34 results about "Spiral ganglion" patented technology

Compositions and methods are provided for prophylactic or therapeutic treatment of a mammal for hearing or balance impairments involving neuronal damage, loss, or degeneration, preferably of spiral ganglion neurons, by administration of a therapeutically effective amount of one or more molecules having erythropoietin activity selected from EPO, or a biosimilar, a variant, or a mutant thereof; a protein or peptide mimetic of EPO; a small molecule mimetic of EPO and an erythropoiesis stimulating agent. Also provided are improved compositions and methods for treatments of ototoxicity requiring administration of a pharmaceutical having an ototoxic side-effect in combination with a therapeutically effective amount of a molecule having erythropoietin activity.

Method and apparatus for optically and electrically stimulating neurons of auditory nerve pathways of a person to provide auditory sensations for the person including generating a plurality of pulsed light signals having one or more successive pulses, delivering the plurality of pulsed light signals to one or more auditory nerve pathways of the cochlea of the person and selectively controlling the plurality of light signals to optically stimulate and trigger nerve action potentials (NAPs) in the one or more auditory nerve pathways. In some embodiments, the present invention also includes one or more electrical stimulation electrodes used to stimulate the low frequency portions of the auditory nerves.

The invention relates to a method of generating a place-frequency map for accurate positioning of a cochlear implant whereby the place-frequency map is used to relate a physical position of the cochlear implant to a tonotopic map of the basilar membrane / spiral ganglion. The invention also relates to a method of electrically positioning of an already inserted cochlear implant within the cochlea to provide stimuli to only the parts of the cochlea that have reduced or no residual hearing.

There is provided a cochlear implant for improving the hearing ability of a patient suffered from hearing impairment comprising an internal receiving unit implanted into the body, which comprises a receiving part for receiving external signal, an active electrode and a reference electrode, characterized in that the active electrode is constructed with a single electrode wire having different thickness in at least two different regions. The active electrode of the internal receiving unit is inserted into a space formed at between the mastoid bone and the ear canal skin and end of the active electrode is inserted into the scala tympani of the cochlea and directly stimulates spiral ganglion. The cochlear implant provides easier implantation into the body and improved hearing ability at a lower cost.

The invention relates to an artificial cochlea. The artificial cochlea comprises an external device and an implant, wherein the external device comprises a sound processing device and a power supply unit, the power supply unit is used for supplying power for the sound processing device, the sound processing device is used for processing acquired sound signals to form full frequency continuous sound signals which are sent to the implant, the continuous sound signals sent by the sound processing device are received by the implant, a spiral ganglion is further stimulated by utilizing electrical electrodes, and the continuous sound signals are transmitted to auditory nerves. The invention further relates to a sound processing method of the artificial cochlea. According to the artificial cochlea, after multi-channel sub-band processing on the sound signals, the sound signals are synthesized to form complete sine wave signals, the sine wave signals comprise all the sound information including tones, and patients are made to have real hearing feeling.

There is provided a cochlear implant for improving the hearing ability of a patient suffered from hearing impairment comprising an internal receiving unit implanted into the body, which comprises a receiving part for receiving external signal, an active electrode and a reference electrode, characterized in that the active electrode is constructed with a single electrode wire having different thickness in at least two different regions. The active electrode of the internal receiving unit is inserted into a space formed at between the mastoid bone and the ear canal skin and end of the active electrode is inserted into the scala tympani of the cochlea and directly stimulates spiral ganglion. The cochlear implant provides easier implantation into the body and improved hearing ability at a lower cost.

Statin compositions are disclosed for stimulating neurite growth from spiral ganglion neurons in the inner ear and methods for preventing damage to or treating damage of auditory neurons and / or hair cells of the cochlea following acoustic or toxic insult.

An artificial sensory epithelium (1) to be embedded in a cochlea (301) of a patient includes a piezoelectric film (2) and multitude microelectrodes (3), (3), . . . arranged on the cochlea. The piezoelectric film is arranged along a basilar membrane (306) in the cochlea. A portion of the piezoelectric film that corresponds to a portion of the basilar membrane that is induced to vibrate by sound waves coming from outside the cochlea vibrates. A microelectrode of the microelectrodes that is arranged on the portion of the piezoelectric film provides electric stimuli to spiral ganglion neurons (311). The artificial sensory epithelium preferably includes a support member (4) configured to support the piezoelectric film and be fixable in the cochlea.

One aspect of the invention provides a method for customizing cochlear implant stimulation of a living subject. The cochlear implant includes an electrode array having a plurality of electrodes implanted in a cochlea of the living subject. The method includes determining a position for each of the plurality of electrodes and spiral ganglion nerves that the electrode array stimulates, determining a geometric relationship between neural pathways within the cochlea and the electrode array implanted therein, and using one or more electrodes of the electrode array to stimulate a group of SG neural pathways of the cochlea based on the location of the one or more electrodes and their geometric relationship with the neural pathways.

