| 摘要 |
A cochlear implant is provided that can be implanted in a doctor's office under local anesthesia, does not destroy residual hearing, and in a preferred embodiment is small enough to fit within a person's ear canal. The implant includes an exterior ear module, an interior ear module, and a cochlear electrode array. The exterior ear module includes a hollow housing within which are located active electrical components. It is removable from the body without surgery and is positioned in the auditory canal, in the concha bowl or behind the pinna. The interior ear module is a semi-permanent and located immediately exterior to the tympanic membrane. It is a passive module for relaying signals to the electrode array. The electrode array extends from the interior ear module through the tympanic membrane to engage the cochlea and includes an implanted active electrode, a return electrode and a biocompatible miniature connector. |
