Smooth switching between medical device settings

Abstract

Techniques for smooth switching between settings (e.g., processing settings, stimulation strategies, etc.) of a medical device are presented herein. Specifically, the techniques presented herein incrementally adjust the operation of a medical device to switch between different settings in a manner that mitigates perceptual interference with a recipient.

Description

background Technical Field

[0002] The present invention generally relates to smooth switching between settings of a medical device. Background Art

[0003] Medical devices have provided a wide range of therapeutic benefits to recipients over the last several decades. Medical devices may include internal or implantable components / devices, external or wearable components / devices, or combinations thereof (e.g., devices having external components that communicate with implantable components). Medical devices, such as traditional hearing aids, partially or fully implantable hearing prostheses (e.g., bone conduction devices, mechanical stimulators, cochlear implants, etc.), pacemakers, defibrillators, functional electrical stimulation devices, and other medical devices, have been successful for many years in performing life-saving and / or lifestyle improvement functions and / or recipient monitoring.

[0004] Over the years, the types of medical devices and the range of functions performed by them have increased. For example, many medical devices, sometimes referred to as "implantable medical devices," now typically include one or more instruments, devices, sensors, processors, controllers, or other functional mechanical or electrical components that are permanently or temporarily implanted in a recipient's body. These functional devices are typically used to diagnose, prevent, monitor, treat, or manage disease / injury or its symptoms, or to study, replace, or modify anatomical structures or physiological processes. Many of these functional devices utilize power and / or data received from an external device that is part of or operates in conjunction with the implantable component. Summary of the invention

[0005] In one aspect, a method is provided. The method includes: receiving a sound signal at a hearing device; delivering a stimulation signal to a recipient of the hearing device using a first operating setting based on the sound signal; determining that the stimulation signal is to be delivered to the recipient using a second operating setting different from the first operating setting; and incrementally adjusting one or more parameters of the stimulation signal to transition from the first operating setting to the second operating setting.

[0006] In another aspect, one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media are provided. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media include instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: receive an input signal at a medical device; convert the input signal into a stimulation signal for delivery to a recipient of the medical device using a first set of operating settings; determine to switch to a second set of operating settings; and gradually transition from using the first set of stimulation signals to using the second set of operating settings by incrementally adjusting parameters for delivering the stimulation signals to the recipient.

[0007] In another aspect, a medical device is provided. The medical device includes: one or more input elements configured to receive an input signal; a processing path configured to convert the input signal into one or more output signals for delivery to a recipient of the medical device using a first set of operating settings; and a stimulus adaptation and smoothing module configured to gradually adjust the operation of the processing path from using the first set of operating settings to using a second set of operating settings over a period of time.

[0008] In another aspect, a hearing device is provided. The hearing device comprises: one or more microphones configured to receive a sound signal; one or more processors configured to convert the sound signal into a first processed output signal using a first set of sound processing settings; wherein the processor is configured to subsequently determine to process the sound signal using a second set of sound processing settings that are different from the first operating settings, and convert the sound signal into a second processed output signal using the first set of sound processing settings; and wherein the one or more processors are configured to incrementally adjust one or more processes to transition from the first operating settings to the second operating settings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Embodiments of the present invention are described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0010] Figure 1A is a schematic diagram illustrating a cochlear implant system with which aspects of the technology presented herein may be implemented;

[0011] Figure 1B It is wearable Figure 1A A side view of a recipient of a sound processing unit of a cochlear implant system;

[0012] Figure 1C yes Figure 1A A schematic diagram of components of a cochlear implant system;

[0013] Figure 1D yes Figure 1A Block diagram of a cochlear implant system;

[0014] Figure 2 It is a diagram showing the stages of an idealized action potential as it passes through a nerve cell;

[0015] Figure 3 is a functional block diagram illustrating a hearing device according to embodiments presented herein;

[0016] Figure 4A , Figure 4B , Figure 4C, Figure 4D and Figure 4E is a schematic diagram illustrating the spatial resolution of an electrical stimulation signal according to embodiments presented herein;

[0017] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating transitioning from a first sound setting to a second sound setting using a transition sound setting according to embodiments presented herein;

