The Early History of Cochlear Implants and MED-EL

The Start of Cochlear Implant Development

In 1975, Ingeborg and her future husband Erwin Hochmair were studying cochlear implant development at the Technical University of Vienna. At the time, there was a lot of skepticism about whether or not it was even possible for a cochlear implant to help treat deafness. But the Hochmairs knew what they wanted to accomplish.

A big step towards this goal was made in 1977: On December 16, 1977, a cochlear implant designed by the Hochmairs was surgically implanted at the University Clinic in Vienna by Prof. Kurt Burian.

Groundbreaking Hearing Technology

Just like modern cochlear implants, the first cochlear implant had two primary parts: an external processor that turned sound into electrical signals and an internal implant that sent information to the brain. The implant itself had two sections: a computer that received information from the external processor and an electrode array that is put into the ear.

There were some very special aspects of the design of the Hochmairs’ first cochlear implant:

Its computer chip worked with a long electrode array that provided electrical stimulation to many different parts of the cochlea. This was done because early research showed that where the stimulation happened would change the perceived pitch of the sound, just like what happens on a piano: press keys that are far apart and they will sound very different.

The electrode array also used a special design pioneered by the Hochmairs: wave-shaped wires. These wires were inside the electrode array and allowed the electrode array to be really flexible so it could softly fit inside the cochlea, which is about the size of a pea. These special wires also help to provide structure preservation, which means not damaging the delicate nerves inside the cochlea.

This first cochlear implant, like all others at the time, helped the recipients hear sound, but understanding speech was still difficult and, at the very least, required the recipient to watch the speaker and lip-read closely.

Understanding Speech With a Cochlear Implant

One of the most famous early recipients of a Hochmair cochlear implant is Connie, as she was known in scientific journals.

Connie worked closely with Ingeborg in these early years. She received a Hochmair cochlear implant in 1979 and was so enthusiastic that she would spend hours and hours with Ingeborg testing different ways the implant could send electrical information to the cochlea. These tests formed the foundation of how today’s MED-EL cochlear implants process sound.

Connie was soon part of making the Hochmairs’ first goal a reality. After she received a new processor in March, 1980, she was the first person ever who used a cochlear implant to understand speech by only listening: she did not need to lip-read or have visual cues as to what words were being said.

At last, just five years after they started their research into cochlear implants, the Hochmairs had achieved their goal and set the direction for the cochlear implant development that still continues today.

Founding MED-EL and Pushing Forward