Development and translation of a novel electrical hearing prosthesis for direct stimulation within the auditory nerve: the Auditory Nerve Implant (ANI)

In collaboration with several institutions, an intracranial electrical hearing prosthesis is currently being developed, which stimulates directly in the auditory nerve between the cochlea and the brainstem: the Auditory Nerve Implant (ANI). The ANI is intended to provide hearing rehabilitation for deaf people for whom the cochlear implant (CI) is not applicable despite the preservation of the auditory nerve or has led to poor hearing results. The advantage is an improved nerve-electrode interface. With a penetrating electrode array, the distance between the electrode and the nerve can be minimized. The necessary applied current for the generation of auditory neural responses, as well as the electric field spread, can thus be reduced. This improves the electrical focus, which can ultimately lead to higher spectral resolution.