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Physics Colloquium,
April 11, 2006
Bringing Hearing to the Deaf
Cochlear Implants: a Technical and Personal Account
Ian Shipsey
Purdue University
Cochlear implants are the first device to successfully restore neural
function. They have instigated a popular but controversial revolution
in the treatment of deafness, and they serve as a model for research
in neuroscience and biomedical engineering. In this talk the
physiology of natural hearing will be reviewed from the perspective of
a physicist, and the function of cochlear implants will be described
in the context of historical treatments, electrical engineering,
psychophysics, clinical evaluation of efficacy and personal
experience. The social implications of cochlear implantation and the
future outlook for auditory prostheses will also be discussed.
About the speaker:
Ian Shipsey is a particle physicist. He has been profoundly deaf since
1989. Recently he heard the voice of his 11 year old daughter for the
first time, and his wife's voice for the first time in thirteen years
thanks to a cochlear implant.
4:00 p.m., Robert Smith Seminar Room 1080, PRB
Refreshments served at 3:45 p.m., Atrium, PRB
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