Investigation of infrared neural stimulation in the cochlea

The cochlear implant is a successful bionic device, restoring hearing to hundreds of thousands of patients worldwide. Despite its success, present devices are limited by the electrical interface with neurons. This thesis studied the ability of infrared light to stimulate the nerves of the cochlea. Experimental work was unable to replicate previously published results and suggests that those reports may be an acoustic artefact. However, modelling of light transport in tissue confirmed the ability of light to improve spatial localisation of stimulation, showing the potential of other optical stimulation techniques.