Sensory cochlea electrode: Sensory safety through detection of critical processes at the electrode-nerve interface (A05)

• Subject Area: Biomaterials ; Otolaryngology, Phoniatrics and Audiology
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 426335750

The aim of subproject A05 is to improve the reliability of cochlear implants by employing the cochlear electrode as an electrical implant itself as diagnostic/detective element. Electrodes will be used as sensors to detect changes at the cochlea-electrode/perilymph interface by means of electrochemical measurements of e.g. increasing impedance. To systematically analyse the influence of variances in the electrode materials (impurity content, grain (mis)orientation, dislocation density), electrochemical investigations are performed on mono- and polycrystalline platinum. Furthermore, the possibility of reversing the changes by appropriate electrode stimulation in response to the detected impedance will be studied.

• DFG Programme: CRC/Transregios
• Subproject of: TRR 298: Safety Integrated and Infection Reactive Implants
• Applicant Institution: Medizinische Hochschule Hannover
• Project Heads: Professor Dr. Thomas Lenarz; Professor Dr.-Ing. Hans Jürgen Maier