title: [History of the development and functional description of the Nucleus cochlear implant].
abstract: For deaf children and adults who derive no significant benefit from conventional hearing aids the cochlear implant (CI) has become a clinically accepted alternative. More than 7,000 people worldwide, including over 2,000 children, have received the 22 channel Nucleus Mini System during the last decade. The functional principle of the CI is the translation of acoustic sound signals into electrical impulses for direct stimulation of the hearing nerve. The middle ear and the damaged sensory organ of the inner ear are completely bypassed. The function of the healthy ear is replaced by a microphone, an electronic speech processor, and stimulation electrodes. Approximately two thirds of the postlingually deafened CI users achieve open set speech understanding without lipreading through the Nucleus implant. The Nucleus system is a programmable digital device and is continuously being improved in terms of both performance and ease of use. It is the only CI system with FDA approval for use in both adults and children from 2 years of age. Over 100 European clinics in more than 20 countries are carrying out successful CI programs with the Nucleus device in compliance with strict pre- and postsurgical diagnostic and rehabilitative guidelines. In Austria it was introduced to the Landeskrankenanstalten Salzburg in 1992. A successful program, including specialized rehabilitation, is carried on in close cooperation with the world's largest Cochlear Implant Center in Hannover, Germany.
authors.affiliation: Cochlear GmbH, Burgwedel, Deutschland.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Maltan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D003638:Deafness / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D010897:Pitch Discrimination / Q000502:physiology; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D013067:Speech Perception / Q000502:physiology; D000159:Vestibulocochlear Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology
vernacular_title: Entwicklungsgeschichte und Funktionsweise des Nucleus Cochlear Implants.