Hearing Health Timeline | Advanced Hearing & Balance Center

JUN
2006

1995

Advanced Hearing Center is born!
‍Advanced Hearing & Balance Center is founded as Advanced Hearing Center by Dr. Marilyn Hinrichs, an audiologist who has a passion to improve people’s lives through better hearing across the DFW metroplex.

‍And the winner is…
‍Heather Whitestone is the first and only deaf woman crowned Miss America. Heather lost her hearing at 18 months old due to a serious ear infection.

1996

HearTrack Launches
‍Dr. Hinrichs pays to develop the first audiology Operating Management Software (OMS) called HearTrack with a software programmer who is hearing impaired and she discovered the need when she saw how much Dr. Hinrichs was having to document by hand for chart notes and hearing aid information in a paper chart. This software was sold to other audiology clinics around the United States.

‍Hearing Aids Go Digital
‍Widex, Oticon, and Signia launch the first commercially successful digital hearing aids.

‍WebMD Launches
‍WebMD is online, shaking up the way people self-diagnose. Remember, consulting with a licensed medical professional is still advised.

OCT
2007

SEP
2008

1997

First PMS Software Launches
‍HearForm releases the first Practice Management Software (PMS) for the audiology industry. Developed for audiologists, ENTs, and dispensers, HearForm’s software makes it easier to run and manage an efficient practice.

1998

First Multi-Channel BTE Processor Introduced
‍Cochlear™ introduces the ESPrit, a multi-channel speech processor worn entirely behind-the-ear (BTE), freeing early cochlear implant recipients from long cables and extra components.

OCT
2008

1999

Teleaudiology Makes Its Debut
‍Dr. Gregg Givens coins this term in reference to a system he is developing to provide clinicians the ability to remotely assess, diagnose, and remedy hearing loss, prescribe methods of treatment, and assist rural clinics with identifying hearing impairments in real-time. Within a year, Dr. Givens and his research team at East Carolina University accomplish the first online audiological test.

2000

3D printers used for making custom hearing aids.

First Transatlantic Teleaudiology Test
‍Dr. James Hall tests a patient in South Africa from Dallas, Texas at the American Academy of Audiology (AAA) conference. This historic event significantly increased interest in teleaudiology.

AUG
2009

SEP
2009

2001

Hello, Healthy Hearing!
‍HealthyHearing.com launches to help people find information about hearing loss and devices online. Today, it’s the largest directory of trusted hearing healthcare clinics in the U.S. with over 5 million annual visitors.

‍iTunes & iPod Hit the Market
‍Apple releases iTunes and the first-generation iPod, forever changing how we listen to music and inevitably, making CDs a thing of the past.

‍Voice-Targeting Technology
‍Oticon began to use the VoiceFinder speech processing system in its Adapto hearing aid, which allowed fully prescribed amplification when speech was present, but dialled down to “comfort mode” when no one was talking. This meant patient’s were able to understand speech without feeling overwhelmed by other sounds.

2003

The First RIC Hearing Aid
‍SeboTek introduces the first receiver-in-the-ear (RIC) hearing aid, the Post Auricular Canal (PAC) system. While similar to behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids, RIC devices boast greater comfort, more natural sound, and less feedback.

OCT
2010

SEP
2011

2004

‍First Hearing Aid to Utilize AI for Processing
‍The Oticon Syncro began using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in its voice priority processing (VPP) system to take hearing aids to the next level. Prior to, features such as directional microphones, noise reduction and feedback cancellation could struggle to function in unpredictable sound environments such as busy streets, office settings, and crowded restaurants.

Social Media Gets A New Face
‍“TheFacebook” launches on February 4, 2004 to Harvard University students and becomes available to everyone in September 2006. Today, Facebook is the word’s largest social network with over 2.7 billion monthly active users. FUN FACT: Facebook introduced the “like” button in 2009!

2005

Digital Hearing Aids Become Standard
‍Digital signal processing (DSP) technology replaces analog technology in approximately 90 percent of hearing aid fittings.

‍Bluetooth Wireless Technology in Hearing Aids
‍Starkey Laboratories introduced the ELI device, enabling hearing aids to be compatible with Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones for the first time. Named by TIME magazine as one of the best inventions of the year.

SEP
2011

2006

Closed Captioning is Mandatory
‍All new English language video programming officially requires closed captions – 10 years after the Telecommunications Act of 1996 established closed captioning requirements. Additionally, telephone manufacturers are required to offer at least two phone models that connect to hearing aid telecoils.

2007

Doctor of Audiology Degree Required
‍Thirty years later, the Au.D. degree becomes required for new audiologists entering the field.

Apple Reinvents The Phone
Steve Jobs introduces the iPhone by Apple combining the iPod, a phone and internet communication in one device using a giant touchscreen to operate by using our fingers… and the rest is history.

MAY
2011

MAY
2012

2008

Lyric Introduced
‍InSound introduces Lyric, the first invisible deep-canal hearing aid. Lyric can be worn 24 hours per day, 7 days a week, for months at a time. Patients can purchase a yearly subscription.

MAY
2012

Also in 2008...

eMoyo's founder Dr. Dirk Koekemoer (general practitioner in Pretoria) launched the iconic Kuduwave, the world's first boothless screening and diagnostic audiometer. Kuduwave allows audiologists all over the world to provide audiological care to countless patients located in remote places. NASA is recently deployed a modified Kuduwave audiometer to the International Space Station to perform audiometry and tympanometry on astronauts in while in space.

