Who invented the cochlear implant?
The multi-channel cochlear implant, often called the bionic ear, was developed by Australian surgeon Professor Graeme Clark and his team at the University of Melbourne. The first implant was performed in 1978.
Clark was inspired by his father, who was deaf and struggled to work as a pharmacist. As an ear surgeon, Clark set out to find a way to restore hearing for people with severe deafness.
A cochlear implant uses an external microphone and processor to turn sounds into electrical signals. These are sent to an array of electrodes placed in the cochlea, the spiral-shaped inner ear, stimulating the hearing nerve directly.
First recipient
On 1 August 1978, Rod Saunders, who had lost his hearing in a car accident, became the first person to receive Clark's multi-channel implant at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital. In 1985 the device was approved in the United States for adults, and children began receiving implants soon after.
The Australian company Cochlear Limited was founded to manufacture the device and has become a global leader in hearing implants.
Clark received many honours, including the Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award in 2013, shared with other pioneers of cochlear implants. He also became a Companion of the Order of Australia.
Did You Know?
Clark reportedly had a breakthrough idea about how to insert the electrode array after experimenting with a seashell and grass blades on a beach.