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Why Do Hearing Aids Device Use a PCB?

Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) are used in the medical industry because of

the flexible wiring prospects they offer. Today, you can use these boards

in hearing aids devices. The reasons for this are discussed in this article.

Table of Contents

What are Hearing Aids Devices?

These are dedicated devices for boosting the audio signal reception for

people with difficulty in hearing. These high-tech devices are capable of

improving the audio signal transmission, as well as improving the listeners’

speech understanding.

Challenges Addressed by PCB’s Usage in Medical Electronics

It is noteworthy to mention that Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) are now

popularly used in the global medical industry because of the innovations

they bring.

From the miniaturization capabilities to reducing costs; these boards can

provide a wide range of improvements for medical devices.

Some of the persistent challenges that are addressed are thus:

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Reliability

Considering that most medical devices and wearables (such as hearing

aids) are exposed to dangerous environments – they need to be reliable.

PCBs have proven to be a reliable technological improvement that allow

for the devices to function optimally. Ideally, your hearing aids device

made with a PCB should be able to withstand exposure to extreme

temperature and shocks.

Classes and Compliances

Due to the disparities of medical electronics, there is a need to choose

PCBs based on their classes. For example, the Class 3 medical devices

require more precision. As such, it is expected that the circuit boards must

meet the following conditions:

 Process qualification standards

 Installation qualification standards and;

 Operation qualification standards

Miniature Construction

The best hearing aids device uses a PCB that doesn’t taken up much space.

This is why the flexible circuit boards are a popular choice.

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Generally, the choice of a PCB for medical electronics/devices should be

based on the minimal size. This allows for the board’s fitting into the

compact spacing on the device.

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Flexible PCBs: The Best Circuit Boards for Hearing Aids

Devices?

Hearing Aids Device PCB

The flexibility of this type of PCB makes it a popular choice not just for

hearing aids devices, but for most medical devices.

Flexible PCBs, as the name suggests, are flexible circuit boards. The

flexible modifications support the wrapping folding or bending of the

medical devices.

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Besides, when these boards are used in the hearing aids devices, they

help to coordinate the entire wirings in a compact footprint.

Circuit Diagram of Hearing Aids Device

Wondering what is inside a hearing aids device? Beyond the hook that fits

behind the ear, the device also has a microphone and a couple of other

components.

Here is a breakdown of the different, important parts usually found inside

the device:

1. The Microphone

This is one of the most important parts, as it deals with the picking up of

sounds from the environment. This would then be converted to an

electrical signal for further analysis and adjustments, based on the

listener’s degree of hearing loss. The digital code or electrical signal can

further be optimized based on the immediate environment where the

listener is.

2. The Flex PCB

You can also find the flexible Printed Circuit Board (PCB) inside the device.

Among many other functions, the board helps to coordinate most of the

other components and wires inside the hearing aid.

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It also comprises a mixture of Integrated Circuits (ICs) and a wide range of

other components.

3. The Battery

The hearing aids device needs to have a source of power and that is what

the battery is used for.

4. The Receiver

The receiver is a component that sees to the conversion of the amplified

electrical signal into the corresponding sound. This sound would then be

delivered into the listener’s ear.

5. The Antenna

The radio uses the antenna for radio frequency signal reception and

transmission. We can help you optimize the antenna to fit into the hearing

aid’s shape and possibly tune it up to 2.4 GHz.

Why Flexible PCBs are Popular in Hearing Aids Devices

Flexible circuit boards are a popular choice for manufacturing hearing aids

device because of the following reasons:

1. Miniaturization

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Due to the need to reduce the size of most medical devices; it is expedient

to use components that make that possible.

With flexibility and the ability to fit into smaller footprints; flexible PCBs

make this possible. Thus, you can bend or wrap the boards in whatever

direction and they will still perform the desired function in the device.

2. Used in Place of Wiring

These boards are commonly used in place of plug connections and wiring.

This is an improvement geared towards the reduction of excessive wires

in the hearing aids device.

Besides, the replacement of wires and plugs allow the flex PCBs to provide

a combination of utmost reliability and flexible designs.

