Inexpensive cochlear implant device.
We have developed a cochlear implant (CI) device modified from the House/3M cochlear implant device. The cost of raw materials was about $25. We used a new and simple technique for coating the implanted coil. We modified the circuit and removed the amplitude-modulated circuit. With this modification, the device uses less electricity and fewer transistors. There are slightly more than 3,000 patients using CI devices all over the world. Millions of profoundly deaf patients are poor and cannot afford the CI device that is now commercially available. Any university with well-trained otolaryngologists and physicists or electrical engineers can perform this technique.
Kanchanarak
C
C
Department of Otolaryngology, Chiang Mai University, Thailand.
Siriratwatanakul
N
N
Boonyanukul
S
S
Saeng-in
A
A
Krairojananan
T
T
D000328:Adult; D003054:Cochlear Implants / Q000191:economics*; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D003638:Deafness / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged