3-D imaging technology could lead to hearing aids that fit — and thus function — better than current models

About 36 million Americans suffer from some type of hearing loss. However, only one in five who could benefit from a hearing aid actually wears one, according to the National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders. MIT engineers believe that number could be boosted if there were a better way to fit hearing aids to the wearers' ears.

Getting useful sound amplification from a hearing aid depends on a tight fit between hearing aid and ear canal, but the current method of modeling patients' ears is messy and not always accurate, potentially leading to a device that fits poorly and offers little benefit.

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