What is an induction loop system?

An induction loop system allows an audio signal to be sent directly to a hearing aid. The big advantage is that this allows the sound to be heard by the hearing aid user without all the background noise that may exist within a room.

A couple of examples of this would be:



A church - A hearing aid wearer may be sitting in the middle of the church, surrounded by people who are shuffling about, coughing etc, trying to listen to a person speaking quite a distance away. In its standard mode the hearing aid picks up not only the speakers voice but all other noises around which can result in a confused, cluttered sound. The loop system allows the speakers voice to be picked up by a microphone and transmitted direct to the hearing aid (When the aid is switched to the 'T' or telecoil position). The listener then hears this clean, background-noise-free signal.




A doctors reception counter - A hearing aid wearer wishes to talk to a receptionist but the waiting room may be a noisy place with children playing, people talking and even a TV on or background music playing. They do not wish the receptionist to have to raise their voice as confidential matters may be deing discussed. The loop system allows the receptionists voice to be picked up by a small microphone and converted into a signal the hearing aid can pick up directly via the induction loop. This enables them to hear the receptionist without interference from all the background noise in the room.