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. Vinod B. Nair MS; DLO; Dip NB; MNAMSConsultant ENT and Head & Neck Surgeon
Team Cephale - Division of Head & Neck Surgery
PVS Hospital, Kaloor, Cochin, Kerala, India. PIN 682 017
Phones: +91 98460-63339(Mobile); +91 484 240 3300(Res.); +91 484 234 5451(Hosp.)
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI'm doing some viability research for a project and was wondering whether anyone knows enough about the anatomy of the ear to let on what might be the barriers to having no maintenence hearing aids? I.e. hearing implants that never need charging or removal.
(I am inspired on this topic as I have suffered from persistent tinitus for about 4 years.)
What are the biggest challenges for this today? (Given that implants exist for most other anatomical areas). Is it miniturisation, power sourcing? Is there a single reason why this hasn't been done previously?
Or perhaps that there is no way to circumvent the ears natural cleaning processes? I.e. you could only locate something permanently if it was implanted outside the ear canal itself, out of the way of the cleaning processes within it, i.e. in the canal wall?
But giving this is 1/3 bone on the inside, and 2/3 cartilage towards the outside, does anyone know if its possible to locate a device here with little surgery? Given that they obviously traverse these areas during surgery, would this ever be simplified with merely an insertion tool rather than full on surgery?
The only other location would be on the other side of the ear drum in the eustachian canal but this is for natural cleaning processes too? Would acoustics (thinking just for a sound transducer, not the microphone(s)) be viable this side? Does anyone know of any research on this area?