Hear Now. And Always

Spring 2022 Topical Lecture Series 3

Cochlear: an Australian Biomedical Engineering Success Story

Date: Monday Oct 31 2022

The cochlear implant is now recognised around the world as the standard of care for people suffering from severe to profound hearing loss. It is the first technology to replace a human sense and is the result of more than 50 years of science and technology innovation. Cochlear Limited, an Australian company, has now provided more than 720,000 people with cochlear implants and has a global market share of more than 60%.

Jim Patrick joined Professor Graeme Clark’s research team at the University of Melbourne in 1975 to lead the development of a research prototype and after moved to Sydney as Cochlear’s first employee in 1981. He was a member of Cochlear’s senior management team until his retirement in 2016. He continues to support Cochlear in an emeritus role.

This presentation will describe the essential features of the Cochlear journey, from early work that used novel technology to transform the research “work of art” developed at the University to a very reliable clinical system, through many innovations that gave improved performance and ease of use. This led to the cochlear implant becoming the “standard of care” for infants born deaf, to adults with severe to profound hearing loss and the growth of Cochlear from a start-up to a member of the ASX top 100 companies with a market capitalisation of over $12.5B.

About the Speaker

James Finlay Patrick AO BSc MSc DEng DSc FIEAust CPEng (Ret) FTSE

Chief Scientist – Emeritus, Cochlear Limited Adjunct Professor, Macquarie University

Jim Patrick is recognised as a world authority on cochlear implants. Together with Professor Graeme Clark he is one of the original engineers who pioneered the development of the multi-channel cochlear implant.

Further to his work on the Cochlear implant, Jim has also been involved in several projects that seek to use Cochlear technology in other medical bionics fields. These include the treatment of spinal cord injuries (Neopraxis), the use of an implanted stimulator to provide sensory feedback for people using artificial hands, and the use of an implanted stimulator to provide “pacing” vestibular stimulation to relieve Meniere’s Disease symptoms. He has been a member of the Advisory Boards of numerous institutions with current appointments to The Shepherd Centre Research Advisory Committee, the Mirage 3.4d Board and the Carbon Cybernetics Board.

Jim has received international recognition and numerous awards for his work including:

• Recognised in the 2007 “Australia’s Most Influential Engineers” for Engineering Expertise

• The Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children – Jim Patrick Audiology Centre

• The Warren Centre for Advanced Engineering – “Engineering Icon” for the Cochlear Implant

• The named Patrick Meeting Room in the Australian Hearing Hub

• Winner of the 2014 David Dewhurst Award for Biomedical Engineering

• ATSE Clunies Ross Lifetime Achievement Award for the application of science and technology for the benefit of Australia in 2015

• The Order of Australia in 2015 “for distinguished service to science through the development of Cochlear implant technology, to biomedical research and engineering innovation, and to education and professional associations”

• The 2017 Samuel F. Lybarger Award for Achievements in Industry by the American Academy of Audiology

• Awarded the Officers Cross of the Order of Merit by the Republic of Poland in 2020

• NSW Scientist of the Year 2021

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The Aim of the Topic Series

The Better Healthcare Technology Foundation (BHTF) is the fundraising and research support arm of the Australasian College of Physical Scientists and Engineers in Medicine (ACPSEM). One of its primary remits is to help support its members, who are predominately medical physicists and biomedical engineers, in R&D activities. 

The aim of this lecture series is to provide the members with a “bigger picture” of what is happening in innovative science and technology to widen their horizons. The four topical lectures per year are intended to have broad appeal that may, in particular, help foster cross-disciplinary collaborations. The BHTF intends to offer pilot research grants from charitable income that will be available to multidisciplinary teams, thereby further encouraging broadening of college member involvement to a wider scope. 

All meetings will be held by Zoom at 1pm (AUS East Coast time – NSW/VIC/TAS) on the last Monday of the month indicated and will be of 1 hr duration including Q&A. All welcome – no pre-booking or registration required. All lectures will be recorded for subsequent on-demand review. 

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