[0018] Fig. 6A , Figure 6B , Figure 6C , Fig.6D and Fig. 6E is a diagram illustrating adjusting parameters to gradually switch from a first sound setting to a second sound setting according to embodiments presented herein;

[0019] Figure 7 is a flow chart of a method according to an embodiment presented herein;

[0020] Figure 8 is a flow chart of another method according to embodiments presented herein;

[0021] Fig. 9 is a functional block diagram of an implantable stimulator system that may be utilized to implement aspects of the technology presented herein; and

[0022] Fig.10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a vestibular stimulator system with which aspects of the technology presented herein may be implemented. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] Presented herein are techniques for smooth switching between settings of a medical device (e.g., treatment settings, stimulation strategies, etc.) Specifically, the techniques presented herein incrementally adjust the operation of a medical device to switch between different settings in a manner that mitigates perceptual disruption to the recipient.

[0024] Certain aspects of the technology presented herein can be implemented using a hearing device, wherein the operating settings can be adjusted in response to changes in the recipient's acoustic environment. For example, in a first acoustic environment, a first set of operating settings (e.g., a first set of stimulation parameters / attributes are used to generate stimulation signals) are delivered to the recipient, wherein the first set of operating settings provides the best sound perception in the first acoustic environment. However, in a second acoustic environment, the first set of operating settings may be suboptimal, and therefore the second set of operating settings (e.g., a second set of stimulation parameters / attributes are used to generate stimulation signals) are delivered to the recipient in the second acoustic environment. Directly switching from the first set of operating settings to the second set of operating settings may cause a sudden change in the stimulation signal parameters / attributes, which in turn may cause perceptual (e.g., perceptible) interference to the recipient. However, gradually adjusting the parameters / attributes of the stimulation signal when switching / transitioning from the first set of operating settings to the second set of operating settings can provide a smooth transition and alleviate perceptual interference.

[0025] In operation, switching from a first set of operating settings to a second set of operating settings (e.g., adjusting parameters / attributes of the delivered stimulation signals) can utilize a series of "transitional" or "intermediate" sets of operating settings. Each operating setting in the transitional / intermediate set of operating settings is associated with a different stimulation parameter / attribute that is between the stimulation parameters / attributes associated with the first set of operating settings and the stimulation parameters / attributes associated with the second set of operating settings.

[0026] In some aspects, a number of different stimulation parameters / attributes can be adjusted to transition from a first set of operating settings to a second set of operating settings, and these parameters can be adjusted in a transitional or step-wise manner. In addition, the parameters can be adjusted in a number of different ways to provide a smooth transition, wherein the changes are predetermined to be dynamically set based on, for example, the first and second operating settings, the surrounding (e.g., sound) environment, the device state, etc.

[0027] In one embodiment, the transition between operating settings can be smoothed by incrementally adjusting one or more of the threshold level, comfort level, and / or volume of the stimulation signal delivered to the recipient. In another embodiment, the transition between operating settings can be smoothed by incrementally adjusting the focus of the stimulation signal (e.g., incrementally adjusting the weights of the electrodes comprising the channels along a continuum from a first set of operating settings to a second set of operating settings). In another embodiment, the number of channels stimulated with different electrode configurations can be gradually adjusted during the transition. By gradually and / or incrementally adjusting these parameters and / or other parameters, perceptual interference can be alleviated when switching between a first operating setting and a second operating setting.

[0028] For ease of description only, the technology presented herein is mainly described with reference to a specific implantable medical device system, i.e., a cochlear implant system. However, it should be understood that the technology presented herein may also be partially or completely implemented by other types of implantable or non-implantable medical devices. For example, the technology presented herein may be implemented by other hearing device systems, including one or more other types of hearing devices, such as hearing aids, middle ear hearing prostheses, bone conduction devices, direct acoustic stimulators, electroacoustic prostheses, auditory brain stimulators, combinations or variations thereof, etc. The technology presented herein may also be implemented by proprietary tinnitus treatment devices and tinnitus treatment device systems. In further embodiments, the technology presented herein may also be implemented by vestibular devices (e.g., vestibular implants), visual devices (i.e., bionic eyes), sensors, pacemakers, drug delivery systems, defibrillators, functional electrical stimulation devices, catheters, epileptic seizure devices (e.g., devices for monitoring and / or treating epileptic events), sleep apnea devices, electroporation devices, etc., or used in combination with them. In certain aspects, these techniques are generally applicable to various sensory prostheses (eg, hearing devices, vestibular implants, visual devices, etc.).

