Beltone is a
hearing aid
A hearing aid is a device designed to improve hearing by making sound audible to a person with hearing loss. Hearing aids are classified as medical devices in most countries, and regulated by the respective regulations. Small audio amplifiers ...
company founded in 1940, headquartered in
Chicago, Illinois
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, United States. Beltone products are sold in the United States, Canada, and over 40 countries across the globe. The Beltone Hearing Care Foundation, a
501(c)(3) charitable organization, was established in 2014 with the stated intent of donating hearing instruments to those in need.
In North America, Beltone has over 1500 independently owned "hearing care centers". Beltone provides hearing screenings, hearing aid fittings and follow-up care for patients. Beltone also offers an aftercare program.
Types of hearing aids
Beltone's smallest hearing aid, the Beltone microInvisa, is about the size of a
raspberry
The raspberry is the edible fruit of several plant species in the genus ''Rubus'' of the Rosaceae, rose family, most of which are in the subgenus ''Rubus#Modern classification, Idaeobatus''. The name also applies to these plants themselves. Ras ...
. It is also known as an invisible-in-the-canal (IIC) hearing aid. The Beltone microInvisa is custom-manufactured to conform to a patient's
ear canal
The ear canal (external acoustic meatus, external auditory meatus, EAM) is a pathway running from the outer ear to the middle ear. The adult human ear canal extends from the auricle to the eardrum and is about in length and in diameter.
S ...
.
In the behind-the-ear (BTE) category, a very small case hides in the shadow behind the ear, and connects to the ear canal via a tiny, clear tube.
History
In 1940, Sam Posen opens Beltone in
Chicago, Illinois
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, and introduces the Model H hearing aid
Beltone launched Mono-Pac in 1944. Later, Beltone introduced its first custom in-the-canal (ITC) hearing aid in 1983, followed by Beltone Digital—its first hearing aid with digital technology—in 1998.
In 2014, Beltone released the first hearing aid made for the
iPhone
The iPhone is a line of smartphones developed and marketed by Apple that run iOS, the company's own mobile operating system. The first-generation iPhone was announced by then–Apple CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs on January 9, 2007, at ...
, Beltone First. Beltone announces that its line of advanced hearing aids, including the Beltone First and Beltone Boost, are now compatible with
Android
Android most commonly refers to:
*Android (robot), a humanoid robot or synthetic organism designed to imitate a human
* Android (operating system), a mobile operating system primarily developed by Google
* Android TV, a operating system developed ...
via the Beltone HearPlus app. In 2015, Beltone launched the Beltone Legend. Beltone expanded connectivity with the HearPlus App for the
Apple Watch
The Apple Watch is a brand of smartwatch products developed and marketed by Apple Inc., Apple. It incorporates activity tracker, fitness tracking, Health (Apple), health-oriented capabilities, and wireless telecommunication, and integrates wit ...
and announced the launch of Boost Plus.
In 2020, Beltone Amaze Hearing Aids won the 2020 BIG Innovation Award.
See also
*
Hearing loss
Hearing loss is a partial or total inability to hear. Hearing loss may be present at birth or acquired at any time afterwards. Hearing loss may occur in one or both ears. In children, hearing problems can affect the ability to acquire spo ...
*
Noise-induced hearing loss
Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a Hearing loss, hearing impairment resulting from exposure to loud sound. People may have a loss of perception of a narrow range of Frequency, frequencies or impaired perception of sound including hyperacusi ...
References
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Beltone First Release in the US
Companies based in Glenview, Illinois
Hearing aid manufacturers
Manufacturing companies based in Illinois
Medical technology companies of the United States