Tonotopic Implant Stimulation

• US 20090264961A1
• Filed: 04/22/2009
• Published: 10/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MED-EL Elektromedizinische Gerate GmbH (MED-EL Corporation)
• Original Assignee: MED-EL Elektromedizinische Gerate GmbH (MED-EL Corporation)
• Inventors: Schleich, Peter, Nopp, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 9,180,295 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/57
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/04 Methods or devices for enabling ear patients to achieve auditory perception through physiological senses other than hearing sense, e.g. through the touch sense electronic stimulation of auditory nerves A61N1/36036
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0541 Cochlear electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36038 Cochlear stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36039 fitting procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/41 Detection or adaptation of hearing aid parameters or programs to listening situation, e.g. pub, forest
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/43 Signal processing in hearing aids to enhance the speech intelligibility
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/353 Frequency, e.g. frequency shift or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/552 Binaural

Abstract

Electrode stimulation signals are generated for an implanted electrode array. An acoustic audio signal is processed with a bank of filters that are each associated with a band of audio frequencies, and a set of band pass signals is generated with each band pass signal corresponding to the band of frequencies associated with one of the filters. Stimulation information is extracted from the band pass signals to generate a set of stimulation event signals defining electrode stimulation signals. Then the stimulation event signals are weighted with a weighted matrix of stimulation amplitudes reflecting patient-specific perceptual characteristics to produce a set of electrode stimulation signals for electrodes in the implanted electrode array.

Claims

1. A method of generating electrode stimulation signals for an implanted electrode array, the method comprising:

processing an acoustic audio signal with a bank of filters, each filter being associated with a band of audio frequencies, to generate a set of band pass signals, each band pass signal corresponding to the band of frequencies associated with one of the filters;

extracting stimulation information from the band pass signals to generate a set of stimulation event signals defining electrode stimulation signals;

weighting the stimulation event signals with a weighted matrix of stimulation amplitudes reflecting patient-specific perceptual characteristics to produce a set of electrode stimulation signals; and

developing the electrode stimulation signals into a set of output electrode pulses to the electrodes in the implanted electrode array.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the stimulation information includes at least one of envelope information, phase information, and timing of electrode stimulation signals.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the electrode stimulation signals are simultaneous signals.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the band pass signals form a multi-dimensional vector.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the implanted electrode array includes a pair of implanted electrode arrays in a bilateral cochlear implant system.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the perceptual characteristics include interaural level differences (ILD).

7. A method according to claim 5, wherein the perceptual characteristics include interaural time delays (ITD).

8. A method according to claim 5, wherein the perceptual characteristics include signal levels in the band pass signals.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the perceptual characteristics are defined according to a psychophysical method.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the psychophysical method includes at least one of a ranking procedure and a scaling procedure.

11. A method according to claim 9, wherein the psychophysical method includes a matching procedure.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the matching procedure includes matching a single electrode stimulus on one of the pair of electrode arrays to a weighted sum of simultaneous electrode stimuli on the contralateral side.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein the implanted electrode array includes a single implanted electrode array in a unilateral cochlear implant system.

14. A method according to claim 1, wherein the perceptual characteristics are based on patient-specific objective measurements.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the objective measurements include measurement of electrical potentials evoked by weighted synchronous electrical stimulation of electrodes in the implanted electrode array.

16. A method according to claim 14 wherein the objective measurements include imaging measurement of electrode position in the implanted electrode array.

17. A cochlear implant system comprising:

a preprocessor including a bank of filters, each filter being associated with a band of audio frequencies, for processing an acoustic audio signal to generate a set of band pass signals, each band pass signal corresponding to the band of frequencies associated with one of the filters;

a stimulation pulse generator for extracting stimulation information from the band pass signals to generate a set of stimulation event signals defining electrode stimulation signals;

a pulse weighting module for weighting the stimulation event signals with a weighted matrix of stimulation amplitudes reflecting patient-specific perceptual characteristics to produce a set of electrode stimulation signals; and

a pulse shaper for developing the electrode stimulation signals into a set of output electrode pulses to the electrodes in the implanted electrode array.

18. A system according to claim 17, wherein the stimulation pulse generator extracts stimulation information that includes at least one of envelope information, phase information, and timing of electrode stimulation signals.

19. A system according to claim 17, wherein the pulse shaper develops simultaneous electrode stimulation signals.

20. A system according to claim 17, wherein the preprocessor generates a multi-dimensional vector to represent the set of band pass signals.

21. A system according to claim 17, wherein the cochlear implant system is a bilateral cochlear implant system wherein the implanted electrode array includes a pair of implanted electrode arrays.

22. A system according to claim 21, wherein the perceptual characteristics include interaural level differences (ILD).

23. A system according to claim 21, wherein the perceptual characteristics include interaural time delays (ITD).

24. A system according to claim 21, wherein the perceptual characteristics include signal levels in the band pass signals.

25. A system according to claim 17, wherein the perceptual characteristics are defined according to a psychophysical system.

26. A system according to claim 25, wherein the psychophysical system includes at least one of a ranking procedure and a scaling procedure.

27. A system according to claim 25, wherein the psychophysical system includes a matching procedure.

28. A system according to claim 27, wherein the matching procedure includes matching a single electrode stimulus on one of the pair of electrode arrays to a weighted sum of simultaneous electrode stimuli on the contralateral side.

29. A system according to claim 17, wherein the cochlear implant system is a unilateral cochlear implant system wherein the implanted electrode array includes a single implanted electrode array.

30. A system according to claim 17, wherein the perceptual characteristics are based on patient-specific objective measurements.

31. A system according to claim 30, wherein the objective measurements include measurement of electrical potentials evoked by weighted synchronous electrical stimulation of electrodes in the implanted electrode array.

32. A system according to claim 30, wherein the objective measurements include imaging measurement of electrode position in the implanted electrode array.