Cochlear Implants and Electricity Basics

Flashcards covering key terms and concepts related to cochlear implants, electricity fundamentals, and hearing loss evaluation.

Cochlear Implants

Devices that deliver electrical current to the cochlear nerve to create auditory perception.

Why is there low utilization of cochlear implants?

Reasons include low awareness, low referrals, unfamiliarity with candidacy criteria, inconsistency in testing protocols.

How normal hearing works

Sound travels through the ear canal, vibrates the eardrum and bones, moves cochlear fluid, stimulates hair cells, converting movement into electrical impulses sent to the brain.

How do cochlear implants work?

They capture sound, convert it into digital signals, send signals to an internal implant, and stimulate the auditory nerve.

Voltage

Difference in charge between two locations; pressure that pushes electricity.

Current

The flow of electricity, occurring when two points are physically connected.

Resistance

Opposition to the flow of current; needed to maintain voltage difference.

Ohm's Law

Describes the relationship between voltage, current, and resistance; expressed as voltage = current · resistance.

Impedance

Opposition to the flow through an electrode contact; differs for alternating (AC) and direct current (DC).

Capacitance

Ability of an electrical circuit to hold a charge; used in cochlear implants to store charge.

Electromagnetic Induction

Process where an electrical current through a conducting wire generates magnetic lines of flux.

Telemetry

Information exchange in two different directions; in cochlear implants, it refers to near field magnetic induction.

SSD (Single-Sided Deafness)

Profound hearing loss in one ear while the other ear has normal hearing.

MSTB (Minimum Speech Test Battery 3)

Protocol for candidacy evaluation that includes traditional and enhanced hearing tests.

CROS

Contralateral routing of signals; devices that send sound from the impaired ear to the normal hearing ear.

Bilateral/Binaural hearing

Hearing with both ears; improves localization and speech recognition in noise.

Tinnitus

A ringing or buzzing noise in the ears; can be managed with cochlear implants in some patients.

Audiologic Evaluation

A comprehensive assessment including case history, audiogram, tympanometry, and speech recognition tests.