Numerical modeling and experimental measurements of the electric potential generated by cochlear implants in physiological tissues

The electric potential pattern generated by a cochlear implant was modeled using the finite-element method. The pattern, which is a response to bipolar current pulses from the implant electrode array, was investigated for different values of the electrical parameters of the human cochlea and of the array. Simulated data are compared with measurements in a water tank. Numerical simulations were carried out for different electrode configurations. Electrode configurations were found to affect the resulting potential, and the measurements confirmed our modeling approach. This study provides a better understanding of the relationship between the stimulation parameters and the delivered electric field, which is crucial to develop more efficient and spatially localized excitations of cochlear neural tissues.