Dirty microphones may muffle cochlear implants, study finds
NCT ID NCT02369718
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study looked at how cochlear implant microphones change as they age and get dirty, and whether different signal coding strategies can help. Researchers tested 81 people with hearing loss by having them listen to words in noise at various levels, before and after cleaning the microphone. The goal was to understand how microphone condition affects speech understanding.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could help improve cochlear implant design and maintenance recommendations to preserve hearing quality over time.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed observational study with 81 participants, so results may not apply to all implant users. It does not test a new treatment.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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81 people
The number who actually took part.
- Start date
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Nov 2014
- Finished
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Apr 2016
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 60 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * French speaking persons (French native speakers; studies made in French) * Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) tests and check up for normal hearing listeners were normal (Hearing loss below 20 dBs for all frequencies situated in the 250-8000 Hz range) * Not mentally retarded Exclusion Criteria: * Persons with tinnitus or headache * Anxious people (taking psychiatric drugs) * Mental alteration or mental retard * Deafened persons or taking an ENT treatment (normal hearing listeners)
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Pavillon ORL (U) - Hôpital Edouard Herriot
Lyon, 69437, France
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.