We are able to listen a sound through our ears. It’s a boon for us because the physical world is full of different sounds. Every moment several of sound waves running through our ears. Which make us feel this magical world of sounds.
Do you know how actually you listen to a Sound?
Well, in general, we know that we hear a sound with the help of our ears, right? But do you know that when the sound waves pass through your ear canal it received by the eardrums? The eardrum then converts this sound wave into a vibration. This vibration transmitted to the cochlea (our inner ear).
The scientific fact is, we listen a sound through ears (air transmitted or air conducted) and bone (bone transmitted or bone conducted) also. This is the way we are able to hear our own voice. But when we listen to our own voice on a recording it seems different to us. The reason is this time we are listening to that voice by our ears, not by our bone.
History of bone conduction technology
In the 18th century, there was a famous composer Ludwig van Beethoven, who was almost deaf. Ludwig discovered a completely different way of listening to sound.
Beethoven clinched a rod, connected to piano between his teeth. So he received sound vibration to his jawbone transferred from the piano.
Thus he proved that the sound could reach to our auditory system not only by the ears but through bone conduction also.
Working of bone conduction Headphones
As we know that the sound waves travel through the air. These sound wave reached to our eardrums and converted to a vibration. This vibration transmits to the cochlea (known as inner ear). Our auditory nerve which transmits sounds to our brain is connected with this cochlea.
Bone conduction earphones use the different way of transferring the sound to your inner ear (cochlea) than the regular earbuds. It acts as eardrums and converts the sound waves to a different vibration. This vibration directly received by the cochlea and transmits to the brain (by auditory nerve).
The whole process bypasses the eardrums (connected with outer and middle ear). The device called transducer is responsible for it in bone conduction headphones. It allows you to listen a sound through your face bones (jawbone or cheekbone) by directly stimulating your cochlea connected with the auditory system.
The best part is bone conduction headphones don’t get into your ear. Actually, it fits on your face and temple (the area between your forehead and outer ear). So that the transducer vibrates your bones of the skull. It leaves your eardrums free for getting the sound waves from the outer world.
Benefitted for individual dealing with hearing loss
We are thankful to Ludwig van Beethoven to discover the bone conduction technique. Because of that the people dealing with hearing loss can also able to hear the sounds from the physical world.
It is the best suitable option for such people, also its a treatment for hearing loss. The hearing loss causes due to damage eardrums. We come to know that the bone conduction bypasses the eardrums. So now people suffering from a degree of hearing loss can also able to listen to audio/sounds clearly.
Hearing loss has three types, these are conductive, perceptive and mixed hearing loss. Conductive hearing loss causes because of damage eardrums, here bone conduction headphone performs as the eardrums (due to decoding the sound waves to vibration).
Perceptive hearing loss related to the loss in sensing the vibration by the auditory nerve (connected with cochlea). In the case of perceptive hearing, loss bone conduction technique may not much effective.
The mixed hearing loss can have variation in terms of individuals. So it’s recommended to check first that the bone conduction headphone is suitable for such people or not before buying one.
Conclusion
Bone conduction technology has become a boon for a large number of people having some degree of hearing loss problem. Sometimes it causes by regular use of traditional headphones, Mostly in teenagers. In this scenario, the bone conduction headsets are like a miracle for people dealing with hearing disabilities.
As they are now able to be a part of this musical world and can also be able to hear a sound after a long time period of deafness. It totally changes there life in a positive manner and connected them with the outer world.
In the market, there is a variety of bone conduction headphones available. People also call them “Bonephone” sounds great? yeah, so go and grab your own set of this extraordinary device loaded with unique features.
But before you purchase one you need to be clear about your needs in terms of verities they serve like wireless or Bluetooth, sports purpose or as a regular hearing aid (for people suffering from some degree of hearing loss), or underwater activities like scuba diving.