In this project, Oneeba Ahmed at Brunel University London investigates whether damage to inner ear tissue caused by cochlear implant surgery can be reduced, helping to help preserve some of the patient’s hearing.
Project start date: March 2024
Project end date: March 2027
About this project
Manual surgical insertion of cochlear implant technology into the cochlea can damage the tissue, often destroying any remaining natural hearing the person has. Minimising trauma during surgery would preserve more of a person’s residual hearing, allowing the implant to perform better and letting the person hear better.
The aim of this study is to investigate whether combining novel sensing and robotics technologies can reduce disturbance and damage within the cochlea during surgery.
How it works
Robotic technology that can insert cochlear implant technology in surgery is already in development. This ‘hexapod (3-Legged- 6-DoF-Parallel Manipulator) robotic manipulator’ can move in six degrees of freedom: up and down, left to right, backwards and forwards, and can also twist (rotate as per roll, pitch, yaw) in any of those directions.
Oneeba will test this technology on 3D-printed models of the cochlea (biologically realistic models that has the same anatomy as a real cochlea) to measure how effective the system is at inserting electrode arrays into the cochlea, and to verify and improve its performance.
How will this research benefit people who use cochlear implants?
The results from this project will demonstrate whether this new technology can improve the placement of an implant within the cochlea, reducing the potential for damage to the tissue. This could improve cochlear implant surgical techniques and also improve cochlear implant performance for the listener.
About the researcher
Oneeba Ahmed Oneeba Ahmed is an engineer and researcher, who is currently pursuing a PhD at Brunel University London in Dr Xinli Du’s lab. This is an RNID-funded PhD studentship that began in 2024.
The transformative potential of advanced technologies like cochlear implants and emerging biomedical innovations fuels my passion for research. By working as a biomedical engineer, I aim to develop more effective treatments and devices that can significantly enhance the lives of people with hearing loss.”
