Current distributions in cochlear stimulation

Abstract

Animal experimental studies have shown length constants of 2-4 mm for bipolar and 8-16 mm for monopolar stimulations. Studies in models using saline-solution-filled tubes have allowed us to examine the radial and longitudinal current distribution for pseudobipolar stimulation and have demonstrated that current localization is the same for bipolar and pseudobipolar stimulation over a 6-10-dB operating range. With coincident pseudobipolar multiple-channel stimulation there was suppression of the current between the stimulus maxima and enhancement at the edges leading to less stimulus interaction. Experiments performed with a pseudobipolar electrode implanted into the human cochlea showed that there was significant spread of current along the ground electrode because the electrode ground impedance was significantly greater than the cochlear tissue impedances. Because this leads to less current returned at each ground electrode, the pseudobipolar array will result in less interaction for coincident stimulation.