Bionic Implant Combats Vertigo

And it won't set you back 6 million dollars, either.

In real life, vertigo isn't just the result of a phobia developed after witnessing a fellow police officer fall to his death. It's a truly crippling reality for those with Meniere's disease. Their inner ear, or cochlea, fails to send the signals that maintain balance to the brain. The resulting experience is a feeling of constant spinning around.

Thankfully, they won't have to suffer anymore. Doctors at the University of Washington performed a medical first last week. Their 56-year old patient received an inner-ear prosthesis normally reserved for hearing disabilities. That in itself is not groundbreaking, what they did next was. They reprogrammed the implant to aid the patient in restoring the feeling of balance during an attack.

The device itself is not meant to replace the patient's inner ear. Instead, it's designed to stimulate the misfiring cochlea to send the right signals. It's controlled by an external processor, worn over the ear just like a regular hearing aid. The software for this processor was re-written to accommodate the system's new purpose.

[source: University of Washington News]