Receiver-in-Canal
Also written as: RIC — Receiver-in-Canal
A hearing aid style in which the loudspeaker (receiver) is placed directly in the ear canal rather than in the main body of the device, connected by a thin electrical wire.
Full Definition
A receiver-in-canal (RIC) hearing aid — also called receiver-in-the-ear (RITE) — is a variant of the behind-the-ear design in which the receiver (loudspeaker) is separated from the main device body and positioned in or at the entrance of the ear canal, connected via a thin wire. This placement reduces sound distortion, allows for a smaller behind-the-ear unit, and facilitates both open and closed coupling options. RIC and RITE are synonymous terms used by different manufacturers and authors; editors should standardise to one form per document. The style should not be confused with completely-in-canal (CIC) devices, which house the entire hearing aid within the ear canal. In aural rehabilitation reports, the coupling type (open dome, tulip dome, custom mould) should also be specified.
Usage
Usage note: RIC and RITE are synonymous; standardise to one acronym per document. Always hyphenate as a compound modifier. Specify the coupling type alongside the device style in clinical documentation.
In Context
- "The patient was fitted bilaterally with RIC devices using open dome couplings to preserve natural low-frequency hearing." — Hearing aid fitting report
- "The editor flagged that the text alternated between 'RIC' and 'RITE' for the same device style and requested standardisation." — Manuscript copy-editing note