SBIR-STTR Award

Cochlear implant systems consist of small electrode arrays surgically placed in the auditory portion of the inner ear and an electronic processor and driver which activate the electrodes of the array. The proposed work will determine the feasibility of a processor for a new generation of electrode arrays having 40 to 60 contacts. The processor will support 20 to 40 channels, preserve fine timing cues in sound information, permit simultaneous activation of many channels, and support field steering through the array. Processors with these capacities are critical for the realization of future high performance cochlear implant systems which may significantly enhance speech comprehension for the hearing impaired. * it controls stress within the cable so the BSCCO can retain its full * it controls stress between cables within a coil so that it cannot * it provides for uniformly heating the coil during reaction bake with * it provides for internal refrigeration of the completed coil, eliminatingProposed Commercial Application:Not avaliable

Thesaurus Terms:
biomedical equipment development, clinical biomedical equipment, cochlear implant, electrode medical implant science

This Phase II proposal describes a plan to build prototype speech processors capable of driving a new generation of high-density multi-electrode cochlear implants. Because the new implant electrodes will have 60 or more channels, they will require that the total amount of speech information be transmitted to the electrodes at an aggregate rate higher than that currently available in available speech processors. In addition, the proposal describes attempts to perhaps realize additional frequency selectivity and control over the signals delivered to individual electrodes and specific places along the cochlear partition. These devices will be made available to researchers who can then test the possible advantages of the new implant capabilities.