[0029] Figures 1A-1D An exemplary cochlear implant system 102 is shown with which aspects of the technology presented herein may be implemented. The cochlear implant system 102 includes an external component 104 / implantable component 112. Figures 1A-1D In the example of a cochlear implant, the implantable component is sometimes referred to as a "cochlear implant." Figure 1A The cochlear implant 112 is shown implanted in the recipient's head 154, while Figure 1B is a schematic diagram of the outer member 104 worn on the head 154 of the recipient. Figure 1C is another schematic diagram of a cochlear implant system 102, and Figure 1D Additional details of cochlear implant system 102 are shown. For ease of description, the Figures 1A-1D .

[0030] Cochlear implant system 102 includes an external component 104 configured to be attached directly or indirectly to the body of a recipient, and an implantable component 112 configured to be implanted in the body of the recipient. Figures 1A-1D In the example of FIG. 1 , external component 104 includes a sound processing unit 106 , while cochlear implant 112 includes an implantable coil 114 , an implant body 134 , and an elongated stimulation assembly 116 configured to be implanted in the cochlea of ​​a recipient.

[0031] exist Figures 1A-1DIn the example of the present invention, the sound processing unit 106 is an off-the-ear (OTE) sound processing unit (sometimes referred to herein as an OTE component) that is configured to send data and power to the implantable component 112. Generally speaking, the OTE sound processing unit is a component having a generally cylindrical housing 111 and configured to be magnetically coupled to the head of the recipient (e.g., including an integrated external magnet 150 configured to be magnetically coupled to an implantable magnet 152 in the implantable component 112). The OTE sound processing unit 106 also includes an integrated external (head component) coil 108 configured to be inductively coupled to the implantable coil 114.

[0032] It should be understood that the OTE sound processing unit 106 is merely illustrative of an external device that can operate with the implantable component 112. For example, in alternative examples, the external component can include a behind-the-ear (BTE) sound processing unit or a micro-BTE sound processing unit and a separate external component. Generally speaking, the BTE sound processing unit includes a housing that is shaped to be worn on the recipient's outer ear and connected to a separate external coil assembly via a cable, wherein the external coil assembly is configured to be magnetically coupled and inductively coupled to the implantable coil 114. It should also be understood that alternative external components can be located in the recipient's ear canal, worn on the body, etc.

[0033] As described above, cochlear implant system 102 includes sound processing unit 106 and cochlear implant 112. However, as further described below, cochlear implant 112 can operate independently of sound processing unit 106 for at least a period of time to stimulate a recipient. For example, cochlear implant 112 can operate in a first general mode (sometimes referred to as an "external listening mode"), in which sound processing unit 106 captures sound signals, which are then used as a basis for delivering stimulation signals to the recipient. Cochlear implant 112 can also operate in a second general mode (sometimes referred to as an "invisible hearing" mode), in which sound processing unit 106 cannot provide sound signals to cochlear implant 112 (e.g., sound processing unit 106 is not present, sound processing unit 106 is powered off, sound processing unit 106 is malfunctioning, etc.). Therefore, in the invisible hearing mode, cochlear implant 112 captures the sound signals itself via an implantable sound sensor, and then uses these sound signals as a basis for delivering stimulation signals to the recipient. Further details regarding the operation of cochlear implant 112 in the external listening mode are provided below, followed by details regarding the operation of cochlear implant 112 in the invisible listening mode. It should be understood that the reference to the external listening mode and the invisible listening mode is merely illustrative, and cochlear implant 112 may also operate in alternative modes.

