Cochlear microtech

[Mr. Dipity]

Engineers in the US have built the first life-sized fully micromachined artificial cochlea. The device made by Robert White and Karl Grosh at the University of Michigan works in the same way as the cochlea in a real ear. It could be used to make cochlear implants in hearing aids as well as sensors for commercial and military applications (Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. to be published).

[psychicoctopus]

They have to say "military applications" because that's probably where the research funds came from.

[CaptainAdultDiapers]

The human cochlea occupies a volume of about 1 cubic centimetre and operates at frequencies between 20 hertz and 20 kilohertz. It can detect sounds over a range of 120 decibels.

Thats interesting. Its the cochlea that limits the range of human hearing? Can an artifical cochlea translate a broader range and send it to the brain. Would the brain be able to understand those signals?

[bad_dude_69]

what we need is a cochlea minitheque, a dance club for your inner ear!

[Mr. Dipity]

The human cochlea occupies a volume of about 1 cubic centimetre and operates at frequencies between 20 hertz and 20 kilohertz. It can detect sounds over a range of 120 decibels.

Thats interesting. Its the cochlea that limits the range of human hearing? Can an artifical cochlea translate a broader range and send it to the brain. Would the brain be able to understand those signals?

Nope - you would need an extra bit of brain to make sense of the signals.