Device lets you
hear with
your tongue
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Researchers
have created a device that can help deaf people hear
using
their tongue. The new gadget could be a safer low-cost
alternative
to cochlear implants widely used today
In
the future, those with substantial hearing loss may no longer need
a
doctor to surgi cally implant a cochlear device into their ear to restore
their
sense of sound. If researchers at Colorado State University are
successful,
they may just pop a retainer into their mouths.
The
technology relies on a Bluetoothenabled earpiece to detect
sound
and send electrical impulses to an electrode-packed retainer
that
wearers press their tongue against to “hear.“
“It's
much simpler than undergoing surgery and we think it will be
a
lot less expensive than cochlear implants,“ said John Williams,
the
project lead.
FINDING
HIS TONGUE
Williams
first conceived the idea for the device during what he calls
a research midlife crisis. The mechanical
engineer has spent much of
his
career designing and building electric-propulsion systems for space
travel. Though he loves the work and still
conducts research in that area,
Williams
says many of the challenges have been overcome.
Williams
wanted to expand his research and became interested in
neuroscience
and sensory substitution training the brain to receive
information
from another source.
Around
the same time, Williams developed tinnitus, a constant,
high-pitched
ringing in his ears. Years of working around powerful
vacuums
used to simulate space zapped his ability to hear high
frequencies.
That diagnosis led him to research cochlear implants and
the
pros and cons of the devices.
Williams
considered all of the information and eventually hit upon his
new
research project: hearing with the tongue.
The
tongue contains thousands of nerves and the region of the brain
that
interprets touch sensations from the tongue is capable of decoding
complicated information.
“What
we are trying to do is another form of sensory substitution,“
Williams
said.
HEARING
WITH YOUR TONGUE
Unlike
hearing aids, which amplify sound, cochlear implants circumvent
damaged
areas of the ear and stimulate the auditory nerve directly.
Microphones
outside the ear detect sounds and send them to a speech
processor,
which analyses the information and transmits it to a receiver
where
it is converted into electric impulses. The implant sends those
impulses
directly to the auditory nerve. With training, the brain learns
to
recognise these impulses as useful sound information.
The
device operates very similarly except electric impulses are sent via
Bluetooth
to a retainer-like mouthpiece packed with electrodes.
When
users press their tongue against the device, they feel a distinct
pattern
of electric impulses as a tingling or vibrating sensation.
The
idea is that, with training, the brain will learn to interpret specific
patterns
as words, thus allowing someone to “hear“ with their tongue.
The
concept is not as far fetched as it first sounds. Phoneticists can
identify
specific words from the series of black lines on a sonogram.
And
people who lose their sight can learn to “read“ words again with Braille.
BETTER
THAN COCHLEAR IMPLANTS
Williams
and his team believe that, once refined, their tech could turn
the
world of hearing devices on its ear. Although cochlear implants are
considered
successful, they are far from perfect.
Doctors
insert the devices into the ear structure near the auditory nerve.
The
surgical procedure has inherent risks and can cause additional damage
to
the sensory cells in the inner ear that transmit sound to the auditory
nerve.
Cochlear implants aren't for everyone. They tend to work better
on younger patients. Candidates must have
most of their auditory system
intact
for the implants to work. “Cochlear implants are very effective and
have
transformed many lives, but not everyone is a candidate,“
Williams
said. “We think our device will be just as effective but will
work
for many more people and cost less”
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MM7FEB15
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