Electronic Devices for Reconstruction of Hearing

Abstract

The effect of specific hearing impairments can be alleviated or compensated using electrically driven hearing aids. There is a broad variety of devices for stimulating the hearing either acoustically, mechanically or electrically. Their applications depend on the type, the severity and the location of a particular impairment. In order to get an optimal reconstruction, additionally to the medical aspects the dynamical behavior of the implant has to be regarded together with the individual situation of the patient simultaneously. Because of the broad variation of individuals and situations, the belonging parameters are time dependent and vary in a wide range, too. Thus, the design of a hearing device must be robust or insensitive against parameter variation and a sensitivity analysis with respect to parameters of the device, variation of anatomy and variation of insertion is needed. By means of mechanical simulation models enhanced by the behavior of the actuator and its control, the dynamical behavior of implants can be calculated and optimized. Such simulations helps to shorten series of experiments in the lab and in clinical practice and guidelines for the designer and for the surgeon can be derived.