How can we improve cochlear implants for better sound quality and functionality?

[WyWonder]

Before, I get into detail most or no one does not have this product. This is a device to those who has lost hearing. I would like to introduce to you 2 products of hearing devices to help the Deaf to hear.

I am the candidate of these 2 devises. The first one is called Cochlear. In 2007, from being Deaf since late 1994 I had a surgery for a cochlear implant. It works ok in sound but does need improvements to further enhancement in accurate interpretation of sound.

For speech mostly it suits well. Television is bit quickly to catch a lot of the words. And music is kind of distorted with kind of a warped sound. It helps over the phone. May to have others repeat words or spell them out.

Five years later in 2012 I had a bump on the side of my head caused by the pressure of nerves that were behind my eye sockets. It caused a rip on the side of my head. I got an infection and had to have the cochlear implant removed from my head.

I would then decide to try Bionics hearing device also known as Advanced Bionics. Well I will tell you. This bionics is pretty lousy in interpretation of sounds by far. Cochlear device although distorted to a certain degree sounds still a lot more human in response. While Bionics hearing sounds very robotic. And makes and echo as if being in a cardboard box. Or kind of like a cave. If anyone needs to get this I recommend Cochlear Nucleus five over Advanced Bionics.

Now I am in a quagmire for what can be done. I just spoke to the audiologist about wanting to get my cochlear device back. It would require surgery since it is all together a different product. But I am being told on each surgery either the cochlea or of the inner ear gets a tiny bit of damage each time surgery like this is done. Telling me I could possibly lose some of my hearing if I get another one to get my cochlear to remove the advance bionics.

On March 12 I will be talking to the brain surgeon who does head surgeries of various sources to see how much risk I have of damage. Or can I return back to cochlear. I hate hearing like a Robot from Bionics hearing. I want more human sound from cochlear. Why did I switch products? When I got the infection and had to remove it from my head I wanted to try Bionics because some said it was better that I wanted to be able to play music again. Music with Bionics is not music at all. Cochlear is distorted but more traceable to understanding somewhat what music sounds like. Also cochlear aligned with my brain and voice box speaking and hearing with cochlear is more natural to me. Speaking and hearing with bionics is speaking and hearing as a robot. Did you ever seen the 80s movie war games where the computer says.. Do you want to play a game? Bionics sounds kind of like that while cochlear kind of sounds like a portable radio.

Does anyone have any input on this? Should I try to get cochlear back? Or is too much of a risk that I may or may not lose some hearing? Does anyone know or want to know more about these hearing devices and how they work?

 

[Evo]

I'm sorry, but we cannot give you medical advice. It's fine to post about your situation, but we would not be able to give advice on what to do aside from see a doctor, which you are.

 

[SteamKing]

You are in a quandary about which device to get. A quagmire is a swamp.

 

[WyWonder]

You are in a quandary about which device to get. A quagmire is a swamp.

You are correct SteamKing but I am also..
Here is the definition of quagmire..

Definition of QUAGMIRE
1
: soft miry land that shakes or yields under the foot
2
: a difficult, precarious, or entrapping position : predicament
See quagmire defined for English-language learners »
See quagmire defined for kids »

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quagmire

 

[SteamKing]

But quagmires are usually self-inflicted. The solution to your hearing difficulties lies in choosing among two or more alternatives, and making the right choice is not quite clear from all of the information at hand.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quandary?show=0&t=1358666832

 

[Hush]

The first posting is astonishing. The comparisons made makes an original reference necessary. That's my personal assertion.
By original reference I mean a sound bank in which sounds first heard were stored and are now being recalled (for comparison) without the physiological shortcomings that developed after the first undistorted sounds were heard.

 

[jim hardy]

I guess i'd learn as much as i could about the technology.

Search on "cochlear implant Texas Instruments" yielded lots of hits
here's a few that weren't advertisements. First one is some fellow's actual experience with one.

http://smy2ci.blogspot.com/2012/02/my-100-day-progress-report.html

http://www.edn.com/design/medical/4...biomedical-electronics-part-1-the-eye-and-ear

http://www.nciua.org.uk/Welcome.html

http://www.signalprocessingsociety.org/technical-committees/list/sl-tc/spl-nl/2012-08/Loizou/

Reason i included TI in my search is about ten years ago their medical division was working on retina implants for blind people - but i coiuldn't find that department today.

Good Luck to you.

 

[WyWonder]

You’re right. They won’t be able to see physically whether or not if my hearing is worse or not. But this is why sometimes medical science has inaccurate data. A mouse can be tested. But a mouse can’t give their own view on the test.

Cases vary from person to person. I think it is just as important for doctors to hear out patients as the patients also have to hear what the doctor says. Lots of doctors don’t want any negotiations. They always want to be right. These are those doctors most people end up saying I don’t like this doctor and his or her work. They never care about my feelings my experiences. They think it is as simple as looking in a book to find all the answers.

This doctor I go to is not pushy. But he does exit the room pretty quickly to get to his next patient. He only works at this office once a week in the morning. He is considered the best out of Loyola in this field of his kind of surgery. But he does not decide. That’s where I come in. So I need to know the chances of risks whether or not I would lose some of my hearing. But you would not want bionics hearing. It’s quite annoying if you have a memory of hearing in the past like I have. These doctors and audiologists believe me for certain. But I am being cautioned to look into this. The greatest advantage I have is Dr. Marzo is a good doctor. All my past surgeries came out well. Can I make it through just one more to get my hearing back on track? . I guess I won’t know until I hear percentages. I’ll have to stay with this lousy hearing if I go too far against great odds.

I will just say this. If you or any family or friends need this tell them get Cochlear Brand. Tell them Bionics has too many flaws and natural sound is just way too out of range. Please believe me I have played music in the past to know the difference in notes. Cochlear is much further to advancing to more natural sounds. They need work but much closer to that goal than Bionics. Thanks for listening even if you can’t help. It’s better to vent this out of my system. I am kind of hurt because I want to hear better again. It’s one dream I may be never able to reach.

 

[atyy]

@WyWonder, thanks for sharing your experience. Having worked on the central auditory system, I learn a lot from first hand experiences like yours. I am not qualified to advise, and am not associated with any cochlear implant company. Out of curiosity, may I ask how stable your hearing was after getting a cochlear implant? Was your ability to understand speech or music the same several months after the implant as immediately after?

 

[jim hardy]

I saw this article and thought of you.

Hope it becomes something worthwhile and not just chatter.

http://www.qmed.com/mpmn/medtechpulse/novel-interface-could-lead-improved-cochlear-implants?cid=nl_qmed_daily

Today’s cochlear implants contain between 12 and 22 wire electrodes, each of which conveys a signal for a different pitch. More electrodes should result in a clearer message. However, the cochlea measures only 2 mm in diameter, shrinking down to 200 mm as it coils. "While we'd like to be able to increase the number of electrodes, the space issue is a major challenge from an engineering perspective," Bhatti remarks.

To answer this challenge, Bhatti and her team have developed a thin-film, electrode array that is up to three times more sensitive but no more bulky than traditional wire electrodes. And unlike wire electrodes, the new array is also flexible, enabling it to be placed closer to the inner wall of the cochlea. The researchers believe that this feature will create a better link between the array and the nervous system, improving signal quality.