Cohlear implant communicator

• US 20040094355A1
• Filed: 11/10/2003
• Published: 05/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Original Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Inventors: Irwin, Colin, Swanson, Brett Anthony, Goorevich, Michael
• Application Number:
  US10/250,880
• Publication Number:
  US 20040094355A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 181/129
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36038 Cochlear stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37252 Details of algorithms or data aspects of communication system, e.g. handshaking, transmitting specific data or segmenting data

Abstract

A software library for controlling tissue-stimulating prostheses is provided. A plurality of software modules are stored in the library, enabling users to input abstract, high-level commands, for example at a psychophysical level, which do not require detailed knowledge of system-level operating requirements of the prosthesis. Upon receipt of such commands, the software library is accessed in order to obtain software modules to carry out the commands, in order to generate a software command set. The software command set is communicated to the processor of the prosthesis, or directly to the prosthesis.

Claims

1. A software library comprising a plurality of predetermined software modules, each software module defining instructions for control of a tissue-stimulating prosthesis.

2. The software library according to claim 1 wherein the instructions define a stimulus pattern to be generated by the prosthesis.

3. The software library according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the instructions are for control of acquisition of telemetry data by the prosthesis.

4. The software library according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the instructions relate to communication of data from the prosthesis.

5. The software library according to any preceding claim wherein the tissue-stimulating prosthesis is an implantable prosthesis.

6. The software library according to claim 5 wherein the tissue-stimulating prosthesis is a cochlear implant.

7. The software library according to any preceding claim wherein a software module of the software library is based on a data frame for transmission to the prosthesis.

8. The software library according to claim 7 wherein the data frame is a stimulus frame.

9. The software library according to claim 7 wherein the data frame is a non-stimulus frame that specifies an implant command.

10. The software library according to claim 9 wherein the non-stimulus frame is a telemetry command.

11. The software library according to claim 10 wherein the software module further comprises a trigger command to trigger operation of telemetry equipment external to the processing means.

12. The software library according to any one of claims 7 to 11 wherein a data frame of a software module of the software library specifies simultaneous stimulations to be output by a plurality of electrodes of the implant.

13. The software library according to any preceding claim wherein a software module requires a user input of at least one variable selected from:

electrode(s) to be stimulated;

reference electrode;

stimulus level;

pulse phase width;

phase gap; and

stimulus frame period.

14. The software library according to any preceding claim wherein a software module of the software library comprises a sequence of data frames for streamed delivery to the prosthesis.

15. The software library according to any preceding claim wherein the library comprises a plurality of classes of software modules, wherein each class of software module is applicable to a particular model of prosthesis.

16. The software library of any preceding claim wherein the software library is a dynamic link library (DLL).

17. A communication means for communicating with a tissue-stimulating prosthesis, the communication means being operable to output a software command set to the prosthesis for causing the prosthesis to generate a stimulation pattern, the communication means including a library of predetermined software modules for use in the creation of the software command set.

18. The communication means according to claim 17 wherein the tissue-stimulating prosthesis is an implantable prosthesis.

19. The communication means according to claim 18 wherein the tissue-stimulating prosthesis is a cochlear implant.

20. The communication means according to any one of claims 17 to 19 wherein the communication means is a personal computer (PC).

21. The communication means according to claim 20 wherein the personal computer is operable to present a graphical user interface (GUI) that allows a user to provide instructions to the communication means.

22. The communication means of claim 21 wherein the instructions specify parameters of the modules stored in the library.

23. The communication means of claim 21 or 22 wherein the instructions can be entered by use of one or more of a keyboard, a mouse, a touchpad, and a joystick.

24. The communication means of any one of claims 17 to 23 further comprising a hardware interface for communication of the software command set to the tissue-stimulating prosthesis.

25. The communication means according to any one of claims 17 to 24 wherein a software module of the software library is based on a data frame for transmission to the prosthesis.

26. The communication means according to claim 25 wherein the data frame is a stimulus frame.

27. The communication means according to claim 25 wherein the data frame is a non-stimulus frame that specifies an implant command.

28. The communication means according to claim 27 wherein the non-stimulus frame is a telemetry command.

29. The communication means according to claim 28 wherein the software module further comprises a trigger command to trigger operation of telemetry equipment external to the processing means.

30. The communication means according to any one of claims 25 to 29 wherein a data frame of a software module of the library specifies simultaneous stimulations to be output by a plurality of electrodes of the implant.

31. The communication means according to any one of claims 17 to 30 wherein a software module of the library requires a user input of at least one variable selected from:

electrode(s) to be stimulated;

reference electrode;

stimulus level;

pulse phase width;

phase gap; and

stimulus frame period.

32. The communication means according to any one of claims 17 to 31 wherein a software module of the software library comprises a sequence of data frames for streamed delivery to the prosthesis.

