The phenomenal sensitivity and acuity of the hearing sense relies on an exquisite nano-mechanical process in the inner ear. This talk will review the underlying machinery and physics of this process and discuss implications of damage to this process on auditory perception as it occurs in hearing impairement.

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Bio

Stefan Launer studied Physics with a focus on Medical Physics in Göttingen and laterone in Oldenburg. He finished his PhD-thesis on „Loudness Perception in Hearing-Impaired Subjects“ with the development of a loudness-model which accounts for hearing impairment. Since June 1995 he is in various functions with Phonak’s Research and Development. Among others, he was heading the department “Signal Processing” and in that function in charge of research and development related to audiological and clinical procedures of hearing instrument fitting and evaluation as well as the development of future digital signal processing algorithms for hearing instruments. Currently he is responsible for coordinating Phonak’s / Sonova’s corporate research and technology program including hearing instrument technology, wireless technology as well as hearing implants.