An invisible cochlear implant: what do Deaf people and CI users think? (BSL)
MED-EL has announced what it describes as the world’s first fully invisible cochlear implant.
The TICI UNICO is designed to sit completely under the skin, including the microphone, with no external processor.
MED-EL says it is intended for people with severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss and can provide access to sound around the clock, including while sleeping, swimming or exercising.
But while the technology could offer greater freedom for some people, it also raises questions about silence, Deaf identity, visibility and choice.
I asked several Deaf people and cochlear implant users what they thought.
Greater freedom from external equipment
Keighley Tansley has worn MED-EL processors for 18 years and remembers asking her audiologist when a completely internal cochlear implant might become possible.
“There are days when the processor just doesn’t sit right,” she says.
“Days when it keeps giving feedback. Days when you’re lying down and it falls off.”
Waterproofing, hats and helmets can also make external equipment inconvenient.
“An invisible implant could potentially take a lot of that away, and I can absolutely see why that would be incredibly appealing.”
Keith Williams, whose twin sons use cochlear implants, also sees practical benefits.
“I find the news really exciting, that my boys can choose when they’re older if they’d like a cochlear implant that’s tucked away, out of sight.”
He particularly likes the possibility of being able to hear while swimming.
“On holidays, it’s always hard to get their attention when they’re in the water. I think they’d really enjoy having it so conveniently tucked away.”
Silence can be a Deaf gain
For some CI users, however, removing the processor is an important part of having a cochlear implant.
There were initial worries about the idea of something that could potentially remain active all the time. However, MED-EL says the TICI can be turned off using an app.
Another Deaf person, who asked to remain anonymous, has a stronger objection to continuous hearing.
“The thought of hearing all the time, even when you’re sleeping horrifies me,” they say. “Silence is my refuge when I am overwhelmed or exhausted.”
They also question whether the technology reflects a predominantly hearing perspective.
“I fear this implant was created through a hearing person’s world view, not a deaf one.”
Visibility matters too
Louise Jobson, a Deaf CI user, says she would not want an invisible implant.
“It would make an already invisible need even worse! How do you explain you are profoundly deaf without the device to explain?”
Paola, whose Deaf daughter has cochlear implants, believes an internal device could be useful for people who swim, run or play sport. However, she questions the emphasis on invisibility.
She encourages children to show their implants with pride and believes visible devices can help other people recognise when communication adjustments may be needed.
For Paola, the technology raises wider questions about Deaf identity and whether society should be adapting to Deaf people rather than making deafness less visible.
Lacey Hudson, who has had a cochlear implant since she was 4 has always found her processors to be unattractive and finds the idea of not having a visible disability an appealing one.
“I always hated my processor being on show, it made me feel so insecure and as a result I would wear my hair in a way that disguised it growing up.
The idea of having nothing showing on the side of my head is a really exciting one – I’d feel free to wear what I want and style my hair how I wish without a piece of equipment sticking out.”
Concerns about what happens inside the body
Alison Hendry, who has been a CI user since she was four and a half, initially felt “a little grossed out” by the idea.
She has questions about how the device would be switched off, how the microphone would work and what would happen if the battery or internal technology failed.
She nevertheless recognises that it could be valuable for some people.
“This Invisible CI might actually benefit those who may have suddenly lost their hearing and wish to have this back. Or for some people who like to wear their CI all day.”
For Alison, it ultimately comes down to individual choice.
“I realise that it’s completely an individual choice.”
Personally, she would not choose it. She values being able to hear with her CI but also being able to remove it when she wants a break.
“I feel like I have the best of both worlds.”
Surgery and future repairs
Simone Seamarks initially thought the idea sounded “pretty awesome”, particularly the prospect of having no processor resting on her ear.
But she is concerned about comfort and what would happen if the internal technology needed replacing.
“So the thought of having the whole thing in my head sounds really painful to me,” she says.
She also wonders about the implications of having more components implanted around the ear and nerves, particularly because she has experienced BPPV (Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo) for several years.
Harry, a 17 year old Deaf CI user from London, has his own reservations.
“I feel like it’s a bit weird, the idea of charging through my head,” he says.
He is unsure about the long-term implications of having so much technology and energy inside the head.
“I don’t think I’d want it. Especially when it’s still very new. I’d rather wait a few years see what happens.”
One technology, very different reactions
The TICI UNICO clearly offers possibilities that could be genuinely life-changing for some CI users: swimming without worrying about equipment, exercising without an external processor and avoiding some of the practical frustrations of wearing one.
But the reactions I received show that convenience is only part of the conversation.
For some, a visible device can help communicate that they are Deaf and may need adjustments. And for others, concerns about surgery, maintenance and future repairs outweigh the potential benefits.
Most importantly, there is no single Deaf experience and no universal answer to whether being able to hear all the time using an invisible implant is desirable.
The TICI may be exactly what one person has been waiting for, while another may have no interest in it at all.
For the people we spoke to, the important thing is having a genuine choice — and enough information to decide for themselves.
By Rebecca A Withey
Rebecca A Withey is the Assistant Editor for The Limping Chicken. She is also a freelance writer, BSL consultant and creative artist based in the Midlands. Rebecca is a Deaf, bilingual BSL user.
Read more about the TICI UNICO here.
