Inner ear drug delivery through a cochlear implant: Pharmacokinetics in a Macaque experimental model.

Objectives: The method of drug delivery directly into the cochlea with an implantable pump connected to a CI electrode array ensures long-term delivery and effective dose control, and also provides the possibility to use different drugs. The objective is to develop a model of inner ear pharmacokinetics of an implanted cochlea, with the delivery of FITC-Dextran, in the non-human primate model.

Design: A preclinical cochlear electrode array (CI Electrode Array HL14DD, manufactured by Cochlear Ltd.