Determining operating parameters for a stimulating medical device

• US 20070255344A1
• Filed: 04/20/2007
• Published: 11/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Original Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Inventors: Van Dijk, Bastiaan
• Granted Patent: US 8,571,675 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/57
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36038 Cochlear stimulation

Abstract

The measurement of recipient-specific operating parameters for each of a plurality of stimulation channels of a stimulating medical device. Generally, a recipient-specific operating parameter is measured for selected stimulation channels. These measured values are then used to estimate the same operating parameter for the remaining stimulation channels. For each such remaining stimulation channel, the accuracy of the estimated operating parameter value is determined, resulting in the estimated operating parameter value being deemed either valid or invalid. The validated values are retained while in invalidated values are replaced with a directly-measured or re-estimated operating parameter value.

Claims

1. An apparatus constructed and arranged to determine operating parameter values for each of a plurality of stimulation channels of a cochlear implant, the apparatus configured to measure values of the operating parameter for selected stimulation channels of the cochlear implant, and further configured to interpolate the measured values to derive an estimated value of the operating parameter for one or more non-selected stimulation channels of the cochlear implant.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is further configured to determine the accuracy of the one or more estimated values, and to retain each estimated value determined to be accurate.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is further configured to determine the accuracy of the one or more estimated values, and to replace each estimated value determined to be inaccurate with a newly estimated value of the operating parameter derived by interpolating previously-determined values of the operating parameter comprising at least one value of the operating parameter not utilized to determine the inaccurate estimated value.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the previously-determined values of the operating parameter utilized to determine the replacement value of the operating parameter comprise a previously-estimated value of the operating parameter.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the previously-determined values of the operating parameter utilized to determine the replacement value of the operating parameter comprise a previously-measured value of the operating parameter.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is further configured to determine the accuracy of the one or more estimated values, and to replace each of the one or more estimated values determined to be inaccurate with a newly measured value of the operating parameter.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the operating parameter comprises a recipient-specific operating parameter.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the recipient-specific operating parameter comprises:

a minimum stimulation current level required to evoke a neural response at a given stimulation channel.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the recipient-specific operating parameter comprises:

a stimulation level at which a sound is loud but comfortable to the recipient for each stimulation channel.

10. A method for determining an operating parameter for each of a plurality of stimulation channels of a stimulating medical device, comprising:

measuring the value of the operating parameter for first and second stimulation channels; and

estimating the value of the operating parameter for a third stimulation channel using the measured operating parameter values for the first and second stimulation channels.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining the accuracy of the estimated value of the operating parameter;

retaining each estimated value determined to be accurate; and

replacing each estimated value determined to be inaccurate.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein replacing each estimated value determined to be inaccurate comprises:

replacing each estimated value determined to be inaccurate with a newly estimated value of the operating parameter.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein replacing each estimated value determined to be inaccurate with a newly estimated value of the operating parameter comprises:

interpolating previously-determined values of the operating parameter comprising at least one value of the operating parameter not utilized to determine the inaccurate estimated value to generate the newly estimated value of the operating parameter.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the previously-determined values of the operating parameter utilized to determine the replacement value of the operating parameter comprise a previously-estimated value of the operating parameter.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the previously-determined values of the operating parameter utilized to determine the replacement value of the operating parameter comprise a previously-measured value of the operating parameter.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein replacing each estimated value determined to be inaccurate comprises:

measuring the value of operating parameter for each stimulation channel for which the estimated value is determined to be inaccurate; and

replacing each estimated value determined to be inaccurate with the measured value of the operating parameter.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the stimulating medical device comprises a stimulating prosthetic hearing implant.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the prosthetic hearing implant comprises a cochlear implant.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the operating parameter comprises:

a minimum stimulation current level required to evoke a neural response at a given stimulation channel.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the operating parameter comprises:

a stimulation level at which a sound is loud but comfortable to the recipient for each stimulation channel.

21. An apparatus constructed and arranged to determine operating parameter values for each of a plurality of stimulation channels of a cochlear implant, comprising:

means for measuring the value of the operating parameter for first and second stimulation channels; and

means for estimating the value of the operating parameter for a third stimulation channel using the measured operating parameter values for the first and second stimulation channels.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

means for determining the accuracy of the estimated value of the operating parameter;

means for retaining each estimated value determined to be accurate; and

means for replacing each estimated value determined to be inaccurate.