Future CI (Just imagining what they'll be like in the future

this thread has an interesting subject, speaking of which bioelectrical energy is not new, the brain is well known to generate qualifiable amount. The first of the trilogy in the Matrix film series, showed 'human farming' for electricity generation (now -thats far fetched but by all means not impossible!!)

I have to say this, for each and almost every science fiction films and Tv series, it is more than merely a fantasy, it is signs of what scientists are ALREADY looking on the drawing board!! or else it is NOT in the films!!!!
that's my belief, and I'm sure others will agree with this.
So RonJaxon, yup I would not be surprised if future CI would be powered by own body (despite the high use of 675 batteries at present) i would think some crazy drug might be developed for 'energy supplement' not so much for 'awake energy' but actual supply for the CI/hybrid to utilise. On top of this it probably be on special order since its type would likely be deemed as Class-A controlled drug, not so much for reactional use, but adminstrated much like today's morphine, heroin junkies dont like morphine or methadone because of it toxicity levels... if you get this 'picture' then good.

All i was saying, it possible (probably Already developed but not uniformly controlled, it may be unstable/unpredictable in terms how much gain each brain/body size/age/and even personality type might have alot to do with ascertaining what are the dosage appropriate.
 
I would love the idea of powering a CI without batteries using one's own body to power it. I think that is probably not too far off in the future.

As for the other stuff, the only thing I would really want is better fidelity in sound quality. Meaning being closer to stimulating the 30k hair cells in normal hearing.

I'm not banking on stem cells or other such technology in my lifetime. Can't see it happening anytime soon.
 
Never say never. I am pretty sure ill get the chance to get stem cells within 5 years. You might not be able to see it happening this soon but we do! Read the news in the other threads.
 
deafdude1 said:
Never say never. I am pretty sure ill get the chance to get stem cells within 5 years. You might not be able to see it happening this soon but we do! Read the news in the other threads.
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LOL! So true... This ole boy seen enough amazing things happen to know better. At the same time, I've seen too many possibilities not pan out either...thus the skeptic in me.

But for all that, Dream your dreams...nothing wrong with that.
 
this is about future tech for CI not stem cell, so leave that out in this discussion please im tired of seeing stem cell topics,
ronjaxon at beginning i always tell someone i wish someone put whole processor magnet whatever in coil itself and it being the current coil size it would be awesome, so thats still my imagination when i think of CI in future :lol:
 
future ci?

NeurotrophinCell NTCell
"Latest News
LCT's encapsulated choroid plexus cells (NeurotrophinCell, NTCell) have been
shown to protect nerve cells in the inner ear from degeneration in studies done with
the Bionic Ear Institute (BEI), Melbourne, Australia.
Professor Rob Shepherd, director of the institute, said, "Results have important
implications for strategies to improve the treatment of hearing loss with a
combination of a cochlear implant and NTCell".
A cochlear implant is an electronic device often called a 'bionic ear' that is
surgically placed into the inner ear (cochlea) of a profoundly deaf person to
directly stimulate the remaining auditory nerve.
In the deaf inner ear the auditory nerve cells undergo continuous degeneration.
This loss of nerve cells may be prevented by neurotrophins which are growth and
support factors for brain and nerve cells.
The BEI research showed that neurotrophin-producing NTCell, together with
intracochlear electrical stimulation, protects auditory nerve cells from degeneration
in an animal model of hearing loss.
LCT's NTCell implants are porcine choroid plexus cells of the brain that are
encapsulated in a gel and when implanted do not require the use of
immunosuppressive drugs. NTCell produces many different brain reparative
growth and support factors known as neurotrophins. In this study NTCell capsules
were successfully implanted into the inner ear of deaf animals.
The scientific results from these studies have been patented. Dr Andrew Wise,
BEI scientist, presented the results of the study at the Conference on Implantable
Auditory Prosthesis at Lake Tahoe CA, USA in July 2009".
source: http://www.lctglobal.com/downloads/...06-LCT Quarterly Newsletter - August 2009.pdf
 
Yes the CI manufactures are looking at various coating for the electrode array either to reduce trauma, like lubrication or to help preserve cells. This is the same approach being taken for stents used in heart arteries. The research is still ongoing.
 
deafdude1 said:
neuro, stem cells will make future CI a moot point.
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I agree with you. Of course that stem cells will surpass cochlear implants. But at the same time, cochlear implants are also taking action, try the least possible damage to the cochlea and also, I believe, is investigating the regeneration of hair cells.
 
How long will it take for this new CI to come out? Stem cells may become available by then and make all CI a moot point.
 
deafdude1 said:
Stem cells is already being used to restore hearing and there's a clinical trial on children/babies under 18 months. There's no religious opposition to adult stem cells, just stay away from embryonic cells. The majority of people are hearing and there's billions to be made from improving or even restoring the hearing of the HOH and deaf.

We will see it within a few years, at least in clinical trials and overseas. I plan to apply for clinical trial or travel to another country to get it. Id only get a CI if I had no residual hearing(like you) but I still have residual hearing that is being amplified with powerful HAs and stem cells will take advantage of that residual hearing.

