A hearing aid that transmits sound to the inner ear by sending vibrations through the skull could restore some hearing in people suffering from problems in the middle ear. Most hearing aids are designed for people with problems of the inner ear, and previous bone conduction-based hearing aids require the implant to be anchored in the skull bone using a titanium screw that protrudes from the skin. In comparison, the new bone conduction implant, which measures just under six...

A waterproof hearing aid could allow the hearing impaired to take part in more activities while still enjoying the added accessibility that hearing aids provide. The rugged hearing aid will be dustproof, shockproof and waterproof at depths up to 3 feet for as long as 30 minutes. The battery compartment will be connected using a silicon sealant, and oxygen will be able to reach the zinc air batteries by moving through a waterproof membrane.

The idea is to create a waterproof hearing aid system to allow the hearing impaired to be able to enjoy water sports more easily. It would be possible to wear the device in variety of ways, including on the arm or collar.

Why not create electronic earplugs that can selectively block sound, activating only when the noise level hits a certain threshold. Tiny microphones inside the earplugs will be able to instantly block sounds waves that are over the accepted limit. The earplugs will also be able to amplify sounds by 15 decibels just by flipping the built in switch, but even in the amplification setting they will still block sudden loud impact sounds.

Why not take into account bone conduction phenomenon and create a telephone for hearing impaired people? The handset in such a case will have a pulsator which, when placed on specific areas of the head, will send vibrations directly to the speech center of the brain. The phone will also include a light to indicate an incoming call and different volume controls.