[0034] exist Figure 1A and Figure 1CIn the present invention, a cochlear implant system 102 is shown with an external device 110, which is configured to implement various aspects of the technology presented. The external device 110 is a computing device, such as a computer (e.g., a laptop, a desktop computer, a tablet computer), a mobile phone, a remote control unit, etc. As further described below, the external device 110 includes a telephone enhancement module, as further described below, which is configured to implement various aspects of the auditory rehabilitation technology presented herein for independent telephone use. The external device 110 and the cochlear implant system 102 (e.g., the OTE sound processing unit 106 or the cochlear implant 112) communicate wirelessly via a two-way communication link 126. The two-way communication link 126 may include, for example, short-range communication, such as a Bluetooth link, a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) link, a proprietary link, etc.

[0035] Back to Figures 1A-1D In the example of the OTE sound processing unit 106, one or more input devices are configured to receive input signals (e.g., sound or data signals). The one or more input devices include one or more sound input devices 118 (e.g., one or more external microphones, audio input ports, telecoils, etc.), one or more auxiliary input devices 128 (e.g., audio ports, such as direct audio input (DAI), data ports, such as universal serial bus (USB) ports, cable ports, etc.), and wireless transmitter / receiver (transceiver) 120 (e.g., for communicating with external devices 110). However, it should be understood that the one or more input devices may include additional types of input devices and / or fewer input devices (e.g., the wireless short-range radio transceiver 120 and / or one or more auxiliary input devices 128 may be omitted).

[0036] The OTE sound processing unit 106 also includes an external coil 108, a charging coil 130, a tightly coupled transmitter / receiver (RF transceiver) 122 (sometimes referred to as a radio frequency (RF) transceiver 122), at least one rechargeable battery 132, and an external sound processing module 124. The external sound processing module 124 may include, for example, one or more processors and a memory device (memory) including sound processing logic. The memory device may include any one or more of the following: non-volatile memory (NVM), ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM), read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disk storage media devices, optical storage media devices, flash memory devices, electrical, optical or other physical / tangible memory storage devices. The one or more processors are, for example, microprocessors or microcontrollers that execute instructions of the sound processing logic stored in the memory device.

[0037] The implantable component 112 includes an implant body (main module) 134, a lead region 136, and an intracochlear stimulation assembly 116, all configured to be implanted beneath the skin / tissue (tissue) 115 of a recipient. The implant body 134 typically includes a hermetically sealed housing 138 in which an RF interface circuit system 140 and a stimulator unit 142 are disposed. The implant body 134 also includes an internal / implantable coil 114, which is typically external to the housing 138 but is accessible via a hermetic feedthrough ( Figure 1D ) is connected to the RF interface circuit system 140.

[0038] As described, the stimulation assembly 116 is configured to be at least partially implanted in the cochlea of ​​the recipient. The stimulation assembly 116 includes a plurality of longitudinally spaced intracochlear electrical stimulation contacts (electrodes) 144 that collectively form a contact or electrode array 146 for delivering electrical stimulation (electrical current) to the cochlea of ​​the recipient.

[0039] The stimulation assembly 116 extends through an opening in the recipient's cochlea (e.g., a cochlear fenestration, a round window, etc.) and has a lead region 136 and an airtight feedthrough ( Figure 1D 144 is connected to the proximal end of the stimulator unit 142. The lead region 136 includes a plurality of conductors (wires) that electrically couple the electrode 144 to the stimulator unit 142. The implantable component 112 also includes an electrode outside the cochlea, sometimes referred to as an extracochlear electrode (ECE) 139.

[0040] As described, the cochlear implant system 102 includes an external coil 108 and an implantable coil 114. An external magnet 152 is fixed relative to the external coil 108, and the implantable magnet 152 is fixed relative to the implantable coil 114. The magnets fixed relative to the external coil 108 and the implantable coil 114 facilitate operational alignment of the external coil 108 with the implantable coil 114. This operational alignment of the coils enables the external component 104 to transmit data and power to the implantable component 112 via a tightly coupled wireless link 148 formed between the external coil 108 and the implantable coil 114. In some examples, the tightly coupled wireless link 148 is a radio frequency (RF) link. However, various other types of energy transfer (e.g., infrared (IR), electromagnetic, capacitive, and inductive transmission) may be used to transfer power and / or data from the external component to the implantable component, and thus, Figure 1D Only one exemplary arrangement is shown.