The Deaf will reject stem cells but it will be embraced by virtually all hearing people as the cure and answer. I ask that the Deaf accept and respect our choices to be hearing(or less deaf) and we will respect the Deaf's choice to stay deaf.
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Stem cells are not being used to restore hearing at this time.
 
deafdude1 said:
How long will it take for this new CI to come out? Stem cells may become available by then and make all CI a moot point.
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I agree with you ;) . I think the cochlear implant manufacturers are aware that the cure or improvement through stem cells is possible and therefore tries to avoid further injury to the cochlea.
On the other hand it is also true, as reading which hair cells are very important for the audition, and hence consider that part of the implant to try to introduce new chemicals to preserve or generate hair cells that respond better and cochlear implants . There are several readings on the internet that talk about the importance of preserving and retaining the hair cells. Sorry for my bad translation, I'm Spanish.
 
Even if you could preserve some hearing with CI that lasts more than a year(from what ive seen, those that preserved hearing today lose it within a year) CI would just be a stopgap measure. No point getting the surgery and risking CI when stem cells will be available so soon. 99.9% won't care about CIs anymore, period when stem cells is better across the board. I am happy to wait a short time for stem cells. I could get it now but id rather let the pioneers go first and learn from their results.

jillio, you are wrong. Stem cells has partially(20-40+ db) restored the hearing of dozens of people and we will see it happen to hundreds more people within a year. My friend could go to China and get stem cells right now as a case study. I will be getting it myself after the pioneers get it and I see their good results. It's starting to be news in China and other countries. America is way behind.
 
jillio:
Stem cells are not being used to restore hearing at this time.
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I have seen and heard anecdotally of a few cases of them being used overseas - it's only a matter of time when they are used for effective treatments on adults in the US.

BTW, yes THEY ARE being used in the US! This was announced back in February of this year. How many times do we have to post this? They HAVE a treatment for it, otherwise they wouldn't be doing this on 18 month old children! It's only a matter of time before it's done on adults.

CBR Center for Regenerative Medicine - Hearing Loss - Cord Blood Stem Cells from Cord Blood Registry
 
Unfortunately, anecdote supports absolutely nothing. There is no scientific evidence that stem cells are being used anywhere as a treatment for deafness at this time.

And they are not being used for treatment in the U.S. They are still in the experimental stages. That is what clinical trials are for.
 
There is real evidence. Phi4sius will show the "before" and "after" audiograms of that guy who improved 25db! Stem cells are experimental but they already work and progression is swift! Phi4sius says we will get the chance in a couple years!
 
deafdude1 said:
There is real evidence. Phi4sius will show the "before" and "after" audiograms of that guy who improved 25db! Stem cells are experimental but they already work and progression is swift! Phi4sius says we will get the chance in a couple years!
Click to expand...

If they were known to definitively work, then they would not be in the experimental stages. Do you even understand what an "experimental stage" implies?

And the medical community, including the researchers, say it is at least another 15 years away before it becomes approved treatment for anything, much less deafness.

I'll listen to science, thank you.
 
jillio said:
If they were known to definitively work, then they would not be in the experimental stages. Do you even understand what an "experimental stage" implies?

And the medical community, including the researchers, say it is at least another 15 years away before it becomes approved treatment for anything, much less deafness.

I'll listen to science, thank you.
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Well then we will get stem cells experimentally. It's not guaranteed to work but it has worked on most people who have tried it. Ill take my chances with stem cells over CI as I feel stem cells in a few years from now will work way better.(see my blog, link in sig) Even if stem cells doesn't work, it doesn't destroy residual hearing like a CI does. In 15 years, ill get stem cells again to further improve my hearing.
 
deafdude1 said:
Well then we will get stem cells experimentally. It's not guaranteed to work but it has worked on most people who have tried it. Ill take my chances with stem cells over CI as I feel stem cells in a few years from now will work way better.(see my blog, link in sig) Even if stem cells doesn't work, it doesn't destroy residual hearing like a CI does. In 15 years, ill get stem cells again to further improve my hearing.
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"Worked on most who have tried it?" Exactly how many are there that have tried it? Can you point to one single clinical trial that has been completed? How do you know that it doesn't destroy residual hearing? The clinical trials and longitudinal studies necessary to determine that have not even been completed. How do you know that it will be available as a treatment for hearing loss in 15 years?
 
I've been thinking about this discussion and I don't think that the implant will go away even when other methods of restoring hearing are available. I think we'll still have a choice between going an implant route and other routes.

The implant will go through many changes of course. I honestly believe that it has the potential to give people better then "Normal" hearing. Sorry to use my science fiction state of mind here but I think it'll someday have the potential to give poeple what we would now consider "bionic hearing". In other words the implant will have features that normal hearing cannot allow a person to do. For this reason I think there will always be some who would prefer this over gaining "Normal hearing".

I can honestly see the possibility of the sound processor being as small as a strip of plastic that goes behind your ear. Maybe someday it'll even be 100% internal.

Also think about technology that works with sound that we are now either employing or experimenting with.

For instance:

Some lie detectors use your voice to detect lies. Imagine this technology being built into a CI and you when you turn this feature on you can use it.

Sound and voice recognition is something that is constantly improving. Imagine not only being able to hear a bird chirp. But when your implant is switched to this feature you'll actually know what kind of bird chirped.

They already collect peoples voice patterns in databases. We all know how small gadgets can be that have satellite links. Imagine knowing someones name as soon as your implant picks up their voice.

Yes, I know my ideas and fantasies are out there but I do believe they are with in the realm of possibility.

So this is why I don't believe the implant will go away. They'll be very different but still an option.
 
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