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Laser Technologies Enhance Cochlea Implants
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A research group in Germany has found a way to incorporate laser micromachining technologies to enhance insertion techniques and exact fitting of cochlea implants in the inner ear. With better placement comes better quality hearing for patients.
Of the individuals who are deaf, 95% of those who are highly hearing impaired typically have an auditory nerve that is adequately intact enough to allow for at least partial hearing recovery with the implantation of a cochlea implant (CI). Patients who receive a CI rely on the electronic acoustic prosthesis to take over the function that the damaged inner ear sensory cells cannot. The procedure involves the placing of the implant in the bone under the skin behind the ear. An electrode is then placed directly into the cochlea. The final steps are the use of the microphone and speech processor, which are also placed behind the ear.
The implantation is a delicate procedure because the electrode must be inserted into the cochlea without causing damage to the basilar membrane (the hub of the hearing sensory cells). Following the procedure, sound waves are registered by the microphone and are then “translated” into electronic impulses that the electrode that was inserted into the auditory nerve.
An electrode manufactured with nickel-titanium shape memory alloy is a material that “remembers” its form or shape and this allows for specific fitting of the electrode. With the use of laser melting, the manufacturer is able to create a highly personalized implant and this allows for a deeper insertion into the cochlea with no damage to the basilar membrane; this means better hearing capabilities for the patient.
Laser technologies allow for a special nanostructure implant that can also help reduce having connective tissues attach to the body and this improves the implant’s interaction with the patient’s nerve cells. A nanostructured device will also decrease the incidence of frequency-dependent electrical resistance; this means that less energy is needed to keep the device functional.