Electrode Array Position Guiding in Cochlea Based on Impedance Variation: Computational Study

Abstract

The electro anatomy of the cochlea plays a crucial role in hearing, where damage to the cochlea may cause hearing loss. Cochlear neuromodulators provide hearing to severe or profound hearing-impaired individuals. The accurate insertion of electrodes into the cochlea is an important factor. If misplaced it may lead to further damage (insertion trauma). Visual inspection of the electrode insertion is limited and relies on the experience of the surgeon. Assisted real time guidance in positioning the electrode array in the cochlea during insertion is needed. Its position can be identified based on the variation in the impedances of electrodes which can be rapidly assessed and interpreted. Using an advanced computational model of the cochlea which accounted for different tissue layers in the cochlea, impedance variations and electrical potentials at different electrode distances from the cochlear wall were simulated, which suggest that the variations in impedance can be used to detect the proximity of the electrodes to the cochlea wall.