I-Corps: Analyzing the cochlear implant programming market and assessing the need for image guided cochlear implant programming

Vanderbilt University, Nashville TN

Investigators

Abstract

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project addresses 1) improving the overall cochlear implant (CI) programming process, 2) enabling the assessment of the CI electrode array placement which has been shown to affect hearing outcomes, 3) reducing the subjectivity in CI programming by providing patient-specific objectives and quantitative information, and 4) creating a patient focused procedure by enabling CI users to have a better understanding of factors that affect their outcomes. According to the latest reports from several CI companies, around 37 million could benefit from a CI; the number of candidates among newborns each year alone is estimated around 150,000. This technology will not only individualize and enhance hearing outcomes but it will also increase market penetration, by making the benefits more apparent and programming less of a burden, thereby allowing more people to take advantage of the CI technology. Additionally, overall improved hearing outcomes will reduce isolation faced by older adults with poor hearing outcomes. This I-Corps project utilizes cutting-edge image processing algorithms that localize crucial inner ear structures as well as cochlear implant (CI) electrodes. The resulting information enables estimation of auditory nerve stimulation patterns which are then used to help guide CI programming where the goal is to determine a set of satisfactory settings that will lead to better hearing outcomes. Currently, the programming process is more of a subjective exercise than a patient-specific procedure that is based on quantitative and objective measurements. Clinical studies conducted with over 200 participating CI recipients have showed that significant improvements in speech discrimination as well as recognition in both noisy and quiet environments were achieved when CIs were programmed using this technology. In addition, over 70% of those participants decided to keep their new mapping. This project will help 1) better understand the features and characteristics of the current cochlear implant market including eligibility, surgery and programming, 2) consider the challenges in overcoming the status quo and changing the current audiological process, and 3) determine a commercially viable business model that will improve both the programming process and the hearing outcomes for CI users. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.