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BIONIC EAR CREATOR WINS EMINENT MEDAL - AND FILES MORE PATENTS
27 July 2006

The future of the bionic ear is greater clarity, even music appreciation, and help for people with partial hearing loss, according to its inventor, Graeme Clark, who today receives the Ian Wark Medal at a lecture and dinner to held in his honour in Melbourne today.

'The creation of the Bionic Ear – over twenty years ago – was a scientific and commercial triumph,' says Professor Kurt Lambeck, President of the Australian Academy of Science.

'Today, seventy per cent of the world's cochlear implants are made by one company, Cochlear Ltd, using Clark's invention. But that's not enough for Clark. He is helping the next generation of researchers to take the next step forward to a better bionic ear. And that's illustrated by the latest patents filed by him and his team.'

'The medal recognises scientific contributions to the prosperity of Australia – Graeme Clark was an obvious choice,' says Lambeck.

Two patents have been filed which Clark hopes will lead to the cochlear implant of the future. The patents should not only allow profoundly deaf people to hear with greater clarity than ever before, but even to appreciate music, Clark says.

'Gone will be the days when a cochlear implant involved destruction of any residual hearing.'

The two patents derive from recent work at the Bionic Ear Institute in collaboration with Melbourne, and Monash Universities and St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne.

The patents focus around techniques to preserve, enhance and utilise any of the auditory hair cells retained by people requiring bionic ears. The patents suggest ways in which these remaining fragile hair cells

• can be stimulated to enhance quality of hearing – by mechanical and electrical stimulation, and
• can be protected during bionic ear implantation - by driving a steerable electrode into the inner ear.

The patents may also lead to spin-offs in other areas of nerve regeneration.

The Ian Wark Medal and Lecture honours the contributions to Australian science and industry by the late Sir Ian Wark, CMG, CBE, FAA, FTSE. The award recognises contributions to the prosperity of Australia where such prosperity is attained through the advancement of scientific knowledge or its application, or both. The award is normally made every two years.