BTE
Also written as: BTE — Behind-the-Ear
A hearing aid style in which the processing electronics sit in a casing worn behind the pinna, connected to the ear canal via tubing or a wire.
Full Definition
Behind-the-Ear (BTE) refers to a category of hearing aid in which the main body of the device—housing the microphone, amplifier, and battery—is worn behind the auricle, with sound delivered to the ear canal via acoustic tubing connected to a custom earmould or dome. BTE instruments are available in standard and mini configurations and are appropriate for a wide range of hearing losses. Editors should distinguish BTE from receiver-in-canal (RIC/RITE) instruments, where the receiver (speaker) sits in the ear canal rather than in the casing. Inconsistent hyphenation ('behind the ear', 'behind-the-ear', 'BTE') is a common editorial issue in audiology documents.
Usage
Usage note: Hyphenate when used as a compound modifier: 'behind-the-ear hearing aid'. Do not confuse with RIC/RITE, where the receiver is positioned differently. Expand on first use.
In Context
- "The patient was fitted with a behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aid coupled to a custom earmould for her severe-to-profound hearing loss." — Hearing aid fitting report
- "The product specification sheet used 'BTE' without expansion; the editor added the full form on first mention." — Technical document review