The role of pressure and friction forces in automated insertion of cochlear implants.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Despite the success of cochlear implant (CI) surgery for hearing restoration, reducing CI electrode insertion forces is an ongoing challenge with the goal to further reduce post-implantation hearing loss. While research in this field shows that both friction and quasistatic pressure forces occur during CI insertion, there is a lack of studies distinguishing between these origins. The present study was conducted to analyze the contribution of both force phenomena during automated CI insertion.

Methods

Five MED-EL FLEX28 CI electrode arrays were inserted into both a regular and uncoiled version of the same average scala tympani (ST). Both ST models had a pressure release hole at the apical end, which was kept open or closed to quantify pressure forces. ST models wer

SUBMITTER: Frohlich M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11337231 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature