Mastoid and ear model mimicking anatomical and physiological properties for development and training of robotic cochlear implantation

Mechanistic replications of the human anatomy are an imperative element of preclinical development and validation of medical devices. Such phantoms provide for reproducible and repetitive test benches to investigate a given device’s performance parameters. Validation and verification of the elements of the robotic cochlear implantation approach requires phantoms that appropriately replicate anatomical, electrophysiological and mechanical properties. So far, different types of phantoms are used to investigate the various elements independent from each other. Hence, the objective of this work was to develop and validate an integrated phantom capable of emulating robotic drilling, functional electrical stimulation of the facial nerve, monitoring of the connected muscles and subsequently cochlear electrode insertion. Additionally, the phantom is integrated in a whole head replica to provide for a realistic intraoperative setup during testing activities.