Hearing aid
A hearing aid incorporates a miniature microphone and a very small speaker driver, and various conditions may increase or decrease the amount of gain that can be applied to the microphone signal before feedback. A well-fitted hearing aid has more GBF than one that is loose. The shape of the earmold is a factor, with larger and heavier designs capable of delivering greater GBF. Hearing aid designs deliver gain in increasing steps depending on the severity of the patient's hearing loss; the range spans from 10 to 65 dB of gain. To prevent feedback with the highest amounts of gain, such designs require the tightest-fitting earmolds with no venting, and the deepest penetration of the ear canal to place the speaker driver as close as practical to the eardrum.