title: Cochlear implants in the forensic identification process.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Decedents who are severely decomposed, skeletonized or incinerated present challenges for identification. Cochlear implants aid hearing and bear unique serial numbers that can be used to assist with identification of bodies that are not visually identifiable. The purpose of this paper was to highlight companies that have or had manufactured cochlear type implants and demonstrate the appearance of the implants to assist crime scene investigators, pathologists, anthropologists and odontologists.
  
  
  METHODS
  Investigation of cochlear implants was conducted on the internet and companies were contacted for information regarding their implants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The functional appearance of a cochlear implant is explained, brands of implants are tabulated and pre and post-incineration images are presented.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of cochlear implants is predicted to increase, thus they are likely to become relevant to the identification process. Company brand and serial markings can be retrieved from post-incineration implants making them a valuable aid in identification when other identifiers that may be present are not useful because they are heat-sensitive.
authors.affiliation: Forensic Odontology Unit, University of Adelaide, Level 3, 233 North Tce., Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia. johnberketa@hotmail.com
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Berketa
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: James
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Langlois
authors.forename: Lindsay
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Richards
mesh_terms: D001344:Autopsy; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D004867:Equipment Design; D018732:Forensic Anthropology / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D017745:Incineration; D011180:Postmortem Changes