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The ear mold is a model of the external auditory canal, which mainly plays a role in improving the effect of the hearing aid and fixing the hearing aid.Everyone knows that there are two types of materials for ear molds: one is hard ear molds and the other is soft ear molds.From the appearance, there are in-ear type and ear canal type.The soft ear molds can change their shape when subjected to external forces, so they are safer to wear. From the manufacturing process, the soft ear molds are more difficult.At the same time, the sealing performance of the soft ear mold is better, and the anti-squeal function is good.Therefore, the soft ear mold can better improve the hearing of patients with severe deafness and severe deafness.

But also because of the good sealing performance, soft ear molds have some shortcomings. Long-term use of soft ear molds will have a sense of stuffiness, especially when used in hot flashes, which will make you feel more uncomfortable.At the same time, the soft ear mold has the shortcoming of easy aging, and it can only be used for 2 to 3 years.

Compared with soft ear molds, hard ear molds have good durability and plasticity, are inexpensive, can be made in a variety of shapes, and the acoustic characteristics are easy to adjust.However, because of its fixed shape, hard ear molds are also likely to cause ear damage when the ears are subjected to force, and the safety of children’s use is not as good as soft ear molds.Moreover, the sealing performance is not as good as that of the soft ear mold, which is suitable for mild to moderate patients.

Hearing aid experts made in China suggest that: Generally speaking, children choose more in-ear soft ear molds, because the traditional way of thinking is to seal the amplified sound to prevent the howling of hearing aids, thereby enhancing the hearing effect and Avoid the influence on others in public places. In addition, many parents think that the comfort of children using soft ear molds is better, because many people think that soft ear molds are more comfortable than hard ones. This understanding may be related to the recommendations of the hearing aid service center.Regardless of whether it is a soft ear mold or a hard ear mold, I think the hearing aid suitable for the child is very important in the process of choosing a hearing aid for the child. However, the influence of the ear mold and the amplification characteristics of the hearing aid cannot be ignored, and the material and style of the ear mold The selection is also a part of professional matching. Full consideration is given to the cooperation between the ear mold and the hearing aid, so that the hearing aid can be used more effectively.

XNUMX. In-ear soft ear mold

Advantages: good sealing, suitable for extremely heavyHearing loss, Strong anti-howling ability, good stability, and not easy to fall out.

Disadvantages: The wearing comfort is average, and it is difficult to bring in the new ear mold due to the high friction. Sometimes it is necessary to apply eye ointment to lubricate it before bringing it in.The plasticity is poor and the sound outlet end cannot be further processed. The sound tube penetrating the ear mold is easy to age after being used for a certain period of time, and it is easy to be scratched after hardening.At the same time, the tube where the sound guide tube and the ear mold connect is easy to crack (this is related to the child pulling the ear mold with the hearing aid).The price of soft ear molds is relatively high.

Explanation: The poor plasticity is because the tube generates tension under the natural contraction tension of the soft ear mold, which causes the tube to shrink to a certain extent, and the tube at the sound outlet cannot expand, which will weaken the high frequency amplification.

Two, ear canal soft ear mold

The use of ear canal soft ear molds is relatively small for children, and more for adults. In addition to being relatively comfortable, the other conditions are basically the same as in-ear soft ear molds.

XNUMX. In-ear hard ear mold

Advantages: Because the surface is smooth, it is relatively easy to insert when wearing, suitable for severe and extremely hearing patients, and has good plasticity. It can carry out targeted processing on the end of the sound outlet, such as opening the horn, which is beneficial to the natural amplification of high frequencies. ; Increase the length of the sound outlet and reduce the diameter of the sound outlet to increase the amount of low frequency amplification.There is an elbow between the ear mold and the tube (imported elbow is of good quality) to reduce the fracture of the soft ear mold sound tube, and the sound tube of the hard ear mold is easy to replace after aging.Except for hearing-heavy children who need a certain period of time to change due to physical growth, the hard ear molds of middle-aged, young and elderly people have a very long service life, and the production price is relatively low.

Disadvantages: average wearing comfort, improper production, easy to feel pressure on the auricle, ear concha, and tragus, and because there is no subcutaneous tissue in the auricle, these parts will cause oppressive pain to the cartilage for a long time. .

Four, ear canal hard ear mold

Compared with in-ear ear molds, it has better wearing comfort and improves the pressure on the ear cartilage. It is suitable for patients with moderate to moderately severe hearing loss. If the hearing condition is available, the vent can be opened, which can effectively improve the ear plugging effect of patients , Enhance the naturalness and comfort of listening.Of course, there are also some particular styles of vents. Generally, vents parallel to the sound hole are more commonly used, because this type of vent has less influence on the high-frequency amplified signal.

Disadvantages: For patients whose hearing is within 60 decibels or especially those whose low frequency is almost close to the normal value but the high frequency is poor, quite a number of people still feel that the sound is blocked or stuffy.

The above is the general situation of common ear molds, since each has its advantages and disadvantages.Of course, what special ear molds are customized are not only based on the hearing loss, but also based on the patient’s history of using hearing aids, listening habits, and sound quality requirements.