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Updated: Aug 31, 2025
Robotic Cochlear Implantation for Direct Cochlear Access
Published on: June 16, 2022
The remaining obstacles for a totally implantable cochlear implant
Mathieu Trudel1, David P Morris2
1Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Surgery, CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Hôpital de l'Enfant-Jésus, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.
Purpose Of The Review:
For years, the development of a totally implantable cochlear implant (TICI) has faced several technical challenges hindering any prototypes from reaching full commercialization. This article aims to review the necessary specifications for a viable TICI. An overview of the remaining challenges when designing TICIs will be provided, focusing on energy supply and implantable microphones.
Recent Findings:
The literature review highlights how research efforts to generate sufficient power to supply a fully implantable CI could take advantage of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-based energy harvesters incorporating piezoelectric materials. Using one of the various energy sources in the vicinity of the temporal bone would allow the development of a self-sufficient implant, overcoming the limitations of electrochemical batteries. Middle ear implantable microphones could also use similar fabrication techniques and transduction mechanisms to meet the sensor requirements for a TICI.
Summary:
Recent breakthroughs in power supply using MEMS-based energy harvesting technologies and piezoelectric implantable microphones may make TICIs become a more practical reality in the foreseeable future. Once available, TICIs will have major impact on our patients' quality of life and may help to make hearing rehabilitation a more appealing option to a greater proportion of those who fulfill our candidacy criteria.
