Patent application number | Description | Published |
20110004274 | Cochlear Implant Stimulation with Low Frequency Channel Privilege - A system and method for activating stimulation electrodes in cochlear implant electrode is described. A preprocessor filter bank processes an input acoustic audio signal to generate band pass signals that each represent an associated band of audio frequencies. An information extractor extracts stimulation signal information from the band pass signals based on assigning the band pass signals to corresponding electrode stimulation groups that each contain one or more stimulation electrodes, and generates a set of stimulation event signals for each electrode stimulation group that define electrode stimulation timings and amplitudes. A pulse selector selects a set of electrode stimulation signals from the stimulation event signals based on a pulse weighting function that uses channel-specific weighting factors favoring lower frequencies for activating the stimulation electrodes to stimulate neighboring audio nerve tissue. | 01-06-2011 |
20110098784 | Channel-Specific Loudness Mapping for Prosthetic Hearing Systems - Generating electrode stimulation signals is described for stimulating cochlear tissue using an implanted electrode array. An acoustic audio signal is processed to generate band pass signals which represent an associated band of audio frequencies. Stimulation information is extracted from the band pass signals to generate stimulation event signals that define electrode stimulation signals. The stimulation event signals are then weighted according independent channel-specific loudness functions to produce electrode stimulation signals. The electrode stimulation signals are developed into output electrode pulses to the electrodes in the implanted electrode array for stimulating cochlear tissue. | 04-28-2011 |
20110257704 | Equal Loudness Contour with Channel Specific Map Laws - A method is described for generating electrode stimulation signals for an implanted electrode array. An acoustic audio signal is processed to generate band pass signals each representing an associated band of audio frequencies. Stimulation information is extracted from the band pass signals to generate stimulation event signals defining electrode stimulation signals. The stimulation event signals are weighted according to independent channel-specific loudness functions to produce a set of electrode stimulation signals within channel-specific minimum and maximum threshold levels. The electrode stimulation signals are developed into a set of output electrode pulses to the electrodes in the implanted electrode array. | 10-20-2011 |
20110264169 | Equal Loudness Contour with Channel Specific Map Laws - A method is described for generating electrode stimulation signals for an implanted electrode array. An acoustic audio signal is processed to generate band pass signals each representing an associated band of audio frequencies. Stimulation information is extracted from the band pass signals to generate stimulation event signals defining electrode stimulation signals. The stimulation event signals are mapped according to independent channel-specific loudness functions to produce a set of electrode stimulation signals within channel-specific minimum and maximum threshold levels. The electrode stimulation signals are developed into a set of output electrode pulses to the electrodes in the implanted electrode array. | 10-27-2011 |
20120209351 | Enhancing Fine Time Structure Transmission for Hearing Implant System - A system and method of signal processing for a hearing implant. The hearing implant includes at least one electrode, each electrode associated with a channel specific sampling sequence. An acoustic audio signal is processed to generate for each electrode a band pass signal representing an associated band of audio frequency. For each electrode, a sequence signal is determined as a function of the electrode's associated band pass signal and channel specific sampling sequence. An envelope of each band pass signal is determined. The envelope of each band pass signal is filtered to reduce modulations resulting from unresolved harmonics, creating for each electrode an associated filtered envelope signal. Each electrode's sequence signal is weighted based, at least in part, on the electrode's associated filtered envelope signal. | 08-16-2012 |
20130023955 | High Accuracy Tonotopic and Periodic Coding with Enhanced Harmonic Resolution - A signal processing system is described for a cochlear implant. A pre-processor filter bank processes an acoustic audio signal to generate band pass signals which represent associated bands of audio frequencies. An information extraction module defines macro bands, each of which characterizes multiple band pass signals, and processes the macro bands in a sequence of sampling intervals. For each sampling interval the information extraction module processing includes: i. extracting timing and energy information from each band pass signal to form requested stimulation events, ii. decimating the requested stimulation events to select a maximum energy band pass signal within each macro band, and iii. decimating each selected band pass signal based on a pulse selection inhibition function and preserving temporal and spectral structures of the band pass signals so as to generate stimulation event signals. A pulse weighting module weights the stimulation event signals with a weighting matrix reflecting patient-specific pitch perception characteristics to produce output electrode stimulation signals to the implanted electrode array. | 01-24-2013 |
20130108091 | Optimized Energy and Data Transfer in Hearing Implant Systems | 05-02-2013 |
20130158629 | Channel Specific Gain Control Including Lateral Suppression - A system is described for generating electrode stimulation signals for stimulation electrodes in an implanted electrode array on a given side of a bilateral cochlear implant system. A pre-processor module processes an acoustic audio signal with a bank of filters to generate a set of band pass signals each corresponding to a band of audio frequencies associated with one of the filters. An automatic gain control (AGC) circuit performs a channel specific dynamic amplitude mapping of the band pass signals to generate a set of compressed band pass signals. The AGC circuit uses a bilateral multiplication matrix characterizing a lateral suppression network and having at least one non-zero coupling element from a contralateral side. A stimulation timing module extracts stimulation information from the compressed band pass signals to generate stimulation timing signals. A pulse shaper module develops the stimulation timing signals into electrode stimulation signals to the stimulation electrodes. | 06-20-2013 |
