"The cat's ear closely resembles the human ear but present regulations do not permit testing of the implant on the animal," Dr Singh, who performed the first cochlear implant in the Armed Forces in 1995, told a press conference here.

Dr Singh, Honorary Surgeon to President A P J Abdul Kalam, said Mr Kalam asked the medical fraternity to bring down the cost to Rs 50,000 as against imported ones, which cost between Rs six lakh to Rs 10 lakh.

Expressing confidence that the regulations would be relaxed by the Union Government, Dr Singh, who also performed the first paediatric cochlear implant surgery in 1996, said the cost of the indigenous implant with processor and device made of biocompatible titanium, could be brought down to between Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs one lakh.

Explaning the working of the implant, he said while a hearing aid made sound lounder, the electronic ear (implant) enabled conversion of sound waves into electrical waves and these were decoded by the "eighth nerve ending".

Source: http://news.webindia123.com/news/showdetails.asp?id=165278&n_date=20051117&cat=Health