<p>The DRDO has developed an affordable cochlear implant which can help millions of deaf people to hear again.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The cochlear implant is a surgically implanted electronic device that provides a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard of hearing.<br /><br />In India, there are nearly one million people who need cochlear implants. Every year 9-10 thousand deaf children are born.<br /><br />"The Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL), DRDO, has developed an affordable Cochlear Implant," the Defence Ministry said in release yesterday.<br /><br />The imported cochlear implant is very expensive, priced at Rs 7–10 lakh. The indigenously developed cochlear implant will cost a just around Rs One Lakh, it said.<br /><br />Noting that the NSTL-developed cochlear implant is undergoing final laboratory evaluation, Chief Controller V Bhujanga Rao said, "it would be available for clinical trials within 4 months."<br /><br />"After trials at five centres in the country, the indigenous cochlear implant will go into production," he added.<br /><br />Former President A P J Abdul Kalam said cochlear implant is a highly complex system requiring extensive research and owing to this the Implant could only be developed by 3-4 countries in the world namely the US, Austria, Australia and France.</p>
<p>The DRDO has developed an affordable cochlear implant which can help millions of deaf people to hear again.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The cochlear implant is a surgically implanted electronic device that provides a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard of hearing.<br /><br />In India, there are nearly one million people who need cochlear implants. Every year 9-10 thousand deaf children are born.<br /><br />"The Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL), DRDO, has developed an affordable Cochlear Implant," the Defence Ministry said in release yesterday.<br /><br />The imported cochlear implant is very expensive, priced at Rs 7–10 lakh. The indigenously developed cochlear implant will cost a just around Rs One Lakh, it said.<br /><br />Noting that the NSTL-developed cochlear implant is undergoing final laboratory evaluation, Chief Controller V Bhujanga Rao said, "it would be available for clinical trials within 4 months."<br /><br />"After trials at five centres in the country, the indigenous cochlear implant will go into production," he added.<br /><br />Former President A P J Abdul Kalam said cochlear implant is a highly complex system requiring extensive research and owing to this the Implant could only be developed by 3-4 countries in the world namely the US, Austria, Australia and France.</p>