Additive manufacturing brings about a noticeable improvement on the fit and guarantees the largest amount of comfort for the individual. Actually, 10 million 3D printed hearing aids are on the market currently.

Benefits of 3D Printing

This kind of 3D printing has been picking up force in the business because of the support in the accuracy of the methodology. The hearing device industry has been profiting from the methodology for a long time, helping individuals everywhere throughout the world hear better and feel amazing. When you think about the fact that hearing loss is the second most prevalent health issue globally (more thanParkinson’s, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, and diabetes combined, you see how many people can actually benefit from 3D printing. Because the ear anatomies of individuals differ, it’s hard to replicate a hearing aid that will fit most people. That’s where the benefit of 3D printing comes in because it makes for unique fits based on the person. Conventional assembling procedures did not secure a one of a kind fit for each one client, so subsequently, numerous defects diminished the end result.

While it only takes one day to make one hearing aid, the process can actually sound quite complicated. There’s not only a decrease in time for manufacturing, but 3D printing offers a truly custom fit for the individual, and it all begins with the creation of a point cloud by an audiologist. This is a digital image of the ear using a laser scanner. A quality check is conducted, then the shell or mold is produced from the printer. Comprised of a resin material, the hearing aid will eventually sit inside the ear perfectly. But first, the acoustic vents, electronics and other components must be included, made possible by the nearly 150,000 points of reference obtained via digital cameras to apply the template to the mold. Audiologists test out a wide spectrum of geometric patterns and combinations prior to printing the final shell. The responsible unit for amplifying the sound, the circuitry is an important component that must be added. Thanks to the millions of 3D printed hearing devices in circulation within the hearing impaired community, the approach of 3D printing, or additive manufacturing, is a boon to the medical community.