[0041] As described above, the sound processing unit 106 includes an external sound processing module 124. The external sound processing module 124 is configured to convert an input signal received (received at one or more of the input devices) into an output signal for stimulating the first ear of the recipient (i.e., the external sound processing module 124 is configured to perform sound processing on the input signal received at the sound processing unit 106). In other words, one or more processors in the external sound processing module 124 are configured to execute the sound processing logic in the memory to convert the received input signal into an output signal representing electrical stimulation for delivery to the recipient. According to the embodiments presented herein, the one or more processors may convert the received input signal into an output signal using a sound setting based on the acoustic environment associated with the recipient of the hearing device. In addition, the one or more processors may transition to different sound settings based on changes in the recipient's acoustic environment, based on a schedule associated with the recipient, and the like.

[0042] As stated, Figure 1D An embodiment is shown in which an external sound processing module 124 in the sound processing unit 106 generates an output signal. In an alternative embodiment, the sound processing unit 106 can send less processed information (e.g., audio data) to the implantable component 112, and the sound processing operations (e.g., conversion of sound to output signals) can be performed by a processor within the implantable component 112.

[0043] Back to Figure 1D In a specific example of the invention, the output signal is provided to the RF transceiver 122, which transmits the output signal (e.g., in an encoded manner) transcutaneously to the implantable component 112 via the external coil 108 and the implantable coil 114. That is, the output signal is received at the RF interface circuit system 140 via the implantable coil 114 and provided to the stimulator unit 142. The stimulator unit 142 is configured to generate an electrical stimulation signal (e.g., a current signal) for delivery to the cochlea of ​​the recipient using the output signal. In this way, the cochlear implant system 102 electrically stimulates the auditory nerve cells of the recipient, thereby bypassing the missing or defective hair cells that normally convert acoustic vibrations into neural activity in a manner that causes the recipient to perceive one or more components of the received sound signal.

[0044] As described in detail above, in the external listening mode, the cochlear implant 112 receives processed sound signals from the sound processing unit 106. However, in the invisible listening mode, the cochlear implant 112 is configured to capture and process the sound signals for electrical stimulation of the recipient's auditory nerve cells. Figure 1DAs shown in , the cochlear implant 112 includes a plurality of implantable sound sensors 160 and an implantable sound processing module 158. Similar to the external sound processing module 124, the implantable sound processing module 158 may include, for example, one or more processors and a memory device (memory) including sound processing logic. The memory device may include any one or more of the following: non-volatile memory (NVM), ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM), read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disk storage media devices, optical storage media devices, flash memory devices, electrical, optical or other physical / tangible memory storage devices. The one or more processors are, for example, microprocessors or microcontrollers that execute instructions of the sound processing logic stored in the memory device.

[0045] In the invisible hearing mode, the implantable sound sensor 160 is configured to detect / capture a signal (e.g., an acoustic sound signal, a vibration, etc.), which is provided to the implantable sound processing module 158. The implantable sound processing module 158 is configured to convert the received input signal (received at one or more implantable sound sensors 160) into an output signal for stimulating the first ear of the recipient (i.e., the processing module 158 is configured to perform a sound processing operation). In other words, the one or more processors in the implantable sound processing module 158 are configured to execute the sound processing logic in the memory to convert the received input signal into an output signal 156 that is provided to the stimulator unit 142. The stimulator unit 142 is configured to generate an electrical stimulation signal (e.g., an electric current signal) for delivery to the cochlea of ​​the recipient using the output signal 156, thereby bypassing the missing or defective hair cells that normally convert the acoustic vibrations into neural activity.

[0046] It should be appreciated that the above description of the so-called external listening mode and the so-called invisible listening mode is merely illustrative, and that cochlear implant system 102 may operate differently in different embodiments. For example, in an alternative embodiment of the external listening mode, cochlear implant 112 may use the signals captured by sound input device 118 and implantable sound sensor 160 to generate stimulation signals for delivery to the recipient.

[0047] As described above, this article presents a technique for incrementally adjusting the parameters of a medical device to ensure a "smooth" switch or transition between different sets of treatment settings / stimulation strategies of the medical device. As used herein, a "smooth" transition is a transition that mitigates perceptual interference to a recipient (e.g., a substantially imperceptible transition).

