Sound processing and stimulation systems and methods for use with cochlear implant devices
First Claim
1. A method for deriving a carrier that may be used to stimulate a cochlea based on a signal representative of sound, the method comprising:
- computing a frequency spectrum of the signal representative of sound;
arranging the frequency spectrum into a plurality of channels such that each channel corresponds to a range of frequencies that lie within the frequency spectrum;
selecting a frequency from within the range of frequencies that corresponds to a channel of the plurality of channels; and
deriving a waveform for the carrier, the waveform having a frequency that corresponds to the selected frequency, the waveform having a modulation depth that decreases as the selected frequency increases;
wherein the modulation depth is based on a rate at which each of the plurality of channels is updated.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Sound processing strategies for use with cochlear implant systems utilizing simultaneous stimulation of electrodes are provided. The strategies include computing a frequency spectrum of a signal representative of sound, arranging the spectrum into channels and assigning a subset of electrodes to each channel. Each subset is stimulated so as to stimulate a virtual electrode positioned at a location on the cochlea that corresponds to the frequency at which a spectral peak is located within an assigned channel. The strategies also derive a carrier for a channel having a frequency that may relate to the stimulation frequency so that temporal information is presented. In order to fit these strategies, a group of electrodes is selected and the portion of the current that would otherwise be applied to electrode(s) having a partner electrode in the group is applied to the partner electrode.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method for deriving a carrier that may be used to stimulate a cochlea based on a signal representative of sound, the method comprising:
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computing a frequency spectrum of the signal representative of sound; arranging the frequency spectrum into a plurality of channels such that each channel corresponds to a range of frequencies that lie within the frequency spectrum; selecting a frequency from within the range of frequencies that corresponds to a channel of the plurality of channels; and deriving a waveform for the carrier, the waveform having a frequency that corresponds to the selected frequency, the waveform having a modulation depth that decreases as the selected frequency increases; wherein the modulation depth is based on a rate at which each of the plurality of channels is updated. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 24)
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12. A cochlear implant system for stimulating a cochlea based on a signal representative of sound, the system comprising:
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an electrode array inserted into the cochlea; and sound processing circuitry coupled to the electrode array adapted to; compute a frequency spectrum of the signal representative of sound arrange the frequency spectrum into a plurality of channels such that each channel corresponds to a range of frequencies that lie within the frequency spectrum; select a frequency from within the range of frequencies that corresponds to a channel of the plurality of channels; and derive a waveform for a carrier, the waveform having a frequency that corresponds to the selected frequency, the waveform having a modulation depth that decreases as the selected frequency increases; wherein the modulation depth is based on a rate at which each of the plurality of channels is updated. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25)
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26. A method for deriving a carrier that may be used to stimulate a cochlea based on a signal representative of sound, the method comprising:
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computing a frequency spectrum of the signal representative of sound; arranging the frequency spectrum into a plurality of channels such that each channel corresponds to a range of frequencies that lie within the frequency spectrum; selecting a frequency at which a spectral peak is located within the range of frequencies that corresponds to a channel selected from the plurality of channels; and deriving a waveform for the carrier, the waveform having a frequency that is proportional to the selected frequency, the waveform having a modulation depth that decreases as the selected frequency increases; wherein the modulation depth is based on a rate at which each of the plurality of channels is updated.
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27. A cochlear implant system for stimulating a cochlea based on a signal representative of sound, the system comprising:
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an electrode array inserted into the cochlea; and sound processing circuitry coupled to the electrode array adapted to; compute a frequency spectrum of the signal representative of sound; arrange the frequency spectrum into a plurality of channels such that each channel corresponds to a range of frequencies that lie within the frequency spectrum; select a frequency at which a spectral peak is located within the range of frequencies that corresponds to a channel selected from the plurality of channels; and derive a waveform for a carrier, the waveform having frequency that is proportional to the selected frequency, the waveform having a modulation depth that decreases as the selected frequency increases; wherein the modulation depth is based on a rate at which each of the plurality of channels is updated.
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Specification