Modeling and Computation of Electric Potential Field Distribution Generated in Cochlear Tissues by Cochlear Implant Stimulations

Electric potential field distribution induced in the physiological tissues by electrical stimulation through a cochlear implant electrode array, was calculated by modeling the electrical properties of both the human cochlea and the electrode array, using a finite element method. Simulations were done under different stimulation conditions: by considering different electrode configurations and by activating different electrodes along the stimulating array. These parameters were found to affect the resulting field potentials. Results of this study provide a deeper knowledge of the relationship between the stimulation parameters and the actually delivered electric field, which is crucial to develop more efficient and spatially focused excitations of cochlear neural tissues