Cochlear implants in the forensic identification process

Abstract

Purpose: Decedents who are severely decomposed, skeletonized or incinerated present challenges for identification. Cochlear implants aid hearing and bear unique serial numbers that can be used to assist with identification of bodies that are not visually identifiable. The purpose of this paper was to highlight companies that have or had manufactured cochlear type implants and demonstrate the appearance of the implants to assist crime scene investigators, pathologists, anthropologists and odontologists. Method: Investigation of cochlear implants was conducted on the internet and companies were contacted for information regarding their implants. Results: The functional appearance of a cochlear implant is explained, brands of implants are tabulated and pre and post-incineration images are presented. Conclusion: The prevalence of cochlear implants is predicted to increase, thus they are likely to become relevant to the identification process. Company brand and serial markings can be retrieved from post-incineration implants making them a valuable aid in identification when other identifiers that may be present are not useful because they are heat-sensitive.