Thursday, January 25, 2007

Hybrid cochlear implant provides hope for partial hearing loss

Hearing Loss News and Articles reports that a hybrid cochlear implant has been developed at the University of Iowa that may be something for us and Keisha to investigate further. Whereas hearing aids amplify sounds, cochlear implants convert sounds into electrical impulses and shooting them along the auditory nerve.

Here's an interesting excerpt that talks about the cochlea:

Strangely enough, the cochlea is laid out like a coiled piano keyboard: Cells along the corridors are tuned to particular frequencies entering the ear. In the case of a low-pitched sound, cells tucked away deep inside the cochlea alert the auditory nerve; cells that respond to high notes sit close to the cochlea's entrance. That's fortunate -- because cochlear regions where "ski-slope" patients need a boost are those most accessible to surgeons.
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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hi Daniel,

Just thought you might be interested in a website all about cochlear implants and their effect on people's daily lives.

It also gives news and views on other topics of interest to the deaf community.

The address is: www.thedeafblog.co.uk

Best wishes,
Rose.