Cochlear implants give the deaf the ability to hear sounds.
Ohio University and the National Academy of Engineering have awarded several researchers whose research from the late ’90s have helped hundreds of thousands of the deaf to hear.
The $500,000 Fritz J. and Dolores H. Russ Prize was awarded to Blake Wilson, Graeme Clark, Erwin Hochmair, Ingeborg Hochmair-Desoyer and Michael Merzenich for their development of the cochlear implant, a device that can assist the people who need more than a hearing aid.
“A quick examination of the recipients makes it clear that all of them have had a major and positive impact on the human condition,” Dennis Irwin, dean of the Russ College of Engineering and and Technology, said. “Fritz and Dolores Russ had the vision to recognize these pioneers and their contributions in conjunction with the NAE as a way of fulfilling their dream of elevating the prominence of Ohio University and the Russ College.”
The cochlear implants generate sound signals that are sent to the auditory nerve in the brain. Unlike hearing aids that simply make the sound louder, cochlear implants use the brain and not the ear as a way to hear sound.
Though they can not fully restore sound, they can give the person wearing them a sense of noises and speech. Cochlear implants were first FDA approved in 2000. In December 2012, around 324,200 people worldwide used them, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.
Irwin said that a committee of National Academy of Engineering members and OU advisers spent around a year reviewing the nominations before deciding on the five winners, as the prize is awarded every other year.
The award was established in 1999 to honor those who use engineering to improve the quality of life for people.
The winners will be honored at the National Academy of Engineering ceremony in Washington, D.C., Feb. 24.
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