How Cochlear Implant Position and Perilymph Composition Affect Stimulation Electrode Impedance

Cochlear implants are hearing prostheses for deaf people with an intact auditory nerve. The functionality and stimulation efficiency of a cochlear implant strongly depends on the position of the cochlear implant in the inner ear and its surrounding. This work presents impedance spectroscopic measurements to investigate, how the distance to a bone wall, the composition of the perilymph and the position of the cochlear implant inside a bone spiral influence the impedance between two stimulation electrodes, which can be a basis for a later monitoring of the functionality of a cochlear implant.