20140005746 | Cochlear Implant Stimulation with Low Frequency Channel Privilege | 01-02-2014 |
20150051669 | Auditory Prosthesis Stimulation Rate as a Multiple of Intrinsic Oscillation - A method is described for generating electrical stimulation signals for stimulation contacts in an auditory implant system. Characteristic feature periods are determined for frequency components in an input audio signal. For selected feature periods that meet a period selection criteria, adjusted feature periods are determined that correspond to a nearest integer multiple of a language-specific fundamental period. A corresponding stimulation rate frequency is determined for each adjusted feature period, and each stimulation rate frequency is assigned to one or more stimulation contacts. The stimulation signals are then generated for the stimulation contacts at their respective stimulation rate frequencies. | 02-19-2015 |
20150080980 | Dynamic Stimulation Channel Selection - A signal processing arrangement generates electrode stimulation signals to stimulation contacts in a cochlear implant electrode array. A signal filter bank transforms an input sound signal into band pass signals, which each represent an associated frequency band of audio frequencies. An envelope processing module processes the band pass signals in a sequence of sampling time frames, wherein for each time frame, the processing includes calculating for each band pass signal at least one signal envelope dynamic property that is changing during the time frame. A channel selection module selects one or more of the band pass signals for each time frame based on the dynamic properties to produce the electrode stimulation signals to the stimulation contacts. | 03-19-2015 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090264961 | Tonotopic Implant Stimulation - Electrode stimulation signals are generated for an implanted electrode array. An acoustic audio signal is processed with a bank of filters that are each associated with a band of audio frequencies, and a set of band pass signals is generated with each band pass signal corresponding to the band of frequencies associated with one of the filters. Stimulation information is extracted from the band pass signals to generate a set of stimulation event signals defining electrode stimulation signals. Then the stimulation event signals are weighted with a weighted matrix of stimulation amplitudes reflecting patient-specific perceptual characteristics to produce a set of electrode stimulation signals for electrodes in the implanted electrode array. | 10-22-2009 |
20100185261 | High Accuracy Tonotopic And Periodic Coding With Enhanced Harmonic Resolution - Generating electrode stimulation signals for an implanted electrode array is described. An acoustic audio signal is processed to generate band pass signals which represent associated bands of audio frequencies. Macro bands are defined, each of which characterizes multiple band pass signals. The macro bands are processed in a sequence of sampling intervals. For each sampling interval, the processing includes: i. extracting timing and energy information from each band pass signal to form requested stimulation events, ii. decimating the requested stimulation events to select a maximum energy band pass signal within each macro band, and iii. decimating each selected band pass signal based on a pulse selection inhibition function and preserving temporal and spectral structures of the band pass signals so as to generate stimulation event signals. The stimulation event signals are weighted with a weighting matrix reflecting patient-specific pitch perception characteristics to produce output electrode stimulation signals to the implanted electrode array. | 07-22-2010 |
20100191309 | Channel Specific Gain Control Including Lateral Suppression - A method is described for generating electrode stimulation signals for a plurality of stimulation electrodes in an implanted electrode array. An acoustic audio signal is processed with a bank of filters to generate a set of band pass signals where each band pass signal corresponds to a band of audio frequencies associated with one of the filters. A lateral suppression network is used to perform channel specific dynamic amplitude mapping of the band pass signals to generate a set of compressed band pass signals. Stimulation information is extracted from the compressed band pass signals to generate a set of stimulation timing signals, and the stimulation timing signals are developed into a set of electrode stimulation signals to the stimulation electrodes. | 07-29-2010 |
20100249879 | Musical Fitting of Cochlear Implants - A method of developing a weighting matrix for a cochlear implant patient is described. An electrode stimulus signal is derived from a first musical signal. A set of further stimulus signals is derived that have a defined musical relation to the first musical signal. A set of weighting values are selected for the stimulation electrodes for the electrode stimulus signal. Then the weighting values are set for the stimulation electrodes for each of the further stimulus signals. Each of the stimulus signals is consecutively presented to the patient and the weighting values individually adjusted for each of the further stimulus signals until the series of stimulus signals elicits an increasing pitch percept according to the defined musical relation. The adjusted weighting values are stored and assigned to a corresponding analysis channel. The process is iteratively repeated using one of the further stimulus signals as the first electrode stimulus signal until weighting values for a complete frequency range have been derived. | 09-30-2010 |
20100249880 | Carrier and Envelope Triggered Cochlear Stimulation - Generation of electrode stimulation signals for an implanted electrode array is described. An acoustic audio signal is processed to generate band pass signals which include a fine structure carrier signal and a modulator envelope signal. For each band pass signal, fine time structure information is extracted from the carrier signal to determine a sequence of stimulation event signals. For one or more low frequency band pass signals, the modulator envelope signal is sampled synchronously with the carrier signal to create envelope weighted stimulation event signals. For one or more higher frequency band pass signals, if and only if the modulator envelope signal exceeds a sampling threshold value, then the modulator envelope signal is sampled synchronously with the carrier signal to create envelope weighted stimulation event signals. The envelope weighted stimulation event signals are then processed to produce electrode stimulation signals for the implanted electrode array. | 09-30-2010 |