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An impression of sound, which may eventually lead to some appreciation of speech, may be achieved in totally deaf patients by the implant of an electronic stimulator connected to the auditory nerve. Experiments to date usually employ a multi- electrode bank actuated from an implant or transcutaneous wires presenting a coded signal relating to the sound reaching the external sensor.
Results with such devices show a number of difficulties and drawbacks in the translation of the technique into a clinical instrument. However, the new ability to perform high-speed coding of auditory signals through microcomputer elements offers the possibility of improvement in effectiveness.
Content and Design Copyright 2000 Dr. Malcolm C Brown. See Title Page for more details