Multi-scale in silico and ex silico mechanics of 3D printed cochlear implants for local drug delivery

The currently available treatments for inner ear disorders often involve systemic drug administration, leading to suboptimal drug concentrations and side effects. Cochlear implants offer a potential solution by providing localized and sustained drug delivery to the cochlea. While the mechanical characterization of both the implants and their...

High-Precision 3D Printing of Microporous Cochlear Implants for Personalized Local Drug Delivery

Hearing loss is a highly prevalent multifactorial disorder affecting 20% of the global population. Current treatments using the systemic administration of drugs are therapeutically ineffective due to the anatomy of the cochlea and the existing blood–labyrinth barrier. Local drug delivery systems can ensure therapeutic drug concentrations locally...

Design and fabrication of stiff silicon probes: A step towards sophisticated cochlear implant electrodes

Cochlear implants work on the principle of direct electrical stimulation of the auditory nerve. It has advantages to replace their traditional wired electrodes by a high-density thin-film multielectrode stimulation array which is relatively small in dimensions, stable, resistant to electrolysis, and offers batch fabrication capabilities with...