Next generation ear implants?

R2D2

R2D2

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Source: BBC NEWS | Health | Better ear implant hope for deaf


Better ear implant hope for deaf

US scientists have unveiled what they say could be the next generation of implants designed to offer hearing to the profoundly deaf.

The new device described by the University of Michigan team fits directly to the auditory nerve.

The researchers claim it works better than cochlear implants, currently the leading technology.

But the device has been tested only in animals, the Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology reports.

A UK researcher hailed the project as "potentially a brilliant idea".

Cochlear implants have been in use since the mid-1980s, and are placed near to the nerve that carries sound impulses to the brain.

However, they are still separated from the nerve by a bony wall and fluid, and users often find it hard to hear low-pitched sounds, which can make conversation difficult, especially in noisy environments.

It offers a solution to a lot of the problems with cochlear implants
Dr Carl Verschuur of Southampton University's Institute of Sound and Vibration

The Michigan team have managed to place their tiny device inside the nerve itself in cats.

Lead researcher Professor John Middlebrooks said testing showed the new device performed better over a wider range of frequencies, suggesting that users might be able to enjoy a far wider range of hearing.

They measured the cats' brain responses to sounds, and compared the results with those in cats given cochlear implants.

Professor Middlebrooks said: "The intimate contact of the array with the nerve fibres achieves more precise activation of fibres signalling specific frequencies, reduced electrical current requirements and dramatically reduced interference among electrodes when they are stimulated simultaneously."

He said his team would monitor how the auditory nerve coped with the implant over the next two years.

"If our work continues to go very well, we might begin human trials in no less than five years," he said.

Dr Carl Verschuur, a lecturer in audiology at the University of Southampton's Institute of Sound and Vibration, said: "Potentially it's a brilliant idea.

"Although there could be some challenging technical issues with attaching the device to the nerve and keeping it there, it offers a solution to a lot of the problems with cochlear implants.

"There is a lot of distance between the cochlear implants and the nerve, so it is perfectly logical to do this. The fact they've managed to do this successfully in animals makes this an exciting study."

Brian James, from RNID, said: "Cochlear implants themselves have provided a revolution, and these implants - if successfully transferred to people - could offer further, major benefits."
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If it turned out to be a much better device, I wonder how easy it would be for those with existing CIs to convert to the auditory nerve implant?
 
R2D2 said:
If it turned out to be a much better device, I wonder how easy it would be for those with existing CIs to convert to the auditory nerve implant?
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the other article said, if the CI become ineffective, they can switch to that newer implant but that won't be around till 5 to 10 yrs eh... although in the article you posted said that they need to find a better way to stay attached in long run. I don't know how they implant into auditory nerve outside or thru the cochlea.
 
Sounds painful. I'd be happy with just hearing at least 20 dbs and understanding 70%-80% conversations. One CI op is enough for me...
 
see first post in this thread regarding other article

ANI = auditory nerve implant for short eh :D
 
Dark-Half said:
Sounds painful. I'd be happy with just hearing at least 20 dbs and understanding 70%-80% conversations. One CI op is enough for me...
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Yeah I imagine that existing CI users would be subject to the same tests that hearing aid users are made to go through now i.e. sentence and word tests. If someone was getting a lot of benefit from their CI then they might not qualify for a newer implant.

So you won't be going bilateral then? :giggle:
 
If the human trial for ANI has surpassed the previous expectation then I might consider putting my hand up for this device once they've solved the problem of making sure the ANI stays in one place.

But then we'll see......
 
Since I'm already bilateral, there's no chance of me receiving an ANI -- unless one of my CIs fail.

If I didn't have CIs, this would definitely be something I'd consider.

Now...if I learned about this before going bilateral, would I have still made the same choice to receive a second CI? Probably -- given the fact that this technology won't be available for another 10 years.

I can see this being an option for someone in their 20's. I'm 36, so if I would have elected to receive an ANI, that means I would have missed out on 10 years of hearing.

When the ANI is finally approved by the FDA and we can read testimonials of how well people are doing with it, I'd be curious to know how the ANI compares to the CI in terms of speech understanding.

Something I take a slight issue with is how well CI users hear low frequencies. I'm able to hear them just fine...the only thing I don't hear with my CIs is bass. If they could develop a CI or ANI that allows one to hear bass, I'd be totally all over it! :)
 
Dark-Half said:
Sounds painful. I'd be happy with just hearing at least 20 dbs and understanding 70%-80% conversations. One CI op is enough for me...
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I don't about the pain aspect. Probably no more painful than a typical CI surgery.

I'm with you one CI operation is enough!!!! Although, I probably would be tempted for my left ear if they get this down pat in a decade or so. By then, I guess I might be ready to go through it again. :D
 
then again, its still only a glimmer on the horizon. There's also the fact that insurance companies might not cover it. It sounds good....yay.....but i mean its just like with my friend who's an amputee. they have a prosethic that has an almost like natural knee. yet b/c its so expensive and top of the line, very few insurance companies will cover it.
 
I contacted the researcher quoted in the article directly because I wanted to know if this implant would work on a non-functioning auditory nerve (my daughter may have that), but just like a CI, it does NOT. The auditory nerve must be functioning to benefit.

It will be at least 5 yrs before they even start human trials, so it would probably be closer to 10 before you see the first auditory nerve implant. It seems like it could be the next wave of CIs, providing there are no long term effects from usage.

The people who this would be for are the same people who currently qualify for CIs now. If you experienced a failure in the future and these were available, I can't see any reason why people wouldn't be able to upgrade to them. If they do turn out to be better than the current CI, everyone would eventually be upgrading to them at some point (since an implant won't last forever).
 
deafdyke said:
then again, its still only a glimmer on the horizon. There's also the fact that insurance companies might not cover it. It sounds good....yay.....but i mean its just like with my friend who's an amputee. they have a prosethic that has an almost like natural knee. yet b/c its so expensive and top of the line, very few insurance companies will cover it.
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And as long as its considered to be an experimental procedure, insurance companies will not cover it.

My concern, as well, would be the fact that you are doing neurological surgery at this point, as the nerve that conducts sound is the 8th cranial nerve. Guess we'll just have to see.
 
I am sure this wont be the last newest invention to cure deafness. Guess deafness is such a bad thing?
 
shel90 said:
I am sure this wont be the last newest invention to cure deafness. Guess deafness is such a bad thing?
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No it's not a bad thing. The newer developments are simply better tools for us to work with and diversify our skills. I think it would be quite some time before something as good as natural hearing is developed - probably coming from the stem cell thingy area.
 
Good things come to those who wait!

What if the technology or medical procedure is so good to help reduce deafness in 5 to 10 years from now?

Has it occurred to anyone that people with cochlear implants would be considered more "Deaf" than they wish to be?? All because the old CI surgeries ruined their best shot for improved hearing?

Now, who is laughing here? I'll bet the people with CIs aren't!
 
besemiasno said:
Good things come to those who wait!

What if the technology or medical procedure is so good to help reduce deafness in 5 to 10 years from now?

Has it occurred to anyone that people with cochlear implants would be considered more "Deaf" than they wish to be?? All because the old CI surgeries ruined their best shot for improved hearing?

Now, who is laughing here? I'll bet the people with CIs aren't!
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I'm not worried as I'm pretty happy with the results I have. I've always known I was deaf and had nothing to lose, as I'd lost most of my hearing, so it's not like the CI really changed anything.

If you are always waiting for something better in life, you'll be waiting forever, afraid to grasp anything out of fear that you might miss something later on.
 
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