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An implanted auditory eight channel stimulator for the deaf

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Abstract

A hermetically-sealed glass-packaged implantable multichannel auditory nerve-stimulator was developed that can be used both as a hearing aid for the deaf—in conjunction with an external wearable sound processor—and as a research tool for the development of speech processing strategies. It allows the use of stimulation frequencies up to 5kHz, contains eight completely independent channels, has a very low power consumption and is exceptionally transparent to digital as well as analogue stimulation waveforms. It was implemented in thin film hybrid technology using c.m.o.s. active circuits. The supply power as well as the stimulation signal are transmitted over a single 12MHz f.m.-carrier.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut fuer Allgemeine Elektrotechnik und Elektronik, Technical University of Vienna, 27, Gusshausstr., Austria

    E. S. Hochmair & I. J. Hochmair-Desoyer

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  1. E. S. Hochmair
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  2. I. J. Hochmair-Desoyer
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Hochmair, E.S., Hochmair-Desoyer, I.J. An implanted auditory eight channel stimulator for the deaf. Med. Biol. Eng. Comput. 19, 141–148 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02442707

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02442707

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