Mechanical Adaptive Silicone Composites for UV-triggered Facilitated Cochlear-Implant Removal

The removal of the cochlear implant (CI), which in some cases is without alternative, is still an act of simple pulling, not only causing harm for the patient by damaging tissue but also making reimplantation more difficult. For that reason, it is necessary to develop mechanisms to make an explantation easier. To overcome this problem adaption of the mechanical properties by light-degradable periodic mesoporous organosilica (PMO) can be one solution. By introducing PMO nanoparticles into the CI’s silicone matrix, the particles act as a stiffening agent, which can be degraded by irradiation with UV light. Using this mechanism, the silicone becomes softer, thus making explantation easier and safer for patients. Here first results, concerning the creation of a silicone composite material with light-sensitive adaptive mechanical properties are reported.