Lasers let deaf ears pick up what the sonic world is putting down

Not likely to front: we’ve a soft spot in our heart for focused beams of sunshine. We’ve seen ‘em rid the arena of its space junk and set the pace of human hearts , and now, they’re taking a number one role in aural advancement. As improbable because it sounds, a research team from the University of Utah led by Richard Rabbitt has found that lasers might be able to give deaf people the facility to listen to. Using a low-power infrared diode — just like those in laser-pointers tormenting cats internationally — Professor Rabbitt found that exposing oyster toadfish hair cells (analogous to the cells present in humans’ inner ears) to infrared light caused them to release neurotransmitters and activate adjacent neurons. This can result in laser-based ear implants ready to stimulate focused areas of cells with thousands of sound wavelengths, rather then today’s electrode implants whose electrical current spreads through human tissue and boundaries the deliverable sonic range. Smaller, more efficient power supplies and light-weight sources are needed before optical hearing aids become a reality, but when these newfangled lasers ever get their act together, we should always be capable to hear version two (and 3) coming down the pike.

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This post is tagged: beams of light, coming down the pike, efficient power, laser pointers, neurotransmitters, oyster toadfish