Individual Optimization of the Insertion of a Preformed Cochlear Implant Electrode Array

Figure 1

Cochlear implant system for hybrid stimulation. It consists of external (1–3) and internal (implanted) components (4–6). Sounds are captured and digitized by the external sound processor (1, including one or more microphones). Signals and energy are transcutaneously transferred to the implanted portions using an external (2) and an internal (4) coil. These signals are converted by the implant (5) into stimulus-correlated electrical pulses and transmitted to the electrode array (6) implanted into the cochlea (7). In this way, electric stimulation evokes neural responses in the intact auditory nerve. Additionally, low-frequency sound is amplified by the sound processor (1) and transmitted to the normal hearing pathway using an earmould (3) in the external auditory canal (8) (images by courtesy of Cochlear Ltd.).