Cochlear implant design considerations

The design and performance of the present-day cochlear implants are described. In broad terms, the design principles now in use include (1) representing at least most of the information that can be perceived according to place, frequency, and intensity of stimulation; (2) not making any assumptions about sounds in the environment or in particular how speech is produced or perceived; (3) minimizing electrode interactions; (4) using appropriate mapping functions and other aspects of processing to minimize perceptual distortions; and (5) presenting electric stimuli to both cochleas or presenting acoustic plus electric stimuli when possible. Applications of these principles have produced high levels of speech reception for the great majority of implant users and the first substantial restoration of a human sense using a medical intervention.