The Research and Development Department of HEI focuses on basic physics and engineering research concerning the acoustics and mechanics of the auditory and balance system, and on the associated design and development of electromagnetic hearing devices. Our goal is to develop superior quality high fidelity conventional hearing aids and implantable hearing devices that will provide significant and practical benefits for hearing-impaired persons worldwide.

• The Research and Development Department is equipped with advanced technology, such as the laser Doppler interferometer for vibration measurements in bench testing of hearing devices. The laboratory facilities are suitable for investigating different types of implantable hearing devices, bone conductors or middle ear implantable devices.
• The Research and Development Department has collaborated with engineering faculty from the University of Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State University since the 1980s. The laboratory facility and clinical environment at HEI have provided many opportunities for graduate students to develop their projects in hearing research areas.
• The staff members of the Research and Development Department include scientists, engineers, and technicians with Ph.D. degrees in Auditory Physiology, Biomedical Engineering, and Electrical Engineering and B.S. degrees in Engineering and Physics.
• Major Services provided by the Research and Development Department include: Design and testing of implantable hearing devices; design and testing of conventional hearing aids; hearing aid repair; cochlear implant data base; and biomedical engineering consultation.

The Engineering Research and Development Department (ER and DD) has three areas of function: (a) conceptualize, (b) explore, and (c) develop. All our projects began as a concept, a new idea, fostered by our constant exposure to those who have a hearing problem for which no satisfactory solution exists. A close liaison between the doctors, audiologists and engineering personnel facilitates the exchange of ideas and the generation of new concepts.

When initial scrutiny suggests that a new concept may have merits, it is explored in depth. During the exploratory phase the primary thrust is to determine if the concept has already been exploited or is in a state of development elsewhere. If not, and if the concept continues to reflect feasibility, it is moved into the development phase.

During the early development phase the ball is almost entirely in the engineering court. The concept must be nurtured into a preliminary state of physical reality. It must graduate from the "talk about it" stage to the "build it and test it" stage. Circuitry must be designed and "bread boarded." Coils must be designed, then wound. Mounting and/or containment hardware must be designed and fabricated. Testing schemes must be developed and implemented.

To this point we are primarily concerned with determining if the concept will "work" as we had anticipated, and if so, how well it will work. Yet, demonstrating a concept in the laboratory is far short of demonstrating that the concept has any practical application value. Biological compatibility, surgical practicability, patient psychological acceptability and economic feasibility present inviolable limits which cannot be abridged.