r/technews • u/striketheviol • 4d ago

Hardware World’s First Fully Implanted Cochlear Implant Reaches Patients

https://spectrum.ieee.org/fully-implantable-cochlear-implant?itm_source=homepage&itm_medium=hero&itm_campaign=hero-2026-10-01&itm_content=hero6
496 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

20 comments sorted by

25

u/Evening_Newspaper_13 4d ago

I have a cochlear implant, they aren’t typically something that is replaced or upgraded very frequently, the exterior processor and batteries can be replaced, but it is a pretty big deal to replace the implant itself. I have concerns with a lithium ion battery being implanted into your head and the longevity with batteries themselves.

18

u/wamiwega 4d ago

You just sleep on your iphone charger pillow.

🤷‍♂️

3

u/Stickel 3d ago

knowing apple it'd be super proprietary and fuck over millions that cant use it

1

u/5AlarmFirefly 3d ago

Oops we updated it and now you have to buy a new one 

5

u/gremlinfrommars 4d ago

I have one too and I agree. Plus if you need to replace a part with current models, it"s way easier to just click a replacement part on an external device than have to go through surgery.

1

u/lordbuckethethird 3d ago

This does seem cool but I feel iffy about it too unless it is a proper long term thing that doesn’t need maintenance or changing stuff too frequently.

1

u/not_our_username 3d ago

The battery was my first thought too. I just have a simple RIC but it's needed to be replaced a few times due to battery issues. It's a lot harder to replace the battery when it's in your head XD.

6

u/Asleep-Card3861 4d ago

Very neat. I'm curious how they got the mic to work

0

u/Da_Question 3d ago

Mic is in ear, sound goes into ear... I guess? I mean sound gets into a regular ear as well?

2

u/hairy_quadruped 3d ago

As per the article: microphone is under the scalp.

2

u/Asleep-Card3861 3d ago

I'd just think being under skin would attenuate the high frequency too much and muffle the sounds

5

u/ErenYaegersAbss 4d ago

I’m glad that I didn’t went through with my surgery already. Hopefully this will improve more and more.

Would love to get the surgery in a couple of years when the tech matures even more.

But ngl you need to charge it for an hour and be physically stuck to the charger, that sounds really boring.

1

u/Asleep-Card3861 3d ago

The charger sounds like a portable piece you attach to your head (magnets?) And are free to do whatever, except probably swimming, as it charges.

2

u/A_Nonny_Muse 3d ago

How good is it? I heard they were terrible, but that was something like 20 years ago. How well can you hear with them now?

2

u/Medical_Hour6972 3d ago

my father worked on this at Tulane in the 80’s, he died yesterday at 95.
no bs

1

u/TheVishual2113 4d ago

cockear implants are amazing

1

u/Jasonguyen81 3d ago

Cock ear hmmmm

1

u/BigBadBinky 3d ago

How long until they start streaming ads? ( I mean, that’s gotta be after they turn them into a subscription service )