The present invention provides a compound having an effect of preventing and / or treating the damage or degeneration of cochlear (and vestibular) mother cells and spiral ganglion neurons by downregulating a cysteinyl leukotriene receptor. Particularly, the present invention provides a composition for preventing or treating sensorineural hearing loss, containing a cysteinyl leukotriene receptor and a ginkgo biloba extract as active ingredients, on the basis of the co-administration of a cysteinyl leukotriene receptor and a ginkgo biloba extract having an excellent effect of protecting hearing.

Statin compositions are disclosed for stimulating neurite growth from spiral ganglion neurons in the inner ear and methods for preventing damage to or treating damage of auditory neurons and / or hair cells of the cochlea following acoustic or toxic insult.

The invention discloses a light-operated artificial cochlea device, which comprises a voice acquisition device, a voice processing device, a transmission device and a photic stimulation device capable of implanting cochleas, and is characterized in that the photic stimulation device comprises a micro LED (light-emitting diode) lamp containing blue and yellow light sources, and a flexible optical fiber output end connected with the micro LED lamp, the voice processing device is used for coding received electrical signals, the coded electrical signals are used for controlling the on and off of the lamp sources of the micro LED lamp, the frequency, the pulse width and the intensity of light and the alternating time between the blue light source and the yellow light source, the micro LED lamp applies the received electrical signals to driving the micro LED lamp and generating corresponding photic stimulation signals, and the photic stimulation signals are transmitted to spiral ganglion cells of photogenes expressing sensitivity to blue and yellow in advance through the flexible optical fiber output end and drive the spiral ganglion cells to generate excitement and inhibition intermittent auditory nerve impulse with certain frequency and a certain mode. The light-operated artificial cochlea device has the advantages of little trauma, simplified operation, high success ratio of an operation and high natural sound degree.

The invention discloses an artificial cochlea pre-bent electrode array union. The artificial cochlea pre-bent electrode array union comprises colloid silica and an electrode array union which is pre-bent into a cochlea shape, wherein the electrode array union consists of electrode rings and electrode wires; and the electrode array union and the colloid silica are packaged into a whole body. The artificial cochlea pre-bent electrode array union is characterized in that: a water filling cavity which is parallel to the electrode array union is formed on the colloid silica which is back to the electrode array union; one end of the water filling cavity is closed, while the other end is provided with a water filling hole which is in threaded connection; and the electrode array union which is pre-bent into the cochlea shape can be straightened by filling water into the water filling cavity. The artificial cochlea pre-bent electrode array union is simple in structure, and compared with the prior art, the artificial cochlea pre-bent electrode array union brings great convenience to the operation of implanting the artificial cochlea pre-bent electrode array union; and both the reliability and the safety of an implant are greatly improved, so that electrodes get closer to spiral ganglion cells of the cochlea, the language discrimination capacity is improved, and the long-term normal operation of the implanted electrodes in human bodies is ensured.

The invention relates to an artificial cochlea. The artificial cochlea comprises an external device and an implant, wherein the external device comprises a sound processing device and a power supply unit, the power supply unit is used for supplying power for the sound processing device, the sound processing device is used for processing acquired sound signals to form full frequency continuous sound signals which are sent to the implant, the continuous sound signals sent by the sound processing device are received by the implant, a spiral ganglion is further stimulated by utilizing electrical electrodes, and the continuous sound signals are transmitted to auditory nerves. The invention further relates to a sound processing method of the artificial cochlea. According to the artificial cochlea, after multi-channel sub-band processing on the sound signals, the sound signals are synthesized to form complete sine wave signals, the sine wave signals comprise all the sound information including tones, and patients are made to have real hearing feeling.

Statin compositions are disclosed for stimulating neurite growth from spiral ganglion neurons in the inner ear, as well as methods and kits for preventing damage to or treating damage of auditory neurons and / or hair cells of the cochlea following acoustic or toxic insult. An exemplary statin for these methods and kits includes Pitavastatin having the compound formula (VIII):

Presented herein are trans-modiolar stimulation techniques in which stimulation current is sourced (delivered) by at least one intra-cochlear stimulating contact and is sunk at a group of other intra-cochlear stimulating contacts. The group of other intra-cochlear stimulating contacts is positioned (located) across a section of the recipient's modiolus from the intra-cochlear stimulating contact that sources the stimulation. As such, stimulation current generally passes through the modiolus to stimulate spiral ganglion cells and evoke a hearing percept.