title: French origins of the cochlear implant.
abstract: André Djourno and Charles Eyriès are widely recognized as the first to implant an electrical auditory prosthesis, stimulating the development of the modern cochlear implant. Djourno had developed a device for remote stimulation of motor nerves in the early 1950s. In 1957, Eyriès implanted this device in a deaf human subject and successfully stimulated the auditory nerve. Roger Maspétiol implanted a second patient in 1958. Based on these experiments, Djourno anticipated many features that have since been incorporated into modern cochlear implant design. Despite a promising start, the work was complicated by interpersonal and ethical conflicts and abandoned in 1959.
authors.affiliation: Cliveden of the National Trust, Inc., 6401 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19144, USA. artifact@erols.com
authors.forename: Phillip R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Seitz