Harvard, MIT Researchers Design Hearing Aid Chip

Researchers from Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have designed a new, low-power signal-processing proto-type system-on-chip (SoC) that may spawn the development of a fully implantable cochlear implant.

Unlike existing versions of cochlear implants, which include a disk-shaped transmitter, a wire, a joint microphone and power source that resembles an oversized hearing aid around the patient’s ear, the low power chip requires no external hardware.

The cosmetic aspect of an invisible cochlear implant eliminates the concerns raised in some individuals with social stigma and limited use in the shower or during water sports.

The device relies on a sound sensor located in the middle ear so that the user can benefit from directional cues provided by the auricle and ear canal. The chip could be wirelessly recharged once a day from an implantable battery.

Massachusetts Eye and Ear otologist Konstantina Stankovic, M.D., who co-led the study with Dr. Anantha Chandrakasan, MIT head of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, said the conventional cochlear implants detect sound by a microphone located outside of the ear so that important directional cues are lost.

“Our long-term goal is to develop a fully implantable cochlear implant,” said Stankovic. “To facilitate that development, we have developed the SoC and tested it in ears of human cadavers.”

The researchers presented their findings at the recent IEEE International Solid State Circuits Conference in San Francisco, Calif.