Phillips James O, Bierer Steven M, Ling Leo, Nie Kaibao, Rubinstein Jay T
Department of Otolaryngology and the Virginia Merrill Bloedel Hearing Research Center at the University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. 2011;2011:3537-41. doi: 10.1109/IEMBS.2011.6090588.
Loss of vestibular function results in imbalance, disorientation, and oscillopsia. Several groups have designed and constructed implantable devices to restore vestibular function through electrical stimulation of the vestibular nerve. We have designed a two-part device in which the head motion sensing and signal processing elements are externally mounted to the head, and are coupled through an inductive link to a receiver stimulator that is based on a cochlear implant. The implanted electrode arrays are designed to preserve rotational sensitivity in the implanted ear. We have tested the device in rhesus monkeys by rotating the animals in the plane of the implanted canals, and then using head velocity and acceleration signals to drive electrical stimulation of the vestibular system. Combined electrical and rotational stimulation results in a summation of responses, so that one can control the modulation of eye velocity induced by sinusoidal yaw rotation.
前庭功能丧失会导致失衡、定向障碍和视振荡。多个研究小组已设计并制造出可植入设备，通过对前庭神经进行电刺激来恢复前庭功能。我们设计了一种由两部分组成的设备，其中头部运动传感和信号处理元件安装在头部外部，并通过电感耦合连接到一个基于人工耳蜗的接收器刺激器。植入的电极阵列旨在保留植入耳的旋转敏感性。我们通过在植入半规管平面内旋转恒河猴，然后利用头部速度和加速度信号来驱动前庭系统的电刺激，对该设备进行了测试。电刺激和旋转刺激相结合会产生反应总和，从而可以控制正弦偏航旋转引起的眼球速度调制。
