Telecoil or a T- Switch hearing assistance system

Introduction of Assistive devices to a hearing-impaired person whether deaf or hard to hearing helps him communicate more effectively and efficiently through direct sound amplification or visual or vibrotactile alerts.  The Audiologists view Assistive Devices as subjects to maximize the communication skills for totally or partially hearing-impaired persons. 

A T-coil or Telecoil, is a miniature wireless receiver which is a coil of wire that is installed inside many hearing aids and cochlear implants.  It was initially intended to make sounds clearer to a hearer over the telephone. It’s been used with a variety of ALDs such as, FM systems, Induction loop systems, personal amplifiers and infrared systems. 

How does it Work?

The T-coil functions by receiving electromagnetic signal from the hearing loop and then converting it back into sound within the hearing aid or cochlear implant.  This process benefits the listener by eliminating much of the distracting background noise and delivering sound personalized for his/her own need.  For the hearing-impaired persons with hard to hear problems who do not have a cochlear implant or telecoil-implanted hearing aid, headset loop receivers can provide the same benefits but lacking the corrected sound or customized feature that matches one’s hearing loss pattern. An audiologist will be able to modify the performance of the telecoil depending on the selection of a programmable telecoil.

Most of the cochlear implants come with a build- in telecoil in the sound processor, or the user can use an external telecoil accessory with both hearing aid well-matched to telephones and community loop systems. Not all Telecoils are built equally; they could vary widely. Users should assess the performance of the telecoil features of a hearing device equally with the auditory performance of the aid. A simple switch or programming operation performed by the user, can stimulate this function.  

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