robotization of cochlear implant – ROBOCOP

According to the statistic of World Health Organization, over 5% of the world’s population, i.e., 360 million people, has disabling hearing loss. Cochlear implant surgery can be used for profoundly deafened patient, for whom hearing aids are not satisfactory, and it is regarded as one of the best options for better hearing. During the implant surgery, the most difficult task is to insert the electrode array into the tympanic ramp of the patient's cochlea. The implant is normally made of silicone and has about 20 electrodes spread along its length (about 0.5mm thick and 2~3cm long). Today, the surgery is performed manually and it is often the case that the implant gets blocked in the cochlea. Also, the bad insertion can create trauma on the wall of the cochlea. This can lead to poor post-operative speech performances or loss of residual hearing. ROBOCOP aims at creating a new prototype of cochlear implant, and robotize its insertion process to facilitate the work of surgeon.