The ear trumpet, considered the first hearing aid, was invented in the 17th century. Then came the collapsible ear trumpet in the late 18th century, followed by the first commercial device in 1800. In 1898, the first electric hearing aid was created, and by the late 20th century, the digital hearing aid was commercially available. The invention of the carbon microphone, transistors, digital signal processing chip, and the development of computer technology has helped transform the hearing aid to its present form. Learn more about the products available through NexGen Hearing, by visiting their website.