New Electrode Concepts (Modiolus-Hugging Electrodes)

Disruption of ephrin B/Eph B interaction results in abnormal cochlear innervation patterns

“…Some current cochlear implant arrays incorporate strategies to bring the stimulating electrodes toward the modiolus and thus closer to the spiral ganglion cells. Studies with perimodiolar electrodes in both animals and humans have demonstrated lower evoked auditory brainstem response thresholds 1–5. In addition, this strategy has lead to reductions in threshold and comfort level stimuli intensity,6–8 as well as stapedial reflex thresholds 9.…”

Development of a drug delivery device: using the femtosecond laser to modify cochlear implant electrodes

“…Therefore, increasing the number of spiral ganglion cells -or, rather, protecting them from degeneration following deafness -is a major focus of inner ear research today. One approach, therefore, has been to bring the electrode close to the modiolus of the cochlea containing the spiral ganglion cells to be electrically excited by the cochlear implant (Lenarz et al, 2000;Tykocinski et al, 2000). One approach, therefore, has been to bring the electrode close to the modiolus of the cochlea containing the spiral ganglion cells to be electrically excited by the cochlear implant (Lenarz et al, 2000;Tykocinski et al, 2000).…”

“…In the past, efforts to improve cochlear implant technology focused mainly on speech-encoding strategies (Dillier et al, 1995;Vandali, 2001) and on developing hardware to optimize electrode positioning inside the cochlea. One approach, therefore, has been to bring the electrode close to the modiolus of the cochlea containing the spiral ganglion cells to be electrically excited by the cochlear implant (Lenarz et al, 2000;Tykocinski et al, 2000). This strategy has been adopted in the Contour TM electrode (Cochlear Ltd), (Tykocinski et al, 2001) and also in the HelixTM electrode (Advanced Bionics Corporation).…”

Substance distribution in a cochlea model using different pump rates for cochlear implant drug delivery electrode prototypes

“…In the past, efforts to improve cochlear implant technology focused mainly on speech-encoding strategies (Dillier et al, 1995;Vandali, 2001) and on developing hardware to optimize electrode positioning inside the cochlea. One approach, therefore, has been to bring the electrode as close as possible to the modiolus of the cochlea containing the spiral ganglion cells to be electrically excited by the cochlear implant (Tykocinski et al, 2000;Lenarz et al, 2000). To further optimize the electrode-nerve interaction, biological intervention may prove beneficial for cochlear implant performance.…”