when were hearing aids invented

Hearing aids were first invented in the form of ear trumpets in the 17th century, with the earliest mention of such a device dating back to 1634 by French priest and mathematician Jean Leurechon. These ear trumpets were large, funnel-shaped devices made of materials like wood, animal horns, and metal, designed to funnel sound waves into the ear. The first electric hearing aid, called the Akouphone, was invented in 1898 by Miller Reese Hutchison. It used a carbon transmitter to amplify sound electrically but was bulky and had limitations. Later in the 1920s, vacuum-tube hearing aids were introduced, followed by transistor hearing aids in 1948, which were smaller, more efficient, and less prone to distortion. The development continued with the introduction of microprocessors and digital technology in the 1970s, leading to modern hearing aids that are compact, efficient, and often Bluetooth- enabled today.