2010

First Hearing Aid Designed for Babies
‍Widex releases the BABY 440 hearing aid, the first digital hearing aid specifically designed for babies. Set up to provide high quality sound to infants with minimal to moderate-severe hearing loss, the aids miniature size case is built with tough materials to fit comfortably and securely in small ears.

JUN
2012

2014

Earigator cerumen management system is developed and available to audiology and ENT clinics, which allows for water temperature and pressure control so licensed professionals can perform a safe and comfortable procedure to clean out patients ears in under 30-seconds.

JUN
2012

Also in 2014...

GN ReSound Launches First Made-for-iPhone Hearing Aids
‍The Danish based company GN ReSound released the world’s first Made-for-iPhone (mFi) hearing aids, the LiNX Quattro, not only strong enough to address 90% of hearing losses, the devices MFi connectivity allowed direct streaming of sounds from iPhone, iPad and iPod products, allowing users to treat their hearing aids as wireless headphones and talk on the phone without the need for an intermediary devices.

‍Amazon Releases Echo and Alexa
‍Amazon introduces the world to Alexa, a virtual assistant AI technology that does it all – from real-time weather and news updates to online ordering and music streaming, making speech and listening even more integral to how we consume information. FUN FACT: Alexa was inspired by the computer voice and conversational system on board the Starship Enterprise from the science fiction series, Star Trek.

‍App on Cell Phone for Changes on Hearing aids

2015

AHBC expands and opens a new satellite location in Grapevine, Texas to bring audiology services to the DFW mid-cities area.

NOV
2012

2016

Dr. Marilyn Hinrichs opens up the first world-class balance center in the Dallas area, housing the newest and every piece of balance equipment available in the audiology profession. AHBC also partners with The American Institute of Balance to provide training and certifications to the entire audiology team.

Also in 2016...

Facebook Releases Automated Captions
‍The automated captioning tool generates captions for videos, which are typically muted as users scroll through their news feed. Initial tests show a 12% increase in view-time.

NOV
2012

Also in 2016...

MG Development launches the Perfect Clean hearing aid cleaning device to help consumers maintain their hearing aids at home and create longevity. The Perfect Clean unit is designed to create a dehumidifying process to remove moisture, uses a sanitation solution to clean off wax and debris, and a UVC light to kill germs and microorganisms on the hearing aids.

JUN
2013

2017

Dr. Hinrichs was voted by her peers and won the Oticon People First award for her dedication to giving back to the community and making people first.

JUN
2013

Also in 2017...

OTC Act Signed
‍Over-the-counter (OTC) Hearing Aid Act is signed, allowing adults with hearing loss to purchase OTC hearing aids without the help of a licensed hearing care professional.

A year later, Bose releases a direct-to-consumer hearing aid – the first to be fit and programmed by the user instead of a healthcare provider.

RECOMMENDATION: We still recommend all consumers seek a medical evaluation with a licensed hearing care professional.

2018

Dr. Marilyn Hinrichs was voted by the local physicians she works with to care for patients as the BEST AUDIOLOGIST in D Magazine's BEST DOCTORS award

OCT
2014

Also in 2018...

AHBC corporate office relocates from their 23-year home in north Dallas 12-miles north on Preston Road to Plano at Tennyson Parkway

Also in 2018...

Hollywood Shines A Spotlight on Tinnitus
The film “A Star Is Born” hits theaters, starring Bradley Cooper who plays Jackson Maine, a famous musician with noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) and tinnitus. Maine's tinnitus gets worse throughout the film, but he refuses to manage it properly. Although the character is fictional, his battle with NIHL and tinnitus are real. Musicians are 60% more likely to suffer from tinnitus and 45% of tinnitus patients experience anxiety, while 33% suffer from major depression.

OCT
2014

2019

Starkey Launches Sophisticated AI-Powered Health Monitoring Aid
‍The Livio AI hearing aid is the first ever to use integrated sensors and AI to monitor the user’s overall health by tracking and providing a daily wellness score. These devices can even detect if a fall occurs, then send a text message to up to three emergency contacts, using AI to detect what is and isn’t within normal range of motion for the user to avoid any false alarms.

2020

First Disabled American Girl Doll
‍American Girl debuts its 2020 Girl of the Year™ - Joss Kendrick, a surfer and competitive cheerleader who has congenital hearing loss and wears a hearing aid. Joss is the first American Girl doll with a disability, helping children with hearing loss or other disabilities feel more confident and proving that they can do anything. In honor of Joss, the Mattel-owned company donates $25,000 to the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) and supports the organizations 15th Annual Walk4Hearing.

• TWS vocational program
• Yellowstuff
• Shooter molds
• Instamolds
• Dry & Store Unit
• STAP vouchers
• Perfect Clean
• Earigator
• HearVu
• Cognivue

DEC
2014

Also in 2020...

COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world, but Dr. Hinrichs and some of her team members refuse to abandon their patients, so they get creative to safely continue servicing hearing aids, plus evaluating and treating patients for hearing loss, tinnitus, and balance disorders.

Also in 2020...

Redux launches a professional drying unit that equips audiologists with a way to fully and verifiably remove all moisture from hearing aids and more.

DEC
2014

2021

AHBC forced to relocate to the building next door after experiencing a flood and complete gut of the Plano office space.

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Are you ready to take charge of your hearing & communication challenges?