Electric and acoustic stimulation fitting systems and methods

• US 20050245991A1
• Filed: 03/31/2005
• Published: 11/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Bionics AG (Sonova Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Advanced Bionics LLC (Sonova Holding AG)
• Inventors: Faltys, Michael A., Overstreet, Edward H., Harrison, William Vanbrooks, Segel, Philip A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,561,920 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/57
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36038 Cochlear stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/70 Adaptation of deaf aid to hearing loss, e.g. initial electronic fitting

Abstract

Methods and systems for modifying the parameters of at least one hearing device for a patient with residual hearing provide needed orchestration of acoustic and electric stimulation of patients wearing such devices.

Claims

1. A method for modifying the parameters of at least one hearing device, comprising:

receiving electric and acoustic stimulation data from at least one hearing device to a computer with software;

assessing electric and acoustic stimulation parameters and patterns based on the stimulation data; and

delivering the electric and acoustic stimulation parameters and patterns to the at least one hearing device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

mapping the stimulation data with the software.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

assessing electric and acoustic stimulation parameters and patterns based on the stimulation data includes assessing the proper sequencing of acoustic and electric events for at least one of a hearing aid and the acoustic elements of an electric-acoustic processor and at least one of a cochlear implant speech processor and the electric elements of an electric-acoustic processor.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

assessing electric and acoustic stimulation parameters and patterns based on the stimulation data includes assessing the proper sequencing of acoustic and electric events for a hearing aid and a cochlear implant speech processor.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

assessing electric and acoustic stimulation parameters and patterns based on the stimulation data includes assessing the proper sequencing of acoustic and electric events for a hearing aid and the electric elements of an electric-acoustic processor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

assessing electric and acoustic stimulation parameters and patterns based on the stimulation data includes assessing the proper sequencing of acoustic and electric events for the acoustic elements of an electric-acoustic processor and a cochlear implant speech processor.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

assessing electric and acoustic stimulation parameters and patterns based on the stimulation data includes assessing the proper sequencing of acoustic and electric events for the acoustic and electric elements of an electric-acoustic processor.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

delivering the electric and acoustic stimulation parameters and patterns to the at least one hearing device includes at least one of simultaneously and sequentially outputting instructions capable of modifying acoustic and electric parameters to determine interaction between multiple channels in at least one of a hearing aid, the acoustic elements of an electric-acoustic processor, a cochlear implant speech processor, and the electric elements of an electric-acoustic processor.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

delivering the electric and acoustic stimulation parameters and patterns to the at least one hearing device includes simultaneously outputting instructions capable of modifying acoustic and electric parameters to determine interaction between multiple channels in at least one of a hearing aid, the acoustic elements of an electric-acoustic processor, a cochlear implant speech processor, and the electric elements of an electric-acoustic processor.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

delivering the electric and acoustic stimulation parameters and patterns to the at least one hearing device includes sequentially outputting instructions capable of modifying acoustic and electric parameters to determine interaction between multiple channels in at least one of a hearing aid, the acoustic elements of an electric-acoustic processor, a cochlear implant speech processor, and the electric elements of an electric-acoustic processor.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one hearing device comprises two hearing devices configured to be worn contralateral to each other by a patient.

12. A method for modifying the parameters of multiple hearing devices, comprising:

providing a user interface that allows a user to modify parameters of at least one of a hearing aid and the acoustic elements of an electric-acoustic processor and at least one of a cochlear implant speech processor and the electric elements of an electric-acoustic processor using software configured to provide instructions for at least one of acoustic stimulation to the hearing aid, electric stimulation to the cochlear implant speech processor, electric stimulation to the electric-acoustic processor, and acoustic stimulation to the electric-acoustic processor.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the user interface is configured to allow the user to modify, with the software, the parameters of the electric-acoustic processor when the electric elements of the electric-acoustic processor are situated ipsilateral to the acoustic elements of the electric-acoustic processor.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the software is configured to provide instructions when the at least one of the hearing aid and the acoustic elements of the electric-acoustic processor are situated contralateral to the at least one of the cochlear implant speech processor and the electric elements of the electric-acoustic processor.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

mapping audio information to electrode contact position with the software in a patient with a cochlear implant.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

at least one of simultaneously and sequentially outputting instructions capable of modifying acoustic and electric parameters to determine interaction between multiple channels in the at least one of the hearing aid, the acoustic elements of the electric-acoustic processor, the cochlear implant speech processor, and the electric elements of the electric-acoustic processor.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

assessing, with the software, the proper sequencing of acoustic and electric events for at least one of the hearing aid and the acoustic elements of the electric-acoustic processor and at least one of the cochlear implant speech processor and the electric elements of the electric-acoustic processor.

18. A system for modifying the parameters of acoustic and electric stimulation hearing devices, comprising:

a computer provided with access to software that is configured to communicate with and modify parameters of at least one of a hearing aid and the acoustic elements of an electric-acoustic processor and at least one of a cochlear implant speech processor and the electric elements of an electric-acoustic processor.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

a programming interface unit configured to exchange information between the computer and at least one of the hearing aid, the cochlear implant speech processor, the electric elements of the electric-acoustic processor, and the acoustic elements of the electric-acoustic processor.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein:

the computer is configured to communicate directly with at least one of the hearing aid, the cochlear implant speech processor, the electric elements of the electric-acoustic processor, and the acoustic elements of the electric-acoustic processor through wireless communications.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein:

the computer is configured to communicate directly with at least one of the hearing aid, the cochlear implant speech processor, the electric elements of the electric-acoustic processor, and the acoustic elements of the electric-acoustic processor through wired communications.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein:

the computer is configured to display data used to at least one of map, evaluate, and modify the parameters of at least one of the hearing aid, the acoustic elements of the electric-acoustic processor, the cochlear implant speech processor, and the electric elements of the electric-acoustic processor.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein:

the software is scripted to evaluate data relevant to operational parameters of at least one of the hearing aid, the acoustic elements of the electric-acoustic processor, the cochlear implant speech processor, and the electric elements of the electric-acoustic processor.

24. The system of claim 18, wherein:

the software is configured to map parameter levels and ranges and is configured to map responses of a patient wearing the at least one of the hearing aid, the acoustic elements of the electric-acoustic processor, the cochlear implant speech processor, and the electric elements of the electric-acoustic processor.

25. The system of claim 18, wherein:

the computer is configured to simultaneously and sequentially output instructions capable of modifying acoustic and electric stimulation parameters to determine interaction between multiple channels in the at least one of the hearing aid, the acoustic elements of the electric-acoustic processor, the cochlear implant speech processor, and the electric elements of the electric-acoustic processor.

26. The system of claim 18, wherein:

the software is scripted to provide a suggested assessment of the proper sequencing of acoustic and electric events for at least one of the hearing aid and the acoustic elements of the electric-acoustic processor and at least one of the cochlear implant speech processor and the electric elements of the electric-acoustic processor.