About

Michael F. Langhout

This weblog is a reflection of my interests and observations about how medical technology gets developed and commercialized in the developed and emerging world economies.  Comments and articles relating to disorders of the auditory, vestibular, and perceptual processing systems will be featured, as well as other medical device technologies and electronic neurostimulation technologies designed to help those with physical or intellectual challenges.

Global health is a massive subject, therefore my posts on this subject will tend to be at the micro or individual level.  Those who are Doing Good works around the world to help in the developing world will be featured.  Of primary interest are those working on health issues, education, and basic infrastructure needs such as clean water, which is one of the top millenium goals of the World Health Organization.  Without clean water, progress is stalled, and many will perish.

The most important thing to know about me is my relationship with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  I came to faith at age 13, and after ’sleeping’ in faith for 30 years, accepted the Lord into my life in 1994.  Since then I have chosen a different path, responding to a calling on my life.  Through it all I have come to know the ‘peace that surpasses all understanding’.  We do live in a very mixed up world, but I have the Rock of my Salvation supporting me and encouraging me on with my life.

My family is most near and dear to my heart.  My wife of 35 years, Mollie, is herself an active Christian woman, involved in Young Life’s Capurnaum ministry, ESL, and personal visitations with residents of nursing homes in our community. Our two daughters Andrea and Marie are both very active in their faith…Andrea in Toronto with her husband and son, and Marie in Seattle with Kiros www.kiros.org.

My business interests reflect a passion I have for helping people with their health care and medical issues.  A number of years ago I changed careers completely, opting to focus my skills and abilities on building companies of value that have products and services which benefit mankind, especially people with physical challenges.  I am a co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Silere Medical Technology, Inc., a company whose purpose is to design, manufacture, and market electronic neuro-stimulation medical devices targeting auditory, balance, and perceptual disorders.  The initial focus of Silere Medical is the suppression of chronic, debilitating tinnitus.  www.silere.com

Prior to Silere Medical Technology, I served as founder and President of Audient LLC, www.audientalliance.org, an international hearing health care services company and supplier of digital hearing instruments marketed to audiologists and otolaryngologists around the world. Of all the companies I have either started or been involved in leading, I am the most proud of Audient, because it has helped so many people gain access to an otherwise limited market of health care products and services. Prior to Audient,  I built and managed several profitable manufacturing companies within the paper and packaging industry.

My interest in disorders of the auditory processing system originated with my oldest daughter, who suffered a profound sensori-neural hearing loss at an early age. She has received tremendous benefit  from a cochlear implant, one of the most sophisticated neural prosthetic devices yet designed. She is a teacher, and her husband, also a cochlear implant recipient, is an attorney.  They bear a marvelous testimony, not only for Jesus Christ, but also for those who have a profound hearing loss and have great difficulty listening and speaking.  They perform both activities better than me.  I continue to be interested in delivering medical technologies to assist those who might not be able to help themselves, people with physical or intellectual challenges both in the United States and elsewhere.

For the past 25 years, I have traveled extensively, both domestically and internationally, developing many beneficial business and political relationships around the globe.  Working with various NGO’s in each country, I have studied sustainable social enterprises and microenterprise efforts within the developing world, including in India, www.sightlife.org China, Vietnam, www.medrix.org Malaysia, Central America and Mexico, Africa, www.doingood.net and in developed countries as well.  I am currently active in Uganda, attempting to better serve the educational needs of the youth in that country, and of the physically challenged and those with hearing loss.

In addition to Silere Medical Technology, I serve on several non profit boards. My education includes an MBA in Finance and Marketing from the University of Washington School of Business and a BA from the University of Puget Sound.