Telecoil
Pronunciation: TEL-ee-koyl
An inductive coil within a hearing aid or cochlear implant processor that picks up electromagnetic signals from compatible loop systems or telephone handsets, bypassing the microphone.
Full Definition
A telecoil (also rendered T-coil) is a small copper wire coil housed inside a hearing device that responds to fluctuating magnetic fields rather than acoustic sound waves. When activated — typically via a programme setting labelled 'T' or 'T+M' — the device uses the telecoil signal instead of, or in addition to, its microphone input. Telecoils are essential for compatibility with hearing loops installed in public venues and are relevant to accessibility legislation documentation. Editors should note the single-word spelling 'telecoil' is the current preferred form in clinical and technical literature, superseding the hyphenated 'tele-coil'.
Usage
Usage note: Preferred spelling is the single unhyphenated word 'telecoil'; the abbreviation 'T-coil' is acceptable in technical tables but should be spelled out on first use in clinical prose.
In Context
- "The patient's behind-the-ear device was fitted with a telecoil compatible with the venue's hearing loop infrastructure." — Audiological Assessment Report
- "All product specifications listed the telecoil sensitivity in mA/m." — Manufacturer Technical Datasheet