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.

Medical and surgical complications of the second 100 adult cochlear implant patients in Birmingham

Abstract: One hundred consecutive adult cochlear implant patients, numbered 101 to 200 in an ongoing series, were prospectively monitored and data collected using the same protocol as for the first 100 patients. The study period was 1999 to 2001. The total number of procedures was 122. Changes in practice following the first 100 implants included a standard surgical technique with a smaller incision and lesser flap mobilization, and routine facial nerve monitoring. As far as was practicable, the same commercial type of implant was used. There were 111 (91 per cent) implantation episodes, five (4 per cent) explantation episodes, four (3.3 per cent) reimplantation episodes and two (1.6 per cent) revision procedures. Eighty-nine patients underwent unilateral implantation and 11 underwent bilateral implantation. Major complications included flap breakdown (1.6 per cent), extrusion of electrode array (0.8 per cent) and device failure (0.8 per cent). The overall major complication rate was 3.2 per cent (4/122). The overall minor complication rate was 18 per cent. In addition, 7.3 per cent experienced transient vertigo and 5.7 per cent experienced local discomfort lasting three days on average with complete resolution. The overall complication rate in the second 100 implant patients was lower than in the first 100. Smaller incision and lesser flap mobilization reduced the minor complication rate.

Development of a safe dexamethasone-eluting electrode array for cochlear implantation

Abstract: OBJECTIVES: Cochlear implantation can result in trauma leading to increased tissue response and loss of residual hearing. A single intratympanic application of the corticosteroid dexamethasone is sometimes used clinically during surgery to combat the potential effect of trauma on residual hearing. This project looked at the safety and efficacy of dexamethasone eluted from an intracochlear array in vivo. METHODS: Three trials were conducted using normal hearing adult guinea pigs implanted with successive iterations of dexamethasone-eluting (DX1, DX2, and DX3) or non-eluting (control) intracochlear electrode arrays. The experimental period for each animal was 90 days during which hearing tests were performed at multiple time points. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between matched control array and dexamethasone array groups in terms of spiral ganglion neuron density, organ of Corti condition, or fibrosis and ossification. A cochleostomy seal was present in all implanted cochleae. There were no differences in the degree of hearing threshold shifts between DX1 and DX3 and their respective control arrays. Cochleae implanted with DX2 arrays showed less hearing loss and marginally better spiral ganglion neuron survival than their control array counterparts. Post-explant inspection of the DX2 and DX3 arrays revealed a difference in pore density following dexamethasone elution. CONCLUSION: The dexamethasone doses used were safe in the guinea pig cochlea. Dexamethasone did not inhibit formation of a cochleostomy seal. The level of hearing protection afforded by dexamethasone eluting from an intracochlear array may depend upon the degree of elution and level of trauma inflicted.

The effect of perimodiolar placement on speech perception and frequency discrimination by cochlear implant users.

Abstract: Conclusion. Neither speech understanding nor frequency discrimination ability was better in Nucleus Contour™ users than in Nucleus 24 straight electrode users. Furthermore, perimodiolar electrode placement does not result in better frequency discrimination. Objectives. We addressed three questions related to perimodiolar electrode placement. First, do patients implanted with the Contour™ electrode understand speech better than with an otherwise identical device that has a straight electrode? Second, do these groups have different frequency discrimination abilities? Third, is the distance of the electrode from the modiolus related to frequency discrimination ability? Subjects and methods. Contour™ and straight electrode users were matched on four important variables. We then tested these listeners on CNC word and HINT sentence identification tasks, and on a formant frequency discrimination task. We also examined X-rays and measured the distance of the electrodes from the modiolus to determine whether there...

general purpose accessory for a cochlear implant system

Abstract: A cochlear implant system comprising a first unit (5) adapted to be worn on or in one ear of an implantee. The first unit has a case housing componentry including a microphone (27), and a speech processor means (29). A second unit or accessory (30) is adapted to be worn on or in the other ear of the implantee. The second unit or accessory (30) has a case (31) housing a second power source. An electrical conduction means (58) for transmitting power from the second power source to the componentry of the first unit extends between the first and second units. Such a conduction means (58) can extend around the back of the head of the implantee.