Enabling Technology

FinleyNotes

Charlie Finley Ph.D

Department of Otolaryngology

  • Grad experience: a patient was misdiagnosed “dumb” instead of deaf
  • the sign for Cochlear Implant is “snake bite”
  • Cochlear Implant:
    • external sound processor
    • wire w/ electrodes in inner-ear
    • battery pack
    • 3 major manufacturers
  • Inner “normal” ear
    • vestibuli system: orientation
      • Cochlear implant affects this for a couple days
    • Basiliar membrane
      • detects different frequencies
      • causes cilia movement
      • cilia release neurotransmitters
  • Types of Deafness
    • Conductive: mechanical/bone problem, corrected by a surgeon
    • Sensory neural: lose of sensory hair cells/auditory nerve fibers
  • iPod
    • on-ear: gives more space
    • in-ear: sits very close, seals so no energy escapes
      • Don’t be decieved! seals out other noises so you can listen at a lower volume, but also concentrates the existing sound so it is more powerful to your ear
    • loud sounds can cause temp threshhold shift (TTS)
      • tips on cilia break
      • ex: from loud concert
  • Common consequences of loud sounds
    • Pure tone tinnitus
      • ringing created by damaged membranes
    • Broadband tinnitus
      • static background
  • 30% have some hearing loss
  • 66% in the field of rock and roll
    • Some use preventative measures such as hearing protection that allows them to hear themselves at a lower volume
  • Cochlear implants
    • Transfers across skin: different ways can limit the tech. adv.
    • optimal # of channels? performance levels out around 7
  • Inserting the electrode does cause damage to the cochlea
    • Just beginning to understand the consequences
    • very crude technology
  • Technology issues
    • improving battery size and life
    • smaller size appropriate for children and elderly
  • Patient issues
    • Dif performance in dif patients
  • Typically implant 1 year-olds
  • Try to implant before 3–3.5 years old
  • Imaging analysis can optimize cochlear implants
    • Too sophisticated for avg clinic
    • Build a model for each patient?
      • Too long, use shortcuts
    • Custom processor design