Information theoretic inference of the optimal number of electrodes for future cochlear implants using a spiral cochlea model.
Contemporary cochlear implants stimulate the auditory nerve with an array of up to 22 electrodes. More electrodes do not typically provide improved hearing performance. Given that this limitation is primarily due to current spread, and that newly developing kinds of electrodes may enable more focused stimulation, we recently proposed an information theoretic modeling framework for estimating how many electrodes might achieve optimal hearing performance under a range of assumptions about electrodes and their placement relative to the nerve. Here, we extend this approach by introducing more realistic three-dimensional spiral geometries for the cochlea and array, and comparing the optimal number of electrodes predicted by our model for this case with that in our original model, which used a linear geometry.
Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (State University) and Institute for Telecommunications Research, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes SA 5095, Australia.
Alexey S
AS
Moroz
Mark D
MD
McDonnell
Anthony N
AN
Burkitt
David B
DB
Grayden
Hamish
H
Meffin
D000465:Algorithms; D019929:Cochlear Implantation; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004567:Electrodes, Implanted; D006801:Humans