To Hearing aids in the past were worn on the outside of the ear, and they hooked over the top of the ear and rested behind the ear. Many people felt self-conscious when wearing these hearing aids in a public environment, and some would not wear them at all due to self-consciousness. These large, behind-the-ear hearing aids used a rotary mechanical thumb switch to regulate the volume of sound. Designers have been working on developing a smaller, better hearing aid that would fit in the ear canal. These new high-tech, miniaturized hearing aids have been made possible by the fact that less sound amplification is necessary due to their position closer to the ear drum, in conjunction with the development of integrated circuit technology.
In the design of these smaller hearing aids, it is crucial to have a way to adjust the volume and program the microelectronics. MEDER's micro-miniature hermetically sealed reed switch offered the perfect solution. A small wand (similar to, but smaller than, a pencil) with a magnet mounted on its end activates the reed switch, when brought in proximity to the ear. This initiates the setting of the various modes and volume controls so vitally needed. This remote activation, offered by the reed switch, was the essential ingredient for the solution to smaller, in-the-canal hearing aids.
Camera Pills Use Reed Sensors to Activate the Battery
A few years back, the FDA approved a pill for ingestion which, encased in it, contains a video camera attached to its microcircuit. This battery-operated device videos its descent into the stomach and through the small intestine as it is swallowed. The tiny camera videos areas of the small intestine unreachable by endoscopy or colonoscopy. This video is transmitted wirelessly for viewing external to the body.
The micro-miniature reed switch plays a key role in this pill. These pills, after manufacturing, may sit in inventory and later in a hospital stocking area for many months. The pill's battery life is only a few hours. The designers have developed a solution to this by using the micro-miniature reed switch in conjunction with a magnet. In the shipping container, each slot has a magnet dedicated to each pill, and the battery is not yet activated. Once the pill is removed from the proximity of the magnet, the micro-miniature reed switch opens and activates the battery, in turn applying power to the circuitry and video system. Because of these pills, many previously undiagnosable digestive tract issues have been able to be discovered and treated.
