Implantable Microphone to Replace Cochlear Implants

An electrical engineer at the University of Utah is designing a tiny microphone device to be used in patients who need cochlear implants.  Currently, cochlear implants are rather bulky and contain many components that must be used outside of the ear like the transmitter, receiver, and speech processor (shown in picture above).  The device being developed consists of a sensor and a chip that converts the sound waves to an electrical signal all inside the head.  The electrical signal is relayed to electrodes in the cochlea.  Darrin Young's device has been shown to work inside a cadaver (while Beethoven was playing) but the team plans to continue working on it to reduce the size and the noise range even further.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/54009039-78/ear-microphone-beethoven-com.html.csp