Objective: The concept and design of new cochlear implant electrodes is a challenging process. To evaluate new electrode designs, we present a study that uses a microgrinding procedure to evaluate damage to the microstructures of the cochlea resulting from the insertion procedure. In this study, we compared different insertion techniques with the Contour electrode with Softip for placement inside the cochlea and any resulting damage.
Methods: Twenty-five fresh frozen human temporal bones were used to compare electrode insertion characteristics with three insertion techniques (i.e., conventional insertion, Advance Off-Stylet performed manually, and Advance Off-Stylet performed with insertion tool) and two prototype variants of the Contour electrode with Softip (referred as Softip I and Softip II in this article). Five temporal bones were used for each arm of the study: Softip I electrode and conventional insertion; Softip I electrode and manual Advance Off-Stylet insertion; Softip I electrode and Advance Off-Stylet insertion with an early experimental insertion tool; Softip II prototype electrode and manual Advance Off-Stylet insertion; and Softip II prototype and Advance Off-Stylet insertion with a prototype insertion tool. The temporal bones were dehydrated and embedded in epoxy and used for the microgrinding procedure. Resulting images were documented and compared with conventional radiographic images.
Results: Our results showed that, especially when using the conventional insertion technique with Softip I electrode arrays, basilar membrane perforations were observable. Using the prototype insertion tool, good placement of the electrode array but also two basilar membrane perforations (one with each type of electrode) were observed. In contrast, the Advance Off-Stylet insertion technique did not show basilar membrane perforation with Softip I and II electrodes and resulted in reliable perimodiolar placement of the arrays.
Conclusion: Using microgrinding of temporal bones, the Advance Off-Stylet insertion technique was proven to enable more atraumatic insertions of Contour electrodes with Softip and to provide very reliable perimodiolar placements.