James Freedman Jansen Lorbes James Pang Raniya Parappil

Anatomy of the Ear

Physiology of the Ear OW THE BIONIC EAR WORKS

The Device Design What is it made of?

What material properties are important? What design features distinguish it from other systems?

How does it work?

Benefits

How well does it work?

How widely used is it?

What are the limitations?

Future Developments

What are the design specifications for an ideal replacement? Multichannel Electrode Array -24 Electrodes Lower Power Consumption Behind-the-ear processors - small high-powered, zinc-air style batteries body worn processors - use rechargeable or standard AA or AAA batteries

What are the design specifications for an ideal replacement? Biocompatibility made from titanium, silicone rubber and platinum device needs to be strong enough to withstand surgery and implantation and subsequent flexing for its design life of 70 years Miniaturisation Early implants were designed for adults and were more than 12 mm thick. implanted in very young children, typically around months visible lump on the side of the head which was considered undesirable

What are the design specifications for an ideal replacement? Electric Stimulation poor sensitivity to complex sounds due to cochlear implants cannot selectively activate auditory-nerve fibres which react to low frequencies

How might this be achieved in the future? Electrode Array 240 electrodes making it possible for patients to perceive near normal sound deeper insertion shape and rigidity of the electrode tip and the overall shape and size of the array Lower Power Consumption Minimizing voltage drop in the devices other than the electrode load Using adaptive compliance voltages

How might this be achieved in the future? Biocompatibility use materials that have established acceptable biocompatible safety records in implanted applications.

How might this be achieved in the future? Miniaturisation electrode array has also been improved. It has been divided into two, and each half can be inserted more deeply into the cochlear made less intrusive or totally implantable into the patient Electric Stimulation penetrating auditory-nerve electrodes that permits frequency- specific excitation in all frequency regions Direct stimulation of the auditory nerves Frequency-specific stimulation of that pathway by intraneural stimulation, which might improve musical pitch perception and speech reception in noise