Receiver/stimulator for hearing prosthesis
First Claim
1. In a prosthetic device including several electrodes by means of which electrical stimulation is achieved, the improvement comprising, means controlling the delivery of electrical stimulus current to each of said electrodes in a series of spaced pulses, each spaced pulse being separated by an interval of zero current which has a duration longer than each spaced pulse, the waveform of said stimulus current comprising a series of said spaced pulses of one polarity followed by an equal number of said spaced pulses of opposite polarity whereby the sum of all the electrical charge transferred through each electrode is approximately zero at the end of a stimulating current waveform.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A device for controlling stimulating currents in prosthetic devices in which a series of short spaced current pulses are delivered to electrodes with intervals between the pulses of zero current having a duration longer than that of each spaced pulse, the waveform of the stimulus current comprising a series of said spaced pulses of one polarity followed by an equal number of said spaced pulses of opposite polarity whereby the sum of all of the electrical charge transferred through each electrode is approximately zero at the end of a stimulating current waveform. In a hearing prosthesis in which bipolar pairs of electrodes are used to stimulate hearing nerves, the spaced pulses are delivered cyclically to the bipolar pairs of electrodes whereby the spaced pulses are delivered to one electrode pair during the zero current periods of the spaced pulses delivered to another electrode pair whereby the electrical stimulation caused by said electrodes is substantially simultaneous.
179 Citations
8 Claims
- 1. In a prosthetic device including several electrodes by means of which electrical stimulation is achieved, the improvement comprising, means controlling the delivery of electrical stimulus current to each of said electrodes in a series of spaced pulses, each spaced pulse being separated by an interval of zero current which has a duration longer than each spaced pulse, the waveform of said stimulus current comprising a series of said spaced pulses of one polarity followed by an equal number of said spaced pulses of opposite polarity whereby the sum of all the electrical charge transferred through each electrode is approximately zero at the end of a stimulating current waveform.
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4. In a receiver-stimulator for a hearing prosthesis comprising means for receiving a transmitted data signal, means for decoding the received signal, means for generating and delivering several initial independent current signals to a selected subset of stimulating electrodes, configured as a number of bipolar pairs, according to the decoded information, the improvement comprising, means for controlling said current signals to cause said bipolar pairs to receive a series of short constant-current pulses each separated by zero-current intervals longer than each initial pulse, said series of spaced pules being divided into a first series of said current pulses having a first current direction and a second series of said current pulses having the opposite current direction whereby the sum of the charge transferred through each of the selected bipolar electrode pairs is substantially zero when the delivery of the current signals is complete.
Specification