[0048] As described above, one type of transition that can be smoothed using the techniques presented herein is transitioning between different stimulation strategies (e.g., different ways in which stimulation is delivered to a recipient). Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figures 4A-4D Generally, aspects of different stimulation strategies in the context of cochlear implants are shown, while Figure 5 and Figures 6A-6E Additional details for smooth transitions are shown.

[0049] First reference Figure 2 , showing the various stages of an idealized action potential 242 when the potential passes through a nerve cell. The action potential is expressed as a membrane voltage in millivolts (mV) relative to time. As is well known, the human auditory system consists of many structural components, some of which are widely connected by bundles of nerve cells (neurons). Each nerve cell has a cell membrane that acts as a barrier to prevent the intercellular fluid from mixing with the extracellular fluid. The intercellular fluid and the extracellular fluid have different ion concentrations, which results in a charge difference between the fluids. This charge difference across the cell membrane is referred to herein as the membrane potential (Vm) of the nerve cell. Nerve cells use membrane potentials to transmit signals between different parts of the auditory system.

[0050] In a nerve cell that is at rest (i.e., not transmitting a nerve signal), the membrane potential is called the resting potential of the nerve cell. Upon receiving a stimulus, the electrical properties of the nerve cell membrane undergo a sudden change, referred to herein as a nerve action potential or simply referred to as an action potential. An action potential represents a temporary depolarization or repolarization of the nerve cell membrane. An action potential causes an electrical signal to be transmitted along the conductive nucleus (axon) of a nerve cell. The signal can then be transmitted along a group of nerve cells via these propagated action potentials.

[0051] return Figure 2 , the membrane voltages and times shown are for illustrative purposes only, and the actual values ​​may vary from individual to individual. Before applying stimulus 244 to the nerve cell, the resting potential of the nerve cell is approximately -70 mV. Stimulus 244 is applied at a first time. Under normal hearing, this stimulus is provided by the movement of the hair cells of the cochlea. The movement of these hair cells causes the release of neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft, which in turn causes action potentials in the individual's auditory nerve fibers. In a cochlear implant, stimulus 244 is an electrical stimulation signal (electrical stimulation).

[0052] After the stimulus 244 is applied, the nerve cell begins to depolarize. The depolarization of the nerve cell refers to the fact that the voltage of the cell becomes more positive after the stimulus 244. When the membrane of the nerve cell begins to depolarize beyond the critical threshold of the cell, the nerve cell undergoes an action potential. This action potential is sometimes referred to herein as the "excitation" or "activation" of the nerve cell. As used herein, the critical threshold of a nerve cell, group of nerve cells, etc. refers to the threshold level at which a nerve cell, group of nerve cells, etc. will experience an action potential. Figure 2 In the example shown in , the critical threshold level for firing a nerve cell is approximately -50 mV. The critical threshold and other transitions may be different for various receptors, and thus Figure 2 The values ​​provided are illustrative only.

[0053] The process of an illustrative action potential in a nerve cell can usually be divided into five stages. Figure 2 246, a falling phase 247, an undershoot phase 248, and a final refractory phase (period) 249. During the rising phase 245, the membrane voltage continues to depolarize, and the point where the depolarization stops is shown as the peak phase 246. Figure 2 In the example of FIG. 2 , at this peak phase 246 , the membrane voltage reaches a maximum value of approximately 40 mV.

[0054] After the peak phase 246, the action potential undergoes a falling phase 247. During the falling phase 247, the membrane voltage becomes increasingly negative, sometimes referred to as hyperpolarization of the nerve cell. This hyperpolarization causes the membrane voltage to temporarily become more negatively charged than when the nerve cell is at rest. This phase is referred to as the undershoot phase 248 of the action potential 241. After this undershoot phase 248, there is a period of time during which the nerve cell is impossible or difficult to excite. This period of time is referred to as the refractory phase (period) 249.

[0055] As described above, nerve cells must obtain a membrane voltage above a critical threshold before the nerve cells can be excited / activated. The number of nerve cells excited in response to electrical stimulation (current) can affect the "resolution" of electrical stimulation. As used herein, the resolution of electrical stimulation or "stimulation resolution" refers to the amount of acoustic details (i.e., the spectrum and / or time details from (one or more) input acoustic sound signals) delivered by electrical stimulation at the implanted electrodes in the cochlea and then received by the primary auditory neurons (spiral ganglion cells). As further described below, electrical stimulation has many characteristics / attributes that control the resolution of stimulation. These attributes include, for example, the spatial attributes of electrical stimulation, the temporal attributes of electrical stimulation, the frequency attributes of electrical stimulation, the instantaneous spectral bandwidth attributes of electrical stimulation, etc. The spatial attributes of electrical stimulation control the width of the frequency axis (i.e., along the basilar membrane) of the region of nerve cells activated in response to the delivered stimulation, which is sometimes referred to as the "spatial resolution" of electrical stimulation herein. The temporal attribute refers to the temporal encoding of electrical stimulation, such as pulse rate, which is sometimes referred to as the "temporal resolution" of electrical stimulation herein. Frequency properties refer to the frequency analysis of the acoustic input by the filter bank, such as the number and sharpness of the filters in the filter bank, and are sometimes referred to herein as the "frequency resolution" of the electrical stimulation. Instantaneous spectral bandwidth properties refer to the proportion of the spectrum delivered via the electrical stimulation that is analyzed, such as the ratio of the number of channels stimulated to the total number of channels in each stimulation frame.

[0056] The spatial resolution of electrical stimulation can be controlled, for example, by using different electrode configurations for a given stimulation channel to activate regions of nerve cells of different widths. For example, monopolar stimulation is an electrode configuration in which, for a given stimulation channel, current is "pulled" via one of the intracochlear electrodes 144, but the current is "pulled" by an electrode outside the cochlea (sometimes referred to as an extracochlear electrode (ECE) 139 ( Figure 1D )) "injection". Monopolar stimulation typically exhibits a large degree of current spread (i.e., a wide stimulation pattern), and therefore has a low spatial resolution. Other types of electrode configurations, such as bipolar, tripolar, focused multipolar (FMP), also known as "phased array" stimulation, etc.), typically reduce the size of the stimulated neural population by "pulling" current through one or more of the intracochlear electrodes 144, while also "injecting" current through one or more other adjacent intracochlear electrodes. Bipolar, tripolar, focused multipolar and other types of electrode configurations that both pull current through the intracochlear electrodes and inject current through the intracochlear electrodes are generally and collectively referred to as "focused" stimulation in this article. Compared to monopolar stimulation, focused stimulation typically exhibits a smaller degree of current spread (i.e., a narrow stimulation pattern), and therefore has a higher spatial resolution than monopolar stimulation. Similarly, other types of electrode configurations, such as dual electrode modes, virtual channels, wide channels, defocused multipolar, etc., typically increase the size of the stimulated neural population by "pulling" current through multiple adjacent intracochlear electrodes.

[0057] The cochlea is pure tone mapped, i.e., divided into regions, each of which responds to sound signals within a specific frequency range. In general, the basal region of the cochlea responds to higher frequency sounds, while the more apical region of the cochlea responds to lower frequencies. The pure tone properties of the cochlea are fully utilized in cochlear implants so that specific acoustic frequencies are assigned to electrodes 144 of a stimulation assembly 116 positioned near corresponding pure tone regions of the cochlea (i.e., regions of the cochlea that would be naturally stimulated by the acoustic frequencies in acoustic hearing). That is, in a cochlear implant, specific frequency bands are each mapped to a set of one or more electrodes for stimulating a selected (target) cochlear nerve cell population. The frequency bands and associated electrodes form a stimulation channel that delivers stimulation signals to the recipient.

[0058] In general, it is desirable that stimulation channels stimulate only narrow regions of neurons so that the resulting neural responses from adjacent stimulation channels have minimal overlap. Therefore, an ideal stimulation strategy in a cochlear implant would use focused stimulation channels to evoke the perception of all sound signals at any given time. Ideally, this strategy would also enable each stimulation channel to stimulate discrