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Pictured from left to right: Jeffrey Greiner, CEO of Advanced Bionics; Debbie Allen; and Placido Domingo. Partially visible behind Greiner is Claude Mann. |
The Alfred E. Mann Foundation, Santa Clarita, Calif, reports that two cochlear implants valued at $50,000 have recently been donated by Advanced Bionics Corp, Valencia, Calif.
Plácido Domingo accepted the cochlears on behalf of the Hear the World Foundation, Stäfa, Switzerland.
Donated surgeries to be performed by John Niparko of Johns Hopkins University Hospital and follow-up audiology and medical services are part of a package valued at more than $100,000.
“Plácido Domingo is helping raise awareness for a problem that plagues one in 10 people, and we are honored to collaborate with him, the Hear the World Foundation, and Advanced Bionics to transform lives,” says David Hankin, CEO of the Mann Foundation.
Advanced Bionics manufactures a cochlear implant with the 120 spectral bands necessary to enable the deaf to enjoy music and increase the ability to hear conversations in noisy environments. Hear the World is a global initiative that raises awareness for the topic of hearing and hearing loss. Domingo and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra are the first ambassadors of the foundation, and serve as members of the advisory board.
A recent study of cochlear implant patients at Indiana University School of Medicine shows evidence that cochlear implants in both ears go beyond hearing restoration and significantly improve the quality of life in patients, including increased cognitive skills and better emotional well-being, the company says. Unlike hearing aids, the implants do not amplify sound but work by directly stimulating any functioning auditory nerves inside the cochlea through an electric impulse.
Mann founded Advanced Bionics in 1993.
