Invisible-in-canal (IIC)

Invisible-in-canal (IIC) hearing aids are the smallest custom hearing aids available. They are designed and sculptured to fit entirely inside your ear canal (external auditory meatus) and are therefore almost, if not completely, invisible. Extraction cords are usually fitted to IIC hearing aids to help insert and remove them from the ear.

Deep fitting IIC hearing aids can significantly reduce the sensation of ‘occlusion’ (e.g. hearing your voice louder in your head as if its trapped inside) which can sometimes occur when IIC hearing aids fits in the outer cartilaginous portion of your ear canal. This is because unlike the cartilaginous portion, the bony part of the ear canal does not internally vibrate as much when you talk.

Benefits

• Miniature size and invisible appearance.
• The location of the microphone in the ear canal, as opposed to behind the ear, helps with:
  • using the telephone.
  • the preservation of the natural acoustics provided by the external ear (pinna) that help with localising the direction of sound from in front and behind you.