Meeting of Hearing Ambassadors in Innsbruck

A lively buzz fills the room. The first announcement comes over the loudspeaker: “Please always keep your name badge visible!” Dozens of smartphones are quickly raised to scan the QR code for online translation. Shortly afterwards, many are raised above the audience, turning into cameras. CI technician Bernd Katzbauer shares how impressed he was, even as a technology student, by the invention of the cochlear implant (CI). He also speaks about its inventor, Ingeborg Hochmair from Vienna. In 1975, at the age of 22, she began working on this groundbreaking technology, which was first implanted just two years later.

Bernd opens the meeting of the Hearing Ambassadors with this presentation on the development of the CI. Over the course of a day and a half, more than 40 experienced CI users and parents from 10 countries take  the opportunity to exchange their experiences, get first-hand information on the latest developments, and gain an unusually deep insight into research and development. The name badges mentioned earlier also grant them exclusive access rights.

At the same time, Bernd emphasizes from the very beginning how much MED-EL, as a CI manufacturer, values feedback from CI users and incorporates it directly into development and technical training. As Tamara Varcar from MED-EL Vienna later highlights: “You yourself are the best experts when it comes to living with CI!”

"It´s a pleasure to be part of this company!"

Back to the presentation. "A hearing implant is not the end of the story, it´s the beginning", emphasizes Bernd Katzbauer, highlighting the lifelong responsibility towards users that MED-EL, as a manufacturer, is committed to. As an example, he mentions upgrades to new audio processors, which are always compatible with older fully digital implants—for all CIs implanted since 1994. This commitment, along with the experience of improving so many people’s lives through his work in a lasting way, leads the CI expert to conclude: “It’s truly a pleasure for me to be part of this company!”

CI technicians like Bernd witness the impact of cochlear implants every day through their direct contact with users. This is different for employees in manufacturing, such as Hannah Hochreiter, who rarely interact with CI users. Later that morning, Hannah and her colleagues are waiting in the foyer of the MED-EL headquarters for the Hearing Ambassadors. For the young woman, this is the second time she has been present at a so-called "Meet the Implant Maker". "Last year I met CI parents, this year their child was also there. I am always happy to be able to explain my work," she says, beaming. “But I also got goosebumps when I saw how satisfied this child is with the CI and how well everything works with it.”

More sterile than in the operating room

As the Hearing Ambassadors mingle with the employees, a few people in uniform blue clothing stand out amid the busy activity—workers who have come directly from the cleanroom to the meeting. There, in addition to their blue workwear, they wear lab coats, face masks, and overshoes.

Not only do they have to disinfect themselves before entering the cleanroom — the air itself is strictly filtered: out of 80,000 dust particles, a maximum of just four are allowed to pass through the filter. This makes the air in the cleanroom more sterile than in an operating room.

The fine draft created by the constant air circulation passes sharply by the Hearing Ambassadors’ ears as they observe the processes inside the cleanroom through large glass panels. They are not allowed to enter the room, but during the tour they can see how their own hearing implants were once manufactured.

A universe for good hearing

On the second day, the Hearing Ambassadors visit the Audioversum. While some are still putting away their jackets in the cloakroom, loud screams can already be heard from the first group: in the scream booth, visitors can measure the volume they can reach. “Reaching more than 105 decibels is difficult,” explains the museum guide. “But the world record is held by a primary school teacher at 129 decibels.” The guide then takes the group to the first floor, where they explore the permanent exhibition on the sense of hearing. Those who use their time well can briefly explore afterwards the history of hearing implants in the “MED-EL World” or learn more about the function and training of the human brain on the ground floor.

Without CI, there would be no Hearing Ambassadors—and without CI, they would not have been able to communicate with such ease. The insights gained from all these experiences—first-hand information, lively exchanges among participants, exclusive insights into production, and personal conversations with the people behind the CIs—are something the Hearing Ambassadors are happy to share with anyone who contacts them via lifelonghearing.com. The AUDIOVERSUM museum invites all visitors to Innsbruck to embark on their own journey of discovery.