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We are pleased to announce that retired NASA engineer Adam (Buddy)
Kissiah will be presenting a lecture on his invention of the Cochlear
Implant which is considered to be the first patentable design for digital
electronic stimulation of the acoustic nerve in humans. The lecture
will be presented at the:
Florida Solar Energy Center
1679 Clearlake Road
Cocoa, Florida
Thursday, January 27, 2005
5:30 PM - Early Arrivals
6:00 PM - Social and Dinner
7:00 PM - Speaker
Please make reservations ASAP for the Lecture and Pizza choice.
We realize that this notice gives you a limited time to schedule
this great talk, but please let us know if you plan to attend.
You can do this several ways:
Email: sec.canaveral@ieee.org
Email: ccmail@bellsouth.net
Cell: Chuck Chapman 321-591-5936
Abstract
The featured lecture will be provided by Adam Kissiah, retired NASA -
Kennedy Space Center instrumentation and measurement systems engineer.
The subject is the cochlear implant, a device for the restoration of hearing
in profoundly deaf persons.
Topics covered will be events and circumstances leading to Kissiah's involvement
into hearing research, plus description of the human hearing mechanism and how
it works, and some information on the history of the cochlear implant, including
leading researchers involved, and how Kissiah developed his patentable design
concepts for a cochlear implant.
Speaker Biography
Adam Kissiah was born and grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina,
and graduated from Oakhurst High School (Charlotte) in May, 1947.
After one year at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
Adam joined the U.S. NAVY in July, 1949 and remained until March,
1953 (Korean War, honorably discharged).
After discharge from the Navy , Kissiah returned to school at Charlotte
College, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC (BS-PHYSICS, 1956)
In September, 1956, employed by RCA Service Co. and Pan American World
Airways at Patrick AFB/Cape Canaveral (Missile Test Division) as Electronic
Tracking Systems Engineer supporting Redstone, Jupiter, Mercury, Pershing,
and Minuteman rocket Programs) until until April, 1963.
In April, 1963, he was employed by the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA), at Kennedy Space Center, FL. assigned duties
as launch instrumentation systems engineer. He served in various capacities
to section chief, staff engineer, and as contract technical manager/representative
in launch instrumentation and data systems operation and management. He supported
Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Apollo Skylab, Apollo-Soyuz test project (ASTP), and
shuttle programs through November, 1989.
Note: During employment with NASA, applied for patent through NASA/KSC patent
counsel (James O. Harrell) for patent of electronic digital hearing aid, patent
4,063,048, awarded Dec 13,1977, re-issued (#31,031) Sep 14, 1982. The
patent is considered the first patentable design for digital electronics
stimulation of the acoustic nerve in humans. Principles are currently being
used in human implantation for hearing restoration in profoundly deaf patients
throughout the U.S., and many other countries around the world.
Adam retired from NASA - Dec 02, 1989
Adam is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE),
Canaveral Section, Florida, and also a member of the American Legion, former
member of the board of directors of the Central Brevard YMCA, and is a current
member of the board of directors of the New Abilities Federation, Chicago, Ill.
Awards:
- April, 2002 - IEEE-USA Electrotechnology Transfer Award for contributions in the
fields of aerospace instrumentation, including developing principles of the cochlear
implant device
- October, 2002, awarded NASA's Space Act Award for the cochlear implant invention
- April, 2003, inducted into the Space Foundation's Aerospace Technology Hall of Fame
- July, 2004, the New Freedom Foundation's New Abilities Award for the most significant
contribution by an individual
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