The fascinating history of the multichannel cochlear implant and its inventor, Professor Graeme Clark
A cochlear implant is a surgically implanted device for converting sounds into an electrical current that directly stimulates the cochlear nerve.1 It consists of external (microphone, speech processor, transmitter) and internal components (receiver/stimulator, electrode array in the cochlea) and can be implanted in both children and adults.
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- 2. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD). Cochlear implants [webpage]. Updated Mar 2017. https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/cochlear-implants (viewed Dec 2017).
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- 4. Simmons FB. Electrical stimulation of the auditory nerve in man. Arch Otolaryngol 1966; 84: 2-54.
- 5. Seitz PR. French origins of the cochlear implant. Cochlear Implants Int 2002; 3: 77-86.
- 6. O’Leary S. Professor Graeme Clark, otolaryngologist. Australia. Australian Academy of Science; 2011. https://www.science.org.au/learning/general-audience/history/interviews-australian-scientists/professor-graeme-clark (viewed Dec 2017).
- 7. Clark GM. A hearing prosthesis for severe perceptive deafness: experimental studies. J Laryngol Otol 1973; 87: 929-945.
- 8. Clark GM. Responses of cells in the superior olivary complex of the cat to electrical stimulation of the auditory nerve. Exp Neurol 1969; 24: 124-136.
- 9. Clark GM, Hallwoeth RJ, Zdanius K. A cochlear implant electrode. J Laryngol Otol 1975; 89: 787-792.
- 10. Clark GM. Personal reflections on the multichannel cochlear implant and a view of the future. J Rehabil Res Dev 2008; 45: 651-693.
- 11. Clark GM, Pyman, BC, Bailey QR. The surgery for multiple-electrode cochlear implantations. J Laryngol Otol 1979; 93: 215-223.
- 12. Tong YC, Black RC, Clark GM, et al. A preliminary report on a multiple-channel cochlear implant operation. J Laryngol Otol 1979; 93: 679-695.
All images provided courtesy of Cochlear Limited.
No relevant disclosures.