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J F Patrick

Publications and source records attributed to J F Patrick.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

The Nucleus 22-channel cochlear implant system.

Cochlear implants have become the treatment of choice for profoundly deaf adults and children who obtain little or no benefit from conventional amplification. Sounds are translated into small electric currents that stimulate the auditory nerves in the cochlea and generate hearing sensations. The Nucleus cochlear implant is the result of more than 20 yr of research and development, first at the University of Melbourne, Australia and later by Cochlear Proprietary Limited (Sydney, Australia) in collaboration with the University of Melbourne. Today, the cochlear Mini-22 implant system is approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in adults and children, and has been implanted in more than 3000 patients worldwide. Although this chapter describes the cochlear implant system and clinical issues related to its use in children, much of the material has been derived from experience with adults. Furthermore, the Nucleus system is not static. It is being continually improved both in performance and ease of use. The purpose of this chapter is to describe developments leading up to and including the present Nucleus cochlear implant system. Other chapters in this issue present results and procedures relating to pediatric applications of the device.

Adult

A cochlear implant round window electrode array.

This multiple-electrode array for round window cochlear implantation is a robust, reliable system for inserting 20 mm along the scala tympani with a minimum of trauma and can provide for bipolar stimulation.

Cochlea

A multiple-electrode hearing prosthesis for cochlea implantation in deaf patients.

A multiple-electrode hearing prosthesis for cochlea implantation in deaf patients has been developed at the University of Melbourne. It has been designed as a multiple-electrode implant to provide the best chance of enabling patients to understand speech. It has been shown that an electrode array can be threaded along the coills of the inner ear close to residual auditory nerves. Experimental studies have indicated that the long-term implantation of the array will not lead to significant degeneration of auditory nerve fibres. Loss of platinum from the stimulating electrodes can be minimized with a biphasic constant current pulse, where the first phase is negative with respect to ground. The receiver-stimulator component has also been designed to provide 10-15 channels of stimulation. Furthermore, the phase and amplitude of the stimuli to individual electrodes can be varied to enable the localization of the electrical fields to discrete groups of nerve fibres, and the correct method of frequency and intensity coding to be determined. Finally, the device should be used in the first instance for a specially selected group of adults who are post-lingually deaf.

Animals

A multiple electrode cochlear implant.

The University of Melbourne Departments of Otolaryngology and Electrical Engineering (UMDOLEE) receiving and stimulating component of a multiple-electrode cochlear implant hearing prosthesis produces constant stimulation. It has a stimulating pulse shape that minimizes the production of toxic substances and loss of metal from the electrodes, and this is achieved with a biphasic rectangular waveform where the first phase is negative with respect to ground. The duration of each stimulus phase in 180 msec, which is long enough to allow low levels of current stimulation, and short enough to permit rates of 1000 pulses/second to be achieved. In order to be consistent with our present understanding of the perception of pitch, the device permits the independent stimulation of a number of electrodes. Furthermore, to electrically isolate the stimulus to small areas, there is the capacity to vary the current and set the threshold independently at individual electrodes. The phase and amplitude of the pulses to neighbouring electrodes with also be varied to assist in localizing the current flow. The pattern to stimulation to individual or groups of electrodes can also be altered to enable studies to be carried out to determine ways of conveying frequency and intensity information over a more normal dynamic range.

Animals