A new cochlear implant developed in the Biosystems Interface Laboratory at the Georgia Institute of Technology improves the quality of sound several times more than the conventional cochlear implants.

The new device called the thin film array uses a thinner wire on which are paired 12 electrodes. The thinner wire does less damage to the ear and could preserve residual hearing more than standard cochlear implants, while the higher number of electrodes improves the quality of sound. Dr. Kenneth Iverson, one of the researchers who worked on the device, said: “For the patient, it would be like the difference between hearing a Bach concerto played by a music box versus a quartet.”

Researchers will present their findings about the new device at the 11^th International Conference on Cochlear Implants and Other Auditory Implantable Technology in Stockholm, Sweden June 30 – July 3