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Could light make cochlear implants hear better?

NCT ID NCT05110183

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Northwestern University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only This study
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tests a new type of cochlear implant that uses light instead of electricity to stimulate the hearing nerve. Researchers hope light can target smaller nerve groups, leading to clearer sound. The trial involves 30 adults who are already having ear surgery for tumor removal. They will receive brief electrical and light pulses to see if the nerve responds safely.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
optical and electrical stimulation via cochlear implant
What this could lead to
If successful, this could point toward a new type of cochlear implant that uses light to provide clearer hearing, especially in noisy places or for music.
What could go wrong
This is a very early, small study in 30 people already undergoing ear surgery. It only tests if light can stimulate the hearing nerve safely—not whether it improves hearing long-term. The approach may not work in humans as it did in animals.

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

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

About 30 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Apr 2025

Expected to finish

Dec 2027

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

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

18 to 89 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: Criterion for inclusion of a patient is the requirement of the translabyrinthine approach for tumor removal. The surgical approach is determined by the tumor size, the tumor location and the remaining hearing of the patient. Criteria for a translabyrinthine approach are: 1. the tumor grows in the pontine angle and the facial nerve is at risk for damage during the surgery because the tumor is already large and in close proximity of the facial nerve AND 2. the tumor is larger than 2.5 cm AND 3. Pure tone hearing thresholds are elevated by at least 50 dB AND 4. Speech discrimination scores are 50% or less Exclusion Criteria: * adults unable to consent. * individuals who are not yet adults (infants, children, teenagers). * pregnant women. * prisoners. * vulnerable populations

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

acoustic neuroma hearing loss disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Hearing loss

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    2 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • University of Miami

    Coral Gables, Florida, 33146, United States

  • University of Missouri

    Columbia, Missouri, 65212, United States

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