Med-El Guest Speaker Flashcards
(17 cards)
Does Med-El have the softest and most flexible arrays?
Yes
Want something that is going to be gentle and non-traumatic
Lateral wall array - sits more to the outside (further away from delicate hearing structures)
How many contacts are in each electrode?
12
What is the average length of the cochlear duct?
32 mm
See people above and below this
Why is it important to have a wide variety of electrode lengths?
So they can fit the specific patient’s cochlea
Individualized experience
To get complete cochlear coverage
What happens when a patient has a short electrode array?
Shallow insertion
Information is up-shifted
It is squished down
Results in sound quality issues
What is otoplan?
How to decide what implant is best for the patient
Determining how long the cochlear duct of the patient is and how the different electrodes will fit in the cochlea
Measure detailed parameters of the cochlear pre-operatively in just a few steps
What is angular insertion depth?
A way to normalize across patients and companies
Looks at the last contact and where it is sitting in the cochlea
Shoot for 600 degrees
Can you also do oto-plan post-op?
Yes
Tells you exactly where the contacts are sitting
Can upload that to the software
To match the patients tonotopic organization - allocates frequency bands to better match the anatomy of the patient
Prioritizes matching in the mid frequencies for speech
What is Med-Els coding strategy?
Phase locking on the first four channels (for fine structure)
Why does phase locking only work in the low frequencies?
It can’t keep up in the high frequencies
It saturates
Do you need to get phase locking to get fine structure information?
Yes, without it we only get envelope information
Is Med-El the only manufacturer with phase locking?
Yes, and therefore they get more fine structure information
Want it to sound like normal hearing
What does MCL stand for?
Maximum comfortable loudness
Most important parameter when programming Med-EL
What is the goal of dynamic range?
Take the wide input dynamic range and squish it down into a narrow electrical dynamic range
If MCL is not right, you are limiting an already limited dynamic range
Should you ask the patient to tell you when the sound gets louder than they want?
Yes, and then set the MCL just below that
Does Med-El use monopolar stimulation?
Yes
Less concentrated energy - wider spread of current
More uniform
Flatter maps with lateral wall stimulation too
Are the maps generally flat?
Yes
