Tired of waiting for completely implantable CI's....

[Mick Shu]

Originally Posted by RoseRodent

Often it's a case of people owning patents then doing nothing with them but it means other people cannot proceed without infringing that patent. I'm a firm believer that you should lost patent protection if you make no obvious moves towards a marketable device within 5 years of filing a patent: you can't just file them to stop everyone else from making things, it stops progress for everyone.

patent early and often.. before someone else get s wind of your idea.. there are millions of patents that turned out not to be worth the paperwork it took.

[Elderberry]

It costs approximately $1,500 to file a patent in the U.S. and that is if you do it yourself without a patent attorney. Of course, you can file a provisional patent application for $110 ($220 for a corporation) and get Patent Pending status. However, you must file a regular patent application within a year or loose your "pending" claim.

A lot of the patented ideas that do not go forward to market are due to financial issues. It's much easier to get an idea patented than it is to take it to the market...

[Mick Shu]

sounds like you missed the boat.. you should have gotten an engineering degree and went to work for one of these companies. as much $$$ as could be made both by the companies and the surgeons I got to believe if they had them to the point of working reliably they would be on the market.

I'm starting to think that there's a conspiracy out there that prevents Totally Implantable cochlear implant from happening. Corey will be able to point you in the right direction on conspiracy theories. I'm sure he will be along.

I think it's more about the size of the components...they just can't get them small enough to be able to implant them completely.

The Esteem is a very different product from a CI and it's like comparing apples to oranges.

[xbulder]

Originally Posted by Cyborg

I'm starting to think that there's a conspiracy out there that prevents Totally Implantable cochlear implant from happening.

I don't think CI companies are holding on this technology. This is a product that will
probably have a great commercial success it simply does not make sense to postpone it.

[corey]

Cyborg: http://www.hearingaidforums.com/show...9243#post79243

Something that peeked my curiosity by deaf123's link

Stem cell may be reason for CI delay, in that the research money, may be going to stem cells instead. Better to repair or heal ears than it is to use complex fragile tech that isn't reliable.

[Um bongo]

Re. all of the above: what's the proximity of the VIIIth nerve to the middle-ear cavity and the risk of both facial paralysis and complete bilateral hearing loss for the procedures outlined?

What's the long term prognosis for the stapes attachment prosthesis/stapes replacement prosthesis?

What's the actual resolution - the highest number of electrodes they can put in your cochlear - how does that compare with the number of inner and outer hair cells (even damaged ones) that you have?

In practical terms, what do you do if the cochlear pathology isn't conventional or you cause irreversible damage to it?

Is it a good idea to try to habituate a more senior patient to a massive kind of change like this or would it be a better solution to manage their hearing loss non-invasively? What if they pick-up a hospital acquired infection and you've just made lots of little holes in or near their dural plate.

Hermetically sealed mics are only a small part of the equation: just for reference, they aren't as sensitive as mics open to the air. I've specified a build process for both types through R+D.

For some people, this technology is indeed the 'magic bullet', but don't think it's being brushed under the carpet. Better engineered solutions are always coming out, but it takes properly trained, willing and able specialist surgeons to be able to put this stuff in place.

[stretch]

What an excellent thread, I must say i've spent many months looking for one like it as I knew these technologies must be being discussed somewhere. I'm completely deaf in my left ear and severely in my right. I wear a HA in my right one but get minimal effect from it, I was assessed for a CI but was 20% outside the acceptance criteria.

As it stands now I would rather wait it out for the implantable CI as I feel it's not many years away.

From what i've read about hair cell regeneration I understand that it won't enable someone to fully regain their hearing but rather return it a state where hearing aids will provide the rest.

[milz]

Hi

i am new to this forum!

but i have been researching endlessly for fully implantable ci device. I have just been told i am a candidate for a ci as i just recently lost all my hearing in both ears so i am completely deaf. i hate the idea of wearing the external piece but i guess that will be a small price to pay to be able to hear.

does anyone have any new info when the fully implantable device will become avail in Australia????

what if i have the ci in the next few months and then they do become avail in the next few yrs. are we allowed to upgrade?????

wondering if i should stem cells. heard quite a bit about it.

what your advice.......

[stretch]

Hi sorry to hear you've lost all your hearing but congratulations on being a candidate for a CI. I've been told i'd hear better if I had a CI but currently stuck between a rock and a hard place as I still have some residual hearing left.

I doubt you would be able to 'upgrade' as it would not be a simple procedure as you'd require another operation to implant the microphones and battery which probably wouldn't be compatible with the internals of the other one anyway.

I'd be interested to know what you've heard/read about the stem cell side of things.