Sheng Dong awarded CMEI grant for research to improve cochlear implant surgery

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Cochlear Implant surgery can benefit many people who suffer from hearing loss (HL) by helping to restore some of their hearing ability, but can the procedure be improved using finite element simulation?  

SIMCenter researcher Sheng Dong has received a $25,000 Pilot Grant from the Center for Medical and Engineering Innovation for his new research project, titled “Pre-operative Simulation and Optimization for Surgical Cochlear Implant Installation”.   

Simulation of the implant insertion.
Simulation of the implant insertion. 

The project’s goal is to use simulation to come up with new ways of helping patients suffering from HL recover as much as their hearing as possible through the use of cochlear implants. For their project, Dong and his team are working to optimize placement techniques and electrode selection of cochlear implants pre-operatively. 

“Using a patient’s own specific imaging as a basis for simulation, we will adapt our current surgical simulator to provide automated feedback including scalar location (SL), modiolar distance (MD) and angular insertion depth (AID),” Dong said.  

The project strikes a balance between the worlds of engineering and medical research, making it an ideal recipient of the Pilot Grant. “Thanks to the connection with the Ohio State University College of Medicine, researchers like myself and Peiyu Yang have the unique opportunity to conduct medical engineering research with the assistance of Dr. Gregory Wiet and his team from the medical school,” Dong said.  

This allows doctors to provide input about patient conditions, biological properties of the cochlea and the difficulties of performing these kinds of surgeries, he said.  

The project is not only indicative of an impressive feat in medical engineering; it also has the potential to help countless patients in need of cochlear implants and solve problems that surround HL. Dong said many people who suffer from HL experience significant physical and emotional hardships that go beyond their impaired hearing.  

“Hearing loss is a common disability affecting nearly 1/3 of the population 65-years and older,” Dong said. “While HL poses an evident communication problem, it has also been associated with depression and cognitive decline.” 

For Dong, the most exciting part of the project is jump-starting research on patient customization of cochlear implant procedures using finite element tools, thereby improving the operation and results of these surgical procedures. He is also enthusiastic about collaborating on innovative multi-disciplinary research with doctors and researchers in the medical field.