INFORMATION PROCESSING AND STORAGE IN A COCHLEAR STIMULATION SYSTEM

• US 20140350641A1
• Filed: 08/06/2014
• Published: 11/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Bionics AG (Sonova Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Advanced Bionics AG (Sonova Holding AG)
• Inventors: Faltys, Michael A., Starkweather, Timothy J., Arnold, Anthony K.
• Granted Patent: US 9,855,425 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/57
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36038 Cochlear stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36039 fitting procedures
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37252 Details of algorithms or data aspects of communication system, e.g. handshaking, transmitting specific data or segmenting data
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37264 Changing the program; Upgrading firmware

Abstract

Information can be stored in a cochlear stimulation system by determining an item of patient specific information, transferring the item of patient specific information to an implantable portion of the cochlear stimulation system, and permanently storing the item of patient specific information in the implantable portion of the cochlear stimulation system. The item of patient specific information can comprise a parameter for use in generating a stimulation current. The implantable portion of the cochlear stimulation system also can be configured to permanently store one or more items of patient specific information in an alterable fashion. Further, an item of patient specific information can be retrieved from the implantable portion of the cochlear stimulation system. Additionally, an item of non-patient specific information for use in processing a received acoustic signal can be determined and permanently stored in an external portion of the cochlear stimulation system.

Claims

1. A method for initializing a cochlear stimulation system worn by a patient comprising an external portion and an implantable internal portion, the method comprising:

receiving power at the internal portion from the external portion; and

in response to the receipt of power, executing a self-initialization process at the internal portion;

wherein the self-initialization process at the internal portion executes using only information stored in a non-volatile memory in the internal portion and executes independently of receipt of information from the external portion.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising executing a self-initialization process at the external portion, wherein the self-initialization process at the external portion executes using only information stored in a non-volatile memory in the external portion and executes independently of receipt of information from the internal portion.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-volatile memory in the internal portion stores only patient specific information.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the non-volatile memory in the external portion stores only non-patient specific information.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising upon initialization, receiving control data at the internal portion from the external portion for defining status of one or more user controls.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising transmitting, after execution of the self-initialization process at the external portion, processed sound data from the external portion to the internal portion.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

periodically detecting, at the external portion, presence of the internal portion; and

terminating transmitting sound data to the internal portion if the internal portion is not detected.

8. A method of storing information in a cochlear stimulation system, the method comprising:

determining an item of patient specific information;

transferring the item of patient specific information to an implantable portion of the cochlear stimulation system; and

permanently storing the item of patient specific information in the implantable portion of the cochlear stimulation system.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the item of patient specific information comprises a parameter for use in generating a stimulation current.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the implantable portion of the cochlear stimulation system is configured to permanently store one or more items of patient specific information in an alterable fashion.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

initializing the implantable portion of the cochlear stimulation system using one or more of the permanently stored items of patient specific information.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining an item of non-patient specific information for use in processing a received acoustic signal; and

permanently storing the item of non-patient specific information in an external portion of the cochlear stimulation system, wherein the external portion comprises a speech processor.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining a substitute item of non-patient specific information;

permanently storing the substitute item of non-patient specific information in the speech processor in place of the item of non-patient specific information;

retaining the one or more items of patient specific information permanently stored in the implantable portion of the cochlear stimulation system; and

generating a stimulation current using the substitute item of non-patient specific information and the one or more items of patient specific information.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

replacing the speech processor with a substitute speech processor;

retaining the one or more items of patient specific information permanently stored in the implantable portion of the cochlear stimulation system; and

operating the cochlear stimulation system using the substitute speech processor.

15. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

retrieving the item of patient specific information from the implantable portion of the cochlear stimulation system.

16. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

associating a write protection with the item of patient specific information permanently stored in the implantable portion of the cochlear stimulation system.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the associated write protection is reversible.

18. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining a substitute item of patient specific information;

transferring the substitute item of patient specific information to the implantable portion of the cochlear stimulation system; and

permanently storing the substitute item of patient specific information in the implantable portion of the cochlear stimulation system in place of the item of patient specific information.

19. A method of storing information in a cochlear stimulation system, comprising an external portion and an implantable internal portion, the method comprising:

receiving power at the internal portion from the external portion; and

transmitting an item of patient specific information permanently stored in the implantable portion of the cochlear stimulation system from the implantable portion of the cochlear stimulation system to the external portion.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising associating a write protection with the item of patient specific information permanently stored in the implantable portion of the cochlear stimulation system.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the associated write protection is reversible.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the item of non-patient specific information is permanently stored in an external portion of the cochlear stimulation system.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the external portion comprises a speech processor.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising identifying the item of patient specific information at the external portion for verification purposes.

25. A method for initializing a cochlear stimulation system worn by a patient comprising an external portion and an implantable internal portion, the method comprising:

receiving power at the internal portion from the external portion;

in response to the receipt of power, executing a self-initialization process at the internal portion;

processing a data signal at the internal portion using only patient specific information stored in a non-volatile memory in the internal portion; and

generating stimulation waveforms at the internal portion based on the processed data signal.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising executing a self-initialization process at the external portion, wherein the self-initialization process at the external portion executes using only information stored in a non-volatile memory in the external portion and executes independently of receipt of information from the internal portion.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the non-volatile memory in the external portion stores only non-patient specific information.

28. The method of claim 25, further comprising upon initialization, receiving control data at the internal portion from the external portion for defining status of one or more user controls.