This week in 1901, there was good news for the hard of hearing, as Miller Reese Hutchinson of New York patented the first portable electric hearing aid. Called the “acousticon,” the device was a smaller version of previous tabletop units. While portable, it still had three components and used batteries that only lasted for a few hours. But it was far superior to ungainly hearing trumpets or simply cupping a hand behind the ear. Now, tiny digital hearing aids that users can program for maximum effect help millions to hear normal conversations. Making medical equipment and supplies is a nearly $79 billion a year business in the U.S. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at <www.census.gov>.