Health Sciences · Toronto Rehabilitation Institute
A collection of items used in the creation, repair, and adjustment of hearing aid earmoulds. It includes the following:
2025.rehab.32.1 – A plastic instrument consisting of a black handle and a translucent loop. The handle has the words “EARMOLD DESIGN” moulded into the side. This is a tube threader (also called a tube puller) that is used to thread a tube through an earmould during the re-tubing process.
2025.rehab.32.2 – An instrument with a transparent yellow handle holding a metal drill bit. This is an earmould reamer that is used primarily to remove old tubing from an earmould during the re-tubing process.
2025.rehab.32.3 – A pair of blunt tip tweezers.
2025.rehab.32.4 – A pair of point tip tweezers.
2025.rehab.32.5 – A small square file with a round tang. This was likely used to adjust earmoulds, especially to shorten the canal portion of the mould.
2025.rehab.32.6 – A small half round file with a round tang. This was likely used to adjust earmoulds, especially to shorten the canal portion of the mould.
2025.rehab.32.7 – A small flat file with a flat, tapered tang with the same purpose as 2025.rehab.32.6.
2025.rehab.32.8 – A small sewing repair kit with a single needle and several lengths of thread wrapped around a square of cardboard. This was likely used to tie, and subsequently remove, the cotton plug that blocks the ear canal when impressions of the ear are made.
Accession Number: 2025.rehab.32
Alternative Name:
Primary Materials:
2025.rehab.32.3: “HAL-HEN CAT.009// PAKISTAN”, “STAINLESS STEEL”
The longest item, 2025.rehab.32.5, the square file, is 15.8 cm long.
These are a few of the items used by audiologists in the process of creating and adjusting earmoulds. This process involves the creation of an ear impression using moulding materials. During this process, the ear canal is blocked by a cotton wad and the moulding material is injected into the ear using a syringe. Once hardened, the temporary impression is sent to a specialized workshop that fabricates the earmould. (Examples of a variety of earmoulds can be found in this entry.)
Once the finished piece is returned, it can be adjusted, modified, and repaired by the audiologist using tools such as those in this small collection.
These items are in generally good condition. The files are slightly rusty.
Associated Instruments:
Manufacturer: Various
Date of Manufacture: c. 1990
This artifact was among a number artifacts related to audiology and optometry collected from the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute at 130 Dunn Avenue on 6 December 2017.
Additional Information and References:
Historical Notes: