METHOD AND DEVICE FOR AUTOMATED OBSERVATION FITTING

• US 20090306743A1
• Filed: 05/08/2007
• Published: 12/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Original Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Inventors: Van Den Heuvel, Koen
• Granted Patent: US 8,798,757 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/57
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36039 fitting procedures
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37235 Aspects of the external programmer
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/70 Adaptation of deaf aid to hearing loss, e.g. initial electronic fitting

Abstract

Fitting an auditory prosthesis to a recipient by automatically determining operational thresholds of the prosthesis based on changes in the activity of the recipient that occur in response to applied stimulation signals. Such changes in recipient activity are detected by an inertial measurement unit (IMU) permanently or temporarily secured to or implanted in the recipient as an integral part of the prosthesis or a separate device operationally coupled to the prosthesis.

Claims

1. A method for fitting an auditory prosthesis to a recipient, comprising:

applying at least one stimulation signal to the recipient;

generating inertia data indicating changes in the recipient'"'"'s physical activity; and

determining whether said recipient experienced a change in hearing perception in response to said stimulation signal based on said inertia data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

setting an operational parameter of the auditory prosthesis in accordance with one or more characteristics of said at least one stimulation signal when said changes in said recipient activity are determined to have caused a change in hearing perception in the recipient.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said auditory prosthesis is a cochlear implant.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said operational parameters comprise:

T-level; and

C-level.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said one or more characteristics of said at least one stimulation signal comprises an amplitude of said at least one stimulation signal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating inertia data indicating changes in the recipient'"'"'s physical activity comprises generating inertia data by one or more of either a gyroscope and accelerometer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one stimulation signal comprises one or more of either an electrical stimulation signal, acoustic stimulation signal, and mechanical stimulation signal.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein determining whether said recipient experienced a change in hearing perception in response to said stimulation signal based on said inertia data comprises:

setting at least one of an M-level and an S-level in accordance with an amplitude of said at least one stimulation signal when said changes in said recipient activity comprises an increase or decrease in recipient activity, respectively, representative of a hearing perception experienced in response to said stimulation signals.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein setting an operational parameter of the auditory prosthesis comprises:

providing at least one of said M-level and said S-level to a fitting system as at least one of either a T-level or C-level of the auditory prosthesis based on a manner in which said at least one of said M-level and said S-level are determined.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein said determining whether said recipient experienced a change in hearing perception in response to said stimulation signal based on said inertia data comprises:

assigning a confidence value to said amplitude of said plurality of said stimulation signals based on said recipient activity changes; and

comparing said assigned confidence value with a predetermined confidence threshold representative of a change in hearing perception.

11. The method of claim 1,

wherein said one or more characteristics of said at least one stimulation signal comprises an amplitude of a plurality of stimulation signals each having substantially the same amplitude,

wherein said applying, generating and determining are performed iteratively with each of said stimulation signals until a predetermined confidence value is obtained.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said change in recipient activity comprises one or more of the group consisting of:

an increase in recipient activity; and

a decrease in recipient activity.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said increase in recipient activity comprises at least one of the group consisting of:

an initiation of recipient activity; and

an increase from a relatively lower degree of activity to a relatively greater degree of activity.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said decrease in recipient activity comprises at least one of the group consisting of:

a cessation of recipient activity;

an decrease from a relatively higher degree of activity to a relatively lower degree of activity.

15. A method for fitting an auditory prosthesis to a recipient, comprising:

detecting changes in recipient activity with an inertial measurement unit (IMU); and

automatically determining operational thresholds of the prosthesis based on said detected changes in recipient activity that occur in response to applied stimulation signals.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said inertial measurement unit comprises one or more sensors of the group consisting of gyroscopes and accelerometers.

17. A system for providing operational parameters to a fitting system of an auditory prosthesis of a recipient, comprising:

an inertial measurement unit constructed and arranged to generate inertia data indicating changes in the recipient'"'"'s physical activity; and

a determinator configured to determine whether said recipient experienced a change in hearing perception in response to applied stimulation signals based on said inertia data.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said auditory prosthesis is a cochlear implant.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein said operational parameters comprise:

T-level; and

C-level.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein said inertial measurement unit comprises one or more sensors of the group consisting of gyroscopes and accelerometers.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein said one or more characteristics of said stimulation signals comprises an amplitude of said stimulation signals.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein said plurality of stimulation signals comprises one or more of either electrical stimulation signals, acoustic stimulation signals, and mechanical stimulation signals.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein to determine whether the recipient experienced a change in hearing perception in response to applied stimulation signals based on said inertia data, said determinator is configured to assign a confidence value to said amplitude of said plurality of said stimulation signals based on said recipient activity changes;

and compare said assigned confidence value with a predetermined confidence threshold representative of a change in hearing perception.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein to determine whether said recipient experienced a change in hearing perception in response to said stimulation signal based on said inertia data, said determinator is configured to set at least one of an M-level and an S-level in accordance with an amplitude of said stimulation signals when said changes in said recipient activity comprises an increase or decrease in recipient activity, respectively, representative of a hearing perception experienced in response to said stimulation signals.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein said determinator is further configure to provide at least one of said M-level and said S-level to a fitting system as at least one of either a T-level or C-level of the auditory prosthesis based on a manner in which said at least one of said M-level and said S-level are determined.

26. The system of claim 17, wherein said change in recipient activity comprises one or more of the group consisting of:

an increase in recipient activity; and

a decrease in recipient activity.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein said increase in recipient activity comprises at least one of the group consisting of:

an initiation of recipient activity; and

an increase from a relatively lower degree of activity to a relatively greater degree of activity.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein said decrease in recipient activity comprises at least one of the group consisting of:

a cessation of recipient activity;

an decrease from a relatively higher degree of activity to a relatively lower degree of activity.

29. A system for automatically determining operational parameters of an auditory prosthesis for a recipient, comprising:

an apparatus configured to cause the auditory prosthesis to apply stimulation signals to the recipient;

an inertial measurement unit configured to generate inertia data indicating changes in the recipient'"'"'s physical activity; and

a determinator configured to determine whether said recipient experienced a change in hearing perception in response to said stimulation signals based on said inertia data.

30. The system of claim 29, further comprising:

an apparatus configured to set an operational parameter of the auditory prosthesis in accordance with one or more characteristics of said stimulation signals when said determinator determines that changes in said recipient activity reflect a change in hearing perception in the recipient in response to said stimulation signals.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein the auditory prosthesis is a cochlear implant.

32. The system of claim 29, wherein said operational parameters comprise one or more of either a T-level and a C-level.

33. The system of claim 29, wherein said inertial measurement unit comprises one or more sensors of the group consisting of gyroscopes and accelerometers.

34. The system of claim 30, wherein said one or more characteristics of said stimulation signals comprises an amplitude of said stimulation signals.

35. The system of claim 29, wherein said plurality of stimulation signals comprises one or more of either electrical stimulation signals, acoustic stimulation signals, and mechanical stimulation signals.

36. The system of claim 29, wherein to determine whether the recipient experienced a change in hearing perception in response to applied stimulation signals based on said inertia data, said determinator is configured to assign a confidence value to said amplitude of said plurality of said stimulation signals based on said recipient activity changes;

and compare said assigned confidence value with a predetermined confidence threshold representative of a change in hearing perception.

37. The system of claim 29, wherein to determine whether said recipient experienced a change in hearing perception in response to said stimulation signal based on said inertia data, said determinator is configured to set at least one of an M-level and an S-level in accordance with an amplitude of said stimulation signals when said changes in said recipient activity comprises an increase or decrease in recipient activity, respectively, representative of a hearing perception experienced in response to said stimulation signals.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein said determinator is further configure to provide at least one of said M-level and said S-level to a fitting system as at least one of either a T-level or C-level of the auditory prosthesis based on a manner in which said at least one of said M-level and said S-level are determined.

39. The system of claim 29, wherein said change in recipient activity comprises one or more of the group consisting of:

an increase in recipient activity; and

a decrease in recipient activity.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein said increase in recipient activity comprises at least one of the group consisting of:

an initiation of recipient activity; and

an increase from a relatively lower degree of activity to a relatively greater degree of activity.

41. The system of claim 39, wherein said decrease in recipient activity comprises at least one of the group consisting of:

a cessation of recipient activity;

an decrease from a relatively higher degree of activity to a relatively lower degree of activity.

42. An apparatus for fitting an auditory prosthesis to a recipient, comprising:

means for applying at least one stimulation signal to the recipient;

means for generating inertia data indicating changes in the recipient'"'"'s physical activity; and

means for determining whether said recipient experienced a change in hearing perception in response to said stimulation signal based on said inertia data.

43. The apparatus of claim 42, further comprising:

means for setting an operational parameter of the auditory prosthesis in accordance with one or more characteristics of said at least one stimulation signal when said changes in said recipient activity are determined to have caused a change in hearing perception in the recipient.

44. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein said auditory prosthesis is a cochlear implant.

45. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein said operational parameters comprise T-level and C-level.

46. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein said one or more characteristics of said at least one stimulation signal comprises an amplitude of said at least one stimulation signal.

47. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein said means for generating inertia data indicating changes in the recipient'"'"'s physical activity comprises one or more of the group of sensors consisting of gyroscopes and accelerometers.

48. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein said at least one stimulation signal comprises one or more of either an electrical stimulation signal, acoustic stimulation signal, and mechanical stimulation signal.

49. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein said means for determining whether said recipient experienced a change in hearing perception in response to said stimulation signal based on said inertia data comprises:

means for setting at least one of an M-level and an S-level in accordance with an amplitude of said at least one stimulation signal when said changes in said recipient activity comprises an increase or decrease in recipient activity, respectively, representative of a hearing perception experienced in response to said stimulation signals.

50. The apparatus of claim 49, wherein means for setting an operational parameter of the auditory prosthesis comprises:

providing at least one of said M-level and said S-level to a fitting system as at least one of either a T-level or C-level of the auditory prosthesis based on a manner in which said at least one of said M-level and said S-level are determined.

51. The apparatus of claim 49, wherein said means for determining whether said recipient experienced a change in hearing perception in response to said stimulation signal based on said inertia data further comprises:

means for assigning a confidence value to said amplitude of said plurality of said stimulation signals based on said recipient activity changes; and

means for comparing said assigned confidence value with a predetermined confidence threshold representative of a change in hearing perception.