33. The communication means according to any one of claims 17 to 32 wherein the library comprises a plurality of classes of software modules, and wherein each class of software module is applicable to a particular model of prosthesis.

34. The communication means according to any one of claims 17 to 33 wherein the library is a dynamic link library (DLL).

35. The communication means of any one of claims 17 to 34 further comprising a sequence generator to produce a ready-made sequence of frames for a specific purpose.

36. The communication means according to claim 35 wherein the sequence generator is a psychophysics sequence generator which generates a sequence based on an input comprising at least one of:

timing of burst duration, inter-burst gap, and number of bursts.

37. The communication means according to claim 35 or claim 36 wherein the sequence generator is operable to store a generated sequence as a software module in the library.

38. The communication means according to any one of claims 17 to 37 further comprising a library interface means which can be used by a user to construct a sequence of frames.

39. The communication means according to any one of claims 17 to 38, wherein the communication means is operable to communicate the software command set to the memory of a processor of the implant.

40. The communication means according to any one of claims 17 to 39, wherein the communication means is operable to communicate the software command set directly to the prosthesis.

41. The communication means of claim 40 wherein the communication means supports off-line processing of a stimulus, prior to generation of a software command set based on said stimulus for communication directly to the prosthesis.

62. A system for controlling a tissue-stimulating prosthesis comprising:

a communication means in accordance with any one of claims 17 to 41; and

a processor for receiving the software command set from the communication means, processing the software command set, and delivering hardware instructions to control the prosthesis in accordance with the software command set.

42. A storage means storing in machine readable digital form a plurality of software modules, each software module defining instructions for control of a tissue-stimulating prosthesis.

43. The storage means according to claim 42 wherein the instructions define a stimulus pattern to be generated by the prosthesis.

44. The storage means according to claim 42 or claim 43 wherein the instructions are for control of acquisition of telemetry data by the prosthesis.

45. The storage means according to any one of claims 42 to 44 wherein the instructions relate to communication of data from the prosthesis.

46. The storage means according to any one of claims 42 to 45 wherein the tissue-stimulating prosthesis is an implantable prosthesis.

47. The storage means according to claim 46 wherein the tissue-stimulating prosthesis is a cochlear implant.

48. The storage means according to any one of claims 42 to 47 wherein at least one software module is based on a data frame for transmission to the prosthesis.

49. The storage means according to claim 48 wherein the data frame is a stimulus frame.

50. The storage means according to claim 48 wherein the data frame is a non-stimulus frame that specifies an implant command.

51. The storage means according to claim 50 wherein the non-stimulus frame is a telemetry command.

52. The storage means according to claim 51 wherein the at least one software module further comprises a trigger command to trigger operation of telemetry equipment.

53. The storage means according to any one of claims 42 to 52 wherein a data frame of at least one software module specifies simultaneous stimulations to be output by the implant.

54. The storage means according to any one of claims 42 to 53 wherein at least one software module requires a user input of at least one variable selected from:

electrode(s) to be stimulated;

reference electrode;

stimulus level;

pulse phase width;

phase gap; and

stimulus frame period.

55. The storage means according to any one of claims 42 to 54 wherein a software module comprises a sequence of data frames for streamed delivery to the prosthesis.

56. The storage means according to any one of claims 42 to 55 wherein each software module is a member of a class, wherein each class of software module is applicable to a particular model of prosthesis.

57. The storage means of any one of claims 52 to 56 wherein the software modules form a dynamic link library (DLL).

58. A cochlear implant communicator operable to present an interface for receiving instructions from a user, and operable to call upon functions within a stored communicator library, wherein said functions are operable to control a tissue-stimulating implanted prosthesis in accordance with the instructions received from the user, and wherein said instructions do not require intricate knowledge of the implant'"'"'s construction and performance.

59. A method for controlling a tissue-stimulating prosthesis, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving user instructions specifying a desired action of the prosthesis; and

accessing a library of predetermined software modules in order to build a software command set for causing the prosthesis to perform the desired action.

60. The method of claim 59 further comprising the steps of:

building the software command set using standard ranges for each variable value;

communicating the software command set to a processor of the prosthesis; and

subsequent to said step of communicating, mapping the value of each variable from the standard range to a recipient-specific range.

61. The method of claim 60 wherein the variable is stimulus amplitude, and the recipient-specific range is defined by a minimum threshold (T level) and a maximum comfort (C level) of the prosthesis recipient.

63. A method for controlling a tissue-stimulating prosthesis, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving arbitrary user instructions specifying a desired action of the prosthesis; and

accessing a library of predetermined software modules in order to allow said arbitrary user instructions to be performed by the prosthesis to perform said desired action.