Cochlear Limited

About: Cochlear Limited is a company organization based out in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Cochlear implant & Hearing loss. The organization has 1290 authors who have published 1479 publications receiving 33109 citations. The organization is also known as: кохлеарные Americas & COCHLEAR LIMITED.

Safety, reliability, and operability of cochlear implant electrode arrays coated with biocompatible polymer.

Abstract: Conclusion: Polymer-coated electrodes can reduce surgically-induced trauma associated with the insertion of a cochlear implant (CI) electrode array. Objectives: To evaluate if insertion trauma in CI surgery can be reduced by using electrode arrays coated with 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) polymer. Methods: We analyzed characteristics of the Contour Advance® electrode arrays coated with MPC polymer. To assess surgical trauma during electrode insertion, polymer-coated or uncoated (n = 5 each) animal electrode arrays were implanted in guinea pig cochleae and operability and electrophysiological and histological changes were assessed. Results: Under light and scanning electron microscopy, polymer-coated electrodes did not appear different from uncoated electrodes, and no change was observed after mechanical stressing of the arrays. Electrode insertion was significantly easier when polymer-coated electrodes were used. Auditory brainstem response (ABR) thresholds did not differ between ...

The Nucleus Children's Program.

Abstract: Two programs have been developed for the selection and rehabilitation of children to receive the Nucleus 22-channel cochlear implant system. One program focuses on postlingually deafened children from the ages of 10 to 17, while the other is designed for deafened children from 2 to 9 years. Each has been approved under separate IDEs by the Food and Drug Administration. The selection criteria for these two programs are described. Preliminary results for two adolescents implanted with the Nucleus multichannel device are also presented. Complete pre- and postevaluation results are shown for one adolescent who has completed a ten-week rehabilitation program. Initial findings suggest that hearing-only skills can be developed in this population and that children with short-term deafness may be able to develop some degree of open-set speech recognition without lipreading.

Role of bimodal stimulation for auditory-perceptual skills development in children with a unilateral cochlear implant.

Abstract: This is a prospective randomised study that evaluated the differences arising from a bimodal stimulation compared to a monaural electrical stimulation in deaf children, particularly in terms of auditory-perceptual skills development. We enrolled 39 children aged 12 to 36 months, suffering from severe-to-profound bilateral sensorineural hearing loss with residual hearing on at least one side. All were unilaterally implanted: 21 wore only the cochlear implant (CI) (unilateral CI group), while the other 18 used the CI and a contralateral hearing aid at the same time (bimodal group). They were assessed with a test battery designed to appraise preverbal and verbal auditory-perceptual skills immediately before and 6 and 12 months after implantation. No statistically significant differences were observed between groups at time 0, while at 6 and 12 months children in the bimodal group had better scores in each test than peers in the unilateral CI group. Therefore, although unilateral deafness/hearing does not undermine hearing acuity in normal listening, the simultaneous use of a CI and a contralateral hearing aid (binaural hearing through a bimodal stimulation) provides an advantage in terms of acquisition of auditory-perceptual skills, allowing children to achieve the basic milestones of auditory perception faster and in greater number than children with only one CI. Thus, "keeping awake" the contralateral auditory pathway, albeit not crucial in determining auditory acuity, guarantees benefits compared with the use of the implant alone. These findings provide initial evidence to establish shared guidelines for better rehabilitation of patients undergoing unilateral cochlear implantation, and add more evidence regarding the correct indications for bilateral cochlear implantation.

Implantable microphone device

Abstract: An implantable microphone device is provided. The device comprises a hermetically sealed housing (3) having an internal cavity (2). The internal cavity (2) has a microphone assembly arranged to receive sound waves originating from external the housing (3). The device further comprises a pressure sensor arrangement, arranged to detect and determine the differential pressure between the internal cavity (2) and the exterior of the housing (3). The determined differential pressure is used to determine a suitable transfer function to be applied to the output of the microphone assembly to produce a signal representative of the received sound waves.

Cochlear implant with improved lumen arrangement

Abstract: Disclosed is an electrode lead for a medical implant, and in one example, a cochlear implant. The electrode lead includes a lumen for receiving a stylet for assisting in implanting the device. The lumen of the electrode lead is removable from the electrode lead upon or after implantation.