A new study by U.S. researchers says that people who have lost their sense of balance could regain it to quite an extent if they are fitted with an inner ear implant modeled on the body's own balance organs.

The vestibular portion of the inner ear is the "fastest reflex in the body," as it tracks down the motion and position of the head using three fluid-filled hoops, called semicircular canals.

These hoops, which lie at perpendicular angles to each other, function at the rotation of the head. When the head rotates quickly in a certain direction, the fluid in the corresponding hoop pushes against a membrane, bending hair cells that trigger a nerve. The nerve then sends the information to the brain, which further gives indication to the eyes to adjust.

When the vestibular hair cells die, people generally lose this reflex. It can be caused by genetic disorders, infections or antibiotic poisoning.

Compared to cochlear implants, which use a microphone and processor to code sound, the new vestibular-ocular reflex uses tiny gyroscopic sensors to measure head movement and sends that information straight to the vestibular nerve using electrodes.

According to ANI reports, the first such device was developed by Daniel Merfeld and his team at the Jenks Vestibular Physiology Lab at Harvard in Boston. It has been successfully tried and tested in animals. However, for human use, the implant would have to be provided with a longer battery life.

The newest version of implants that would be capable of picking up motion in three dimensions is designed by Charles Santina of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore.