Renaissance Computing Institute

Focus Areas Main

Biosciences & Medicine

Bioportal 2

Cochlear Implant Studies

CCEGA

Hospital Monitor

NCSA Melanoma Project

MotifNetwork

OHMS

Disaster & Environmental Research

Economic Development

Education & Outreach

Faculty Fellows

High Performance Computing

Humanities, Arts & Social Science

Visualization & Collaborative Environments

Completed Projects

Cochlear Implant Electrical Field Model

Overview
The Cochlear Implant Electrical Field Model project is a RENCI Faculty Fellow project with Charles Finley, research associate professor in the department of otolaryngology, School of Medicine at UNC, will improve the cochlear implant model of the inner ear by providing insight into the stimulation mechanism that occurs in the cochlea. Cochlear implants help to restore functional speech understanding in patients with profound hearing losses. RENCI researchers and Finley will develop patient-specific computational models to determine the final positioning of electrode contacts in the implant that take advantage of the patients’ functioning neurons.

RENCI Collaboration
RENCI experts will use high-performance computing and advanced visualization tools to improve the design and application of cochlear implants. RENCI will build a higher detailed computer model of the inner ear, which will enable scientists and health professionals to more precisely evaluate the effectiveness of cochlear implant devices in patients. Utilizing advanced visualization tools, scientists will be able to study the effects of activating the implant and detect its specific location.

Funding
State of North Carolina

Collaborators
Charles C. Finley, research associate professor, School of Medicine, department
of otolaryngology, joint department of biomedical engineering, UNC and NC State.

Project Team
Allan Porterfield, project leader
Ruth Marinshaw
Mark Reed
David Borland