When the topic of assistive listening devices arises, the lowly telecoil hardly enters into the discussion. Currently only a minority of ITE hearing aids include a telecoil, but they can be requested and included in all but the tiniest ones. Description of a Telecoil A telecoil is an induction coil. An induction coil is simply a metal rod that is encircled by many turns of a copper wire. Generally, the strength of the inductive pick-up is determined by the number of turns of the copper wire around the metal axis rod.
Larger rods permit more turns and more powerful telephone coils.
Still, the smaller the hearing aid, the less room there is for a telecoil, and thus in tiny aids telecoils are either weaker or excluded entirely. Telecoils can also pick up the electromagnetic signals emanating from neckloops that are placed around the neck. In spite of the potential contribution of telecoils for improving communication access, and in spite of a number of investigations over the years, they still appear to be an underutilized and underappreciated resource. This is particularly true when its inclusion may have compromised a miniature hearing aid fitting, preferable for cosmetic reasons by many consumers and audiologists. This arrangement, however, added additional complications.