3. Flexible Installation Options

Have you ever manufactured a device and realized that one feature or

more is missing? At times, it could be a herculean task to get those things

fixed.

However, you could do better with the flexible installation options that

come with flexible circuit boards.

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Coupled with the high miniaturization level; it is possible to integrate new

components and functions, without necessarily increasing the device’s

size.

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4. HDI Capabilities

The High-Density Interconnect (HDI) capabilities also make the flexible

PCBs a better choice for medical wearables.

The following are some of the things you need to know about the HDI

capabilities:

 Multiple Interconnects: the HDI flex circuit boards allow for multiple

interconnections to be made. The interesting thing is that all these

interconnections can be made without expanding the device’s

current space.

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 Versatility in Routing: the routing paths are versatile, thus, offering

different ways to make the interconnections.

 Affordability: in addition to interconnecting multiple components,

the HDI flex PCBs are also affordable. When comparing a 6-layer

HDI flex PCB to an 8-layer rigid PCB; the former costs less.

 Reduce Space Requirements: HDI flexible PCBs support several

interconnections even within a compact footprint. However, the

space requirements are further reduced because of the presence or

integration of micro, buried and blind vias.

 Signal Integrity: the reliability and integrity of the signal is further

improved due to the proximity of the components.

5. Improved Reliability

You can rely on hearing aids devices made with flexible PCBs to be

highly-reliable. The reliability of the hearing aid circuit board is because of

the following reasons:

 Resistance: most flexible circuit boards are made

of polyimide materials, which make the boards resistant to chemical

changes, and extreme temperature exposures.

 Minimized Connection Points: as the connection points and routing

paths are knit; it is almost impossible for the hearing aids device to

suffer from poor solder joints.

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 Electrical-Reliability: the electrical-reliability of the flexible PCBs also

makes it ideal for use with hearing aids devices. Features like the

uniform spacings and trace widths, improved dielectric

constant and uniform material thickness make this possible.

6. Bending Ability

The flexibility of these circuit boards is another boost to the hearing aids

devices’ function. Since flexibility is becoming a requirement for most

medical devices and wearables; it makes sense to use a flexible PCB for

the purpose.

Here are some of the advantages to the board’s flexibility:

 It helps to contain the contraction and expansion of medical devices

like hearing aids devices, especially during the operations.

 The bending, folding and twisting allow for the creation of

connections that could have hitherto, not been possible with the

rigid Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs).

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Flex and Rigid PCBs for Hearing Aids Device: Which is Better?

Both the flexible and the rigid circuit boards can be used to optimize the

performance of medical devices and wearables.

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However, when it comes to the hearing aids device, the flex PCBs are a

popular choice. Here is how it compares to the rigid circuit boards:

Multi-Shape Formation

Flexible circuit boards can be formed into complex shapes, especially in

Three Dimensions (3D). This also comes with the creation of branches to

multiple connectors.

Flexibility Options

The fact that most medical devices, especially hearing aids devices have

limited spaces make the flex PCBs ideal for them. The flexible folding and

twisting make the board easy to fit into any of the available spaces on the

target devices.

However, the integration of flexible and rigid-flexible circuit boards could

also boost the hearing aids device performance. Here are some of the

advantages:

Combined Functions

The rigid-flex PCBs combine the flexibility of the flex circuit boards with

the durability of the rigid circuits. This is why most hearing aids devices

made with this combined PCB architecture can be both flexible and

durable.

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Design Versatility

One advantage of the flexible PCBs is the smaller size, which also

translates to less weight. However, the rigid PCBs can weigh more.

The combination of the rigid and flexible circuit boards in one footprint

allows for the durability to be profound, without the size and weight of the

rigid PCBs being noticed.

Conclusion

Using flexible circuit boards in a hearing aids device is a sure way to sound

reception and decoding easier for people with difficulty with hearing. If

you want to add more flexibility, consider going for the rigid-flex PCBs that

add more durability, without integrating much of the rigid PCBs’ weight

and size.

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4. What is Lora Antenna ?

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