Development of HEATHER for Cochlear Implant Stimulation Using a New Modeling Workflow

The current conduction pathways resulting from monopolar stimulation of the cochlear implant were studied by developing a human electroanatomical total head reconstruction (namely, HEATHER). HEATHER was created from serially sectioned images of the female Visible Human Project dataset to encompass a total of 12 different tissues, and included computer-aided design geometries of the cochlear implant. Since existing methods were unable to generate the required complexity for HEATHER, a new modeling workflow was proposed. The results of the finite-element analysis agree with the literature, showing that the injected current exits the cochlea via the modiolus (14%), the basal end of the cochlea (22%), and through the cochlear walls (64%). It was also found that, once leaving the cochlea, the current travels to the implant body via the cranial cavity or scalp. The modeling workflow proved to be robust and flexible, allowing for meshes to be generated with substantial user control. Furthermore, the workflow could easily be employed to create realistic anatomical models of the human head for different bioelectric applications, such as deep brain stimulation, electroencephalography, and other biophysical phenomena.