Germany developed a micro LED hearing aid technology can be integrated in the cochlea

Recently, the leadership of Professor Ulrich Micro System Technology Research Institute, Furlong Hoff Institute of solid state physics, Freiburg University of Germany's research team developed using implanted micro LED stimulation help hearing people recover and new technology to improve listening comprehension in cochlear nerve cells.

Hearing impairment is a common disease of human sensory organs. In Germany alone, there are 140 thousand people with hearing impairment. 1970s, the first implant cochlear implant through electrical stimulation of cochlear nerve cells, to solve the problem of hearing impairment. Nowadays, this technology has been widely used in children with hearing loss. The research team led by Professor Ulrich and the "listening" project, designed to research the micro linear LED light stimulation instead of traditional mode of electrical stimulation, to help patients solve new technology mode to improve hearing problems.

This new technology model will effectively improve the user's understanding of language rhythm, music and noise Beijing dialogue and the level of understanding. The results show that the inner ear photosensitive nerve cells can respond well to the light stimulation, and the cochlear implant in the hospital of University of Gottingen has achieved success.

Researchers at the Freiburg Institute of microsystem technology and Furlong Hoff Institute of applied solid physics have developed a miniature LED and probe sensor that can be flexibly integrated into the cochlea. By means of the device, the number of external sound stimulation channels can be effectively increased, and the audio resolution of 1 to 2 orders of magnitude can be improved. Freiburg Institute of microsystem technology provides flexible and biocompatible polymer engineering materials for the device. Furlong Hoff Institute of applied solid state physics for the device provides a gallium nitride micro LED, the micro LED area of only 0.01 mm2 thickness of only a few microns. One of the challenges facing the future is how to integrate polymer engineering materials and Gan LED. It is understood that the basic research part of the light to listen to the project was funded by the German Federal Ministry of science and technology research initiative of the 300 thousand euros funding.