Modelling the effect of implants and intracochlear excitation on cochlear mechanics

Abstract

To help with the design of remedies for the preservation of acoustic hearing for cochlear implant patients, a two chamber finite element model has been developed. The model has been used to quantify the hearing loss that would result from the mechanical stiffening of the round window that is expected to occur as a result of inserting an implant into the scala tympani. Each element or collection of elements of the model can contain an additional compliance to replace that lost from the round window. Each element can also contain an excitation source to emulate an intracochlear actuator for use as part of an electro-acoustic stimulation system. The results of the new model compare closely with those of two established models: one single chamber and one two chamber model, and it enables simulation of the effects of inserting an implant on the mechanics of the cochlea. It has been shown that an achievable bubble could compensate for virtually all of the hearing loss caused by the stiffening of the round window by implantation. It has also been shown that if an actuator could be manufactured that would fit in an implant, it would restore acoustic hearing for frequencies between 100 Hz and 1 kHz. Various actuator technologies have been explored to assess their fundamental capability to meet the required acoustic output when scaled down to an acceptable size to fit in an impl

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ORCID for David Herbert Slater: orcid.org/0000-0003-3906-993X

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