The Economist, UK, March 6, 2008
Bob: A suggested read for cochlear implant users
----------------
Sounds like a good idea
Biomedical technology: As cochlear implants improve, people who use older
versions of the technology could face a difficult choice
YOU could call it the upgrader's dilemma. When it comes to buying a new
mobile phone, computer or DVD player, should you buy the latest and greatest
model now, since it offers new features that your old model lacks? Or should
you wait for the next version of the technology that will be along next year
and threatens to make today's gear seem suddenly old-fashioned? Now imagine
that upgrading the item in question requires you to have surgery. That, in a
nutshell, is the predicament that people with cochlear implants may soon be
in.
As many as 120,000 people are now thought to have had their hearing restored
by these revolutionary devices, which turn sound waves into electrical
signals that stimulate the auditory nerves in the ear via an implanted
electrode, and are perceived as sound. But several new developments promise
big improvements to the technology in the coming years, so existing users
could face tough choices as they have to decide whether to undergo surgery
to reap the benefits.
............
Complete article, graphics: http://tinyurl.com/2kp6yp
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
.
