Dr. Kenneth Lee Shares Qualia Oto's Developments at Global Conferences in South Korea and Malaysia

Dr. Lee showcased Qualia Oto’s novel electrode arrays at the 10th APPOS Conference in Seoul, South Korea.

November 18, 2025 – From Seoul, South Korea to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, CMO Dr. Kenneth Lee showcased the exciting technologies Qualia Oto is developing that can advance the field of cochlear implantation.

On his trip through Asia, Dr. Lee’s first stop was in Seoul at the Yonsei University College of Medicine, one of the most prestigious universities in South Korea. At the 17th Endoscopic Ear Surgery, Hearing Implant, and Lateral Skullbase Cadaveric Dissection Workshop, Dr. Lee taught Cochlear Implant Surgery Techniques to over 30 individuals who joined the in-person workshop.

Screens around the room allowed participants to watch Dr. Lee's delicate surgical techniques in real-time.

Dr. Lee stayed in Seoul to present Qualia Oto’s latest data on shape memory polymer cochlear implant arrays at the 10th Asia Pacific Pediatric Otolaryngology Society Conference. The theme for APPOS 2025 was "Small Patients, Big Progress: Uniting Experts in Pediatric ENT", and the conference focused on dynamic discussions and knowledge exchange, as well as fostering collaboration and building new partnerships.

"It was a fantastic conference where worldwide leaders in Pediatric Otolaryngology presented key topics," Dr. Lee noted. "I was honored to participate, and the presentation sparked great conversations about how our technology could be a potential game changer in cochlear implantation."

Dr. Lee then traveled to Kuala Lumpur for the 15th Asia Pacific Symposium on Cochlear Implants and Related Sciences (APSCI 2025). The event boasted over 1,300 participants, including speakers and delegates from around the world, and welcomed the industry’s three major cochlear implant companies – Cochlear, MED-EL, and Advanced Bionics – as the conference’s Platinum Sponsors.

The 15th APSCI conference in Kuala Lumpur invited Dr. Lee as a Keynote Lecturer.

The conference selected Dr. Lee as one of its Keynote Lecturers, and the excitement surrounding his presentation, "Novel Shape Memory Polymer Cochlear Implant Enables Lateral Wall Insertion then Self-coiling Atraumatically to Become Perimodiolar", was significant.

"The presentation was met with much enthusiasm from the conference participants,” Dr. Lee noted. "I was flooded with questions after the talk, reflecting clear interest in Qualia Oto’s technology."

Dr. Lee already has been invited to speak at conferences next year in Cairo, Muscat Oman, and Seoul.

Qualia Oto Board Chair Michael Seeligson was thrilled: "The overwhelmingly positive global response to Dr. Lee’s presentations underscores our conviction that doctors and patients are eager for substantial improvements in CI hardware," he said. "Our breakthrough technologies hold the strong promise to facilitate surgical precision, potentially minimizing trauma and preserving residual hearing, while simultaneously enhancing acoustic quality. This leap forward suggests that many more patients may be able to experience the quality of life and hearing improvements from cochlear implants with Qualia Oto technologies."

Benedict Voit, COO, agreed: "While the software component of cochlear implants has improved remarkably over the past decades, the design of the surgically-inserted electrode arrays largely has been stagnant," he noted. "There is room for substantial gains, and as the CI market continues to grow, Qualia Oto looks forward to improving the auditory capacities and the lives of even more patients for decades to come."

In addition to his role as Qualia Oto CMO, Dr. Lee is the John W. & Rhonda K. Pate Professor of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery; Director of Pediatric Cochlear Implant Program at UT Southwestern; Chief of Specialty Surgery, Medical Director of Multispecialty Clinics, and Director of Pediatric Otolaryngology at Children’s Health Plano; and a member of the Board of Directors for the American Cochlear Implant Alliance.

About Qualia Oto

Qualia Oto is an innovative biomedical device company focused on improving the individual’s quality of life through better aural technologies. By integrating our proprietary shape-adaptive polymers, we are advancing the next generation of cochlear implants allowing for minimal trauma, a superior positioning of electrodes, and an increased effectiveness and stimulatory resolution for chronic, targeted microstimulation. Qualia Oto’s team of medical and scientific experts aim to reshape – literally and figuratively – cochlear implants and their capacity in overcoming debilitating hearing loss.

For additional information, please contact:

Benedict Voit, Chief Operating Officer

benedict.voit@qualiaoto.com