Piezoelectric Nanocomposite Nanofibre-Based Artificial Cochlea

Project ID: 2228cd1346 (You will need this ID for your application)

UCL Lead department: Division of Surgery and Interventional Sciences

Lead Supervisor: Wenhui Song

Project Summary:

Hearing impairment is one of the most common and influential disabilities worldwide, affecting more than 300 million people and 10.1 million in the UK. The cochlear implant (CI) is a specific auditory prosthesis that is currently the sole clinical treatment for the hearing loss in children and adults who don’t receive sufficient benefit from a standard hearing aid. CI is a device that bypasses the damaged sensory hair cells by generating the electric current in response to the acoustic sound. Despite their successes, CIs remain an imperfect device. Patients are unable to perceive tonal language, appreciate music and discern speech in noisy environments due to a limited range of electrode channels, compared to human cochlea, thus far beyond the ideal treatment for the entire spectrum of hearing impairment. Our hypothesis is that acoustic device based on piezoelectric nanofibers will improve the mechanoelectrical transduction between artificial acoustic sensors and the auditory nerve.

We have developed proprietary cochlea-like acoustic sensors (EPSRC funded) that are capable of spectral sound decomposition and sound localisation. The project aims to further develop the sensors and explore their applications for hearing aid and implants. Based on our proof of concept, the piezo-nanofiber-based acoustic biosensors will be refined and miniaturised. AI-assisted sound detection and localisation processing will be developed and analysed using machine learning algorithm. Sensors and a control system will be integrated into a prototype of wearable or implantable device. Furthermore, the feasibility to integrate the sensors with the auditory nerve will be investigated. The response of spiral ganglion neurons to piezo-nanofibrous membranes, conducting hydrogel electrodes of the interface will be investigated in vitro. A device prototype with integrated interface between electrodes and neuron will be assembled and its ability to spectrally separate and locate sound will be demonstrated which is potentially superior to current CI technology.