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Averaged electrode voltage testing to diagnose an unusual cochlear implant internal device failure
Kevin H Franck1, Udayan K Shah
1Center for Childhood Communication, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 34th Street and Civic Center Blvd., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. franck@email.chop.edu
Journal of the American Academy of Audiology
|December 4, 2004
Summary
This study highlights a rare Clarion 1.2 cochlear implant failure. Electrode voltage testing is crucial for diagnosing internal device issues when other tests appear normal.
Area of Science:
- Otolaryngology
- Biomedical Engineering
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Cochlear implants (CIs) are vital for restoring hearing in severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss.
- Standard CI diagnostic tests include impedance and electric field measurements.
- Identifying internal device failures is critical for patient outcomes.
Observation:
- A patient with a Clarion 1.2 CI showed poor auditory progress despite normal impedance and electric field tests.
- Abnormal electrode voltage testing was observed in a subset of electrodes.
- The internal device failure was due to fractured epoxy at the electrode-to-controller connection, without reported head trauma.
Findings:
- Electrode voltage testing identified a subclinical internal Clarion 1.2 CI failure not detected by conventional diagnostics.
- This specific failure mechanism involved epoxy fracture at the electrode array connection.
- The absence of external trauma suggests spontaneous or wear-related device degradation.
Implications:
- Clinical availability of electrode voltage testing is essential for diagnosing complex CI failures.
- This diagnostic method can prevent prolonged periods of suboptimal auditory performance.
- Understanding CI failure modes informs device design and long-term reliability assessments.