Waveguide-based Cochlear Implant for Optogenetic Stimulation

Project Information

OptoWave

Grant agreement ID: 101113433

DOI

10.3030/101113433

Project closed

EC signature date 16 February 2023

Start date 1 March 2023

End date 31 August 2024

Funded under

• European Research Council (ERC)

Total cost

No data

EU contribution

€ 150 000,00

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITAETSMEDIZIN GOETTINGEN - GEORG-AUGUST-UNIVERSITAET GOETTINGEN - STIFTUNG OEFFENTLICHEN RECHTS
Germany

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - OptoWave (Waveguide-based Cochlear Implant for Optogenetic Stimulation)

Reporting period: 2023-03-01 to 2024-08-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

OptoWave focuses on improving hearing rehabilitation for patients with severe to profound hearing loss through the use of optical cochlear implants (CIs).
Current CIs employ electrical stimulation, which often leads to broad neural activation, negatively impacting speech understanding in challenging acoustic environments.
The proposed solution is an implantable device that uses focused light to directly stimulate the auditory nerve, bypassing dysfunctional hair cells.
This is achieved through a combination of micro-scale light emitters and optogenetic control via light-gated ion channels, potentially enhancing patients' quality of life significantly.
OptoWave suggests using red light-emitting waveguides coupled with laser diodes, housed in a hermetically sealed package outside the inner ear.
This approach offers advantages in terms of implant longevity and reduces reliance on corrosive materials. Additionally, red light allows for deeper tissue penetration, which may lead to improved stimulation.
Overall, the research aims to significantly enhance hearing restoration and address a critical clinical need.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The research involved designing, fabricating, and characterizing optical modules using multi-beam laser diodes, microlens arrays, aspherical lenses, and polymer-based waveguides.
Initially, macroscopic lenses were utilized to achieve multichannel coupling of five optical channels.
To enhance scalability and miniaturization, the team developed and published a microlens approach, successfully demonstrating the coupling of nine optical channels.
This advancement is a significant step toward creating more compact and efficient optical cochlear implants.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

We could show, that the miniaturization of optical multi-beam systems towards an implantable size if feasible in terms of optics (regarding micro-lens coupling), optoelectronics (regarding dense laser diode emitter arrays) and waveguides (regarding highly-fleaxible multi-channel polymer-based waveguides).
These findings enable us to focus now on medical device development and push towards the first implementation of an optical cochlear implant prototype.

oCI system approach with integrated multi-channel optical microsystem based on a microlens array