A three-dimensional thermal model of the human cochlea for magnetic cochlear implant surgery

In traditional cochlear implant surgery, physical trauma may occur during electrode array insertion. Magnetic guidance of the has been proposed to mitigate this medical complication. After insertion, guiding magnet attached tip must be detached via a heating process and removed. This may, however, cause thermal within cochlea. study, validated three-dimensional finite element heat transfer model human cochlea is applied perform an intracochlear analysis necessary ensure safety removal phase. Specifically, maximum safe input power density detach determined as function boundary conditions, duration, size, radius insertion depth, fluid. A dimensional numerical simulations reveal that increases with increasing size array, whereas it decreases depth size. The best fluids from perspective are perilymph soap solution. Even for worst case scenario in which walls assumed adiabatic except at round window, larger than required melt 1 mm3 paraffin bonding array. By combining outcome work other aspects design magnetic process, namely procedure requirements, will possible implement thermally patient-specific surgical procedure.