Sound processing and stimulation systems and methods for use with cochlear implant devices
First Claim
1. A sound processing unit for use in a cochlear implant sound processing unit, the unit comprising:
- circuitry for computing a frequency spectrum of a signal representative of sound in order to produce a representation of the signal that is broken down into a plurality of frequency bins that are organized into a plurality of channels such that each channel comprises a subset of the plurality of bins; and
additional circuitry being adapted to;
determine a bin that has the most energy out of a subset of the bins corresponding to a channel included within the plurality of channels;
determine whether the energy in the bin is larger than energies in other bins adjacent to the bin;
if the energy in the bin is larger than energies in the adjacent bins, compute a stimulation frequency corresponding to the channel to be a frequency that corresponds to a location of a point in the middle of the bin; and
if the energy in the bin is not larger than energies in the adjacent bins, compute the stimulation frequency corresponding to the channel to be a frequency that corresponds to a location of a point that lies midway between the bin and another bin having the larger energy of the adjacent bins.
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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.
26 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A sound processing unit for use in a cochlear implant sound processing unit, the unit comprising:
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circuitry for computing a frequency spectrum of a signal representative of sound in order to produce a representation of the signal that is broken down into a plurality of frequency bins that are organized into a plurality of channels such that each channel comprises a subset of the plurality of bins; and additional circuitry being adapted to; determine a bin that has the most energy out of a subset of the bins corresponding to a channel included within the plurality of channels; determine whether the energy in the bin is larger than energies in other bins adjacent to the bin; if the energy in the bin is larger than energies in the adjacent bins, compute a stimulation frequency corresponding to the channel to be a frequency that corresponds to a location of a point in the middle of the bin; and if the energy in the bin is not larger than energies in the adjacent bins, compute the stimulation frequency corresponding to the channel to be a frequency that corresponds to a location of a point that lies midway between the bin and another bin having the larger energy of the adjacent bins. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A sound processing unit for use in a cochlear implant sound processing unit, the unit comprising:
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circuitry for computing a frequency spectrum of a signal representative of sound in order to produce a representation of the signal that is broken down into a plurality of frequency bins that are organized into a plurality of channels such that each channel comprises a subset of the plurality of bins; and additional circuitry being adapted to; determine a bin that has the most energy out of a subset of the bins corresponding to a channel included within the plurality of channels; determine whether the energy in the bin is larger than energies in other bins adjacent to the bin; and if the energy in the bin is not larger than energies in the adjacent bins, compute a stimulation frequency corresponding to the channel to be a frequency that corresponds to a location of a point that lies midway between the bin and another bin having the larger energy of the adjacent bins. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A sound processing unit for use in a cochlear implant sound processing unit, the unit comprising:
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circuitry for computing a frequency spectrum of a signal representative of sound in order to produce a representation of the signal that is broken down into a plurality of frequency bins that are organized into a plurality of channels such that each channel comprises a subset of the plurality of bins; and additional circuitry being adapted to; determine a bin that has the most energy out of a subset of the bins corresponding to a channel included within the plurality of channels; determine whether the energy in the bin is larger than energies in other bins adjacent to the bin; if the energy in the bin is larger than energies in the adjacent bins, compute a stimulation frequency to be a frequency that corresponds to a location of a maximum of a parabola that is fit between a plurality of points within the bin and two of the adjacent bins; and if the energy in the bin is not larger than energies in the adjacent bins, compute the stimulation frequency to be a frequency that corresponds to a location of a point that lies midway between the bin and another bin having the larger energy of the adjacent bins. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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Specification