improved speech recognition and made speech closer to what healthy people hear.
but LoCHAid's simplicity also brings some drawbacks. The device cannot be fine-tuned to your individual needs or used to treat other hearing problems. Although LoCHAid is waterproof and shock-proof, scientists expect LoCHAid's components to wear out after a year and a half of use. Its sheer size may also put some users back, although smaller versions are being developed.
not be sold as a "hearing aid" in most countries, including the United States, until LoCHAid is clinically tested. Bhamla hopes to eventually get approval to sell the device without a prescription.
addition, people need to use these devices. In low- and middle-income countries, only 3 percent of people with age-related hearing loss wear hearing aids, while in countries like the United States, hearing aids are about 20 percent, Bhamla said. "Beyond the cost consideration, many people don't realize they have hearing loss and have a discrimination against wearing hearing aids."
if these inexpensive, colour-rich devices are applied, they will benefit many people on the brink of cognitive decline. "Theoretically, if you treat hearing loss, you may improve and reduce your risk of dementia." Lin said.
relevant paper information: