The feasibility of enabling cochlear implant users to evaluate the functionality of their microphones away from clinic.

While Cochlear Implant (CI) centres can objectively test the functionality of CIs microphones which can become gradually blocked and therefore less effective. There is currently no system that allows people people who use CIs to objectively test the functionality of their own implant. This project aims to determine the viability of such a system by determining the feasibility and potential challenges involved in enabling CI users to test their processors microphone functionality away from a clinic. In achieving this it will identify the acoustic characteristics of CI microphone failures and the accuracy of current test methods used in CI clinics; identify what types of microphone failures can CI users detect; and identify environmental factors that could eff
ect a test and strategies how to correct for them.