BioNet for bilateral cochlear implant systems

• US 20030036782A1
• Filed: 08/13/2002
• Published: 02/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Bionics AG (Sonova Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Advanced Bionics LLC (Sonova Holding AG)
• Inventors: Faltys, Michael A., Hartley, Lee F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,292,891 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/57
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0541 Cochlear electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36038 Cochlear stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37235 Aspects of the external programmer

Abstract

A system for allowing bilateral cochlear implant systems to be networked together. An adapter module that forms part of the system allows two standalone BTE units to be synchronized both temporally and tonotopically in order to maximize a patients listening experience. The system further allows a peer-to-peer network and protocol that includes two BTE units during normal operation, or two BTE units plus a host controller (PC, PDA, etc. . . . ) during fitting. The bilateral cochlear network includes four main components: (a) a communications interposer adapted to be inserted between the BTE battery and the BTE housing or modified BTE devices; (b) a communication channel over which communication takes place between the connected devices, including the protocol governing access to such channel; (c) the synchronization mechanisms used to achieve synchronization between the connected devices; and (d) a bilateral fitting paradigm.

Claims

1. A bilateral cochlear implant system comprising:

a local bionic ear system having a local BTE unit associated therewith, and a remote bionic ear system having a remote BTE unit associated therewith, each BTE unit comprising a processor and a battery module;

two interposer modules, one adapted to be inserted between the processor and battery module of the local BTE unit, and the other adapted to be inserted between the processor and battery module of the remote BTE unit;

communication channel means for allowing signal communications to take place between the local BTE unit and a remote BTE unit;

synchronization means for synchronizing the signal communications that occur over the communication channel means; and

a bilateral fitting paradigm for cooperatively programming the local BTE unit and the remote BTE unit.

2. The bilateral cochlear implant system of claim 1 wherein each of the interposer modules comprises a simple binaural interposer module (23) having a binaural communications port (26) into which an interface cable (21) may be detachably connected for coupling to another interposer module, thereby providing a direct wired BioNet connection between two BTE units.

3. The bilateral cochlear implant system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the interposer modules comprises an enhanced interposer module (30), the enhanced interposer module having:

a binaural communications port (26) into which an interface cable (21) may be detachably connected for coupling to another interposer module, thereby providing a direct wired BioNet connection between the two BTE units, and

a binaural fitting cable (32) adapted for connection to a host clinician programming interface (CPI) unit.

4. The bilateral cochlea implant system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the interposer modules comprises a BioNet BTE interposer module having built-in wireless communication transceiver for allowing signal communications with another BioNet BTE interposer module.

5. The bilateral cochlear implant system of claim 4 wherein the wireless communication transceiver further allows signal communications with a host clinician programming interface (CPI) unit.

6. The bilateral cochlear implant system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the interposer units comprises

first connection means for making electrical and mechanical connection with a BTE unit;

second connection means for making electrical and mechanical connection with a battery module adapted for use with a BTE unit;

a control unit (44) operatively coupled to the first and second connection means;

a wireless network interface module (43) coupled to the control unit, wherein the wireless network interface module has an antenna (45) through which wireless communications may take place; and

a wired network interface module (46) coupled to the control unit, wherein the wired network interface module has a remote BTE connection port (26) and a fitting system port (42) through which wired communications with a remote BTE or a clinician programming interface (CPI) unit may optionally take place.

7. The bilateral cochlear implant system of claim 1 wherein the channel communication means includes means for performing a cascaded master/slave bootload operation.

8. The bilateral cochlear implant system of claim 1 wherein the bilateral fitting paradigm includes a fitting procedure based on trans-cochlear pitch discrimination, which pitch discrimination reduces channel interaction and optimally interleaves channel information across available electrode contacts.

9. An interposer unit (23) for use with a BTE speech processor (22) and a battery (24) of a cochlear implant system, the interposer unit being adapted to be interposed between the BTE speech processor and the battery, the interposer unit comprising:

a module having a first side adapted to contact the BTE speech processor and a second side adapted to contact the battery when the module is interposed between the BTE speech processor and the battery;

a BTE interface port (25) located on the first side of the module, the BTE interface port having electrical contacts through which electrical connections are made with electronic circuits within the BTE speech processor when the module in interposed between the BTE speech processor and the battery;

communication means for establishing a communication link between the electrical contacts of the BTE interface port and a device remote from the module; and

power terminals located on the first side of the module and corresponding power terminals located on the second side of the module, the power terminals on the first side of the module being electrically connected to corresponding power terminals on the second side of the module, wherein power connections from the battery may pass through the module to the BTE sound processor when the module is interposed between the BTE speech processor and the the battery.

10. The interposer unit of claim 9 wherein the communication means comprises a communications port (26) located on one side of the module, the communications port having electrical terminals that are respectively connected to the electrical contacts of the BTE interface port, wherein the communications port is adapted to detachably receive a communications cable connected to the device remote from the module.

11. The interposer unit of claim 9 wherein the communication means comprises a cable hard wired to the module, wherein the cable has wires that connect with the electrical contacts of the BTE interface port, wherein the cable has a distal end adapted to detachably connect with the device remote from the module.

12. The interposer unit of claim 9 wherein the communication means comprises a wireless transceiver housed within the module and connected to the electrical contacts of the BTE interface port.

13. The interposer unit of claim 12 wherein the wireless transceiver is selected from the group comprising Bluetooth, ISM, Medical Band, FIS ITEL, and the like.

14. The interposer unit of claim 9 further including a control module housed within the module, the control module comprising electronic circuitry that is interposed between the electrical contacts of the BTE interface port and the communication means.

15. The interposer unit of claim 14 further including a wireless network interface module coupled to the control module and an antenna coupled to the wireless network interface module.

16. The interposer unit of claim 14 further including a wired network interface module coupled to the control module.

17. A method of establishing a BioNet network to allow communications between plural BTE units of a bilateral cochlear implant system, the method comprising:

(a) inserting a communications interposer module into each BTE unit that is to be part of the BioNet network;

(b) establishing a communication channel over which communication may take place between interposer modules of the BTE units of the BioNet network and other remote devices; and

(c) synchronizing communications that take place between the BTE units over the BioNet network.

18. The method of claim 17 further including utilizing a fitting system platform to assist with communications that occur between BTE units over the BioNet network, wherein the fitting system platform includes a host fitting station, and wherein the method further includes loading the host fitting station with appropriate fitting software, and plugging a BioNet PC card into the host fitting station for allowing communications with the BTE units.

19. The method of claim 18 further including performing bilateral pitch ranking and channel allocation over the BioNet network.