Peak-derived timing stimulation strategy for a multi-channel cochlear implant
First Claim
1. A method of generating stimuli for use in a cochlear implant, comprising:
- processing a received audio signal to define signals within a set of frequency channels;
determining a time and intensity for each of one or more peaks in each of said signals;
prioritizing each of said peaks according to a predetermined instruction set;
specifying a minimum time interval between said peaks of each of said signals;
discarding peaks occurring within said minimum time intervals;
placing non-discarded peaks, in order of priority, into time slots of a buffer corresponding to the time said non-discarded peaks occur in said signals; and
outputting from said buffer a set of data for use in generating stimulus instructions.
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Abstract
A binaural cochlear implant system, including two intracochlear implants adapted for implantation in the cochleas of a user, each cochlear implant utilising a speech processing strategy wherein the electrical stimuli are matched to the relative timing of the relevant audio signals as detected at each ear, such that the interaural time delays between the audio signals at each ear are substantially preserved in electrical stimuli at each ear.
The processing strategy comprises band pass filtering the audio signal, determining the peaks in, and intensity of, each band, prioritising and placing each peak in a buffer in time slots corresponding to the relative timing of each peak. The buffer output forms the basis for stimulus instructions.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. A method of generating stimuli for use in a cochlear implant, comprising:
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processing a received audio signal to define signals within a set of frequency channels; determining a time and intensity for each of one or more peaks in each of said signals; prioritizing each of said peaks according to a predetermined instruction set; specifying a minimum time interval between said peaks of each of said signals; discarding peaks occurring within said minimum time intervals; placing non-discarded peaks, in order of priority, into time slots of a buffer corresponding to the time said non-discarded peaks occur in said signals; and outputting from said buffer a set of data for use in generating stimulus instructions. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5)
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2. An cochlear implant device, including
a filter bank configured to receive and process an audio signal to define signals within a set of frequency channels; -
a processing module configured to determine a time and intensity for each of one or more peaks in each of said signals, and configured to prioritize each of said peaks in response to a predetermined instruction set; said processing module configured to utilize said instruction set to specify a minimum time interval between said peaks of each of said signals, and to discard peaks occurring within said minimum time intervals; a buffer, wherein said processing module is further configured to place non-discarded peaks, in order of priority, into time slots of said buffer corresponding to the time said non-discarded peaks occur in said signals; and wherein said device utilizes an output of said buffer to generate stimulus instructions. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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6. A method of generating stimuli for use in a cochlear implant, comprising:
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processing a received audio signal to define signals within a set of frequency channels; determining a time and intensity for each of one or more peaks in each of said signals; prioritizing said peaks when peaks occur in more than one channel within a sampling period; granting priority to a peak in a low frequency channel over a peak in a high frequency channel up to a predefined frequency channel, unless said peak in said higher frequency channel has an amplitude which is larger by a predefined amount than said peak in said lower frequency channel; granting priority to said peaks only on the basis of low frequency channels over high frequency channels for channels higher than said predefined channel; placing said peaks, in order of priority, into time slots of a buffer corresponding to the time said peaks occur in said signals; discarding peaks in lower priority channels if no appropriate time slot is available for said peaks in said lower priority channels; and outputting from said buffer a set of data for use in generating stimulus instructions. - View Dependent Claims (7, 11, 12)
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Specification