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Physician's testing system and method for testing implantable cochlear stimulator

DC CAFC
  • US 5,609,616 A
  • Filed: 05/25/1995
  • Issued: 03/11/1997
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/22/1989
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A physician'"'"'s testing system for testing a multichannel cochlear stimulating system, comprising a physician'"'"'s tester, an external headpiece/transmitter, and an implanted cochlear stimulator (ICS),the external headpiece/transmitter having transmitting means for transmitting data-containing signals to the ICS;

  • the ICS comprising;

    (a) receiving means for receiving the data-containing signals, (b) processor means for processing the data-containing signals to generate stimulation signals, (c) a plurality of tissue-stimulating electrodes for receiving the stimulation signals, (d) monitor means in the processor means and responsive to the data-containing signals for (1) selectively monitoring at least one pair of the tissue-stimulating electrodes as one of the stimulation signals is applied thereto to measure a voltage associated with said pair of electrodes, and (2) generating stimulator status-indicating signals, and (e) telemetry means for transmitting the stimulator status-indicating signals to the external headpiece/transmitter means; and

    the physician'"'"'s tester comprising;

    external processor means coupled to the transmitting means of the external headpiece/transmitter for receiving and processing the status-indicating signals to derive information therefrom regarding the operation of the implanted stimulator and its plurality of tissue stimulating electrodes;

    user-controllable means connected to the external processor means for selectively generating and controlling the data-containing signals transmitted by the transmitting means of the external headpiece/transmitter means, said user-controllable means including manual means for specifying a peak output current for the stimulation signals to be applied to the at least one pair of tissue-stimulating electrodes; and

    display means for displaying the information derived from the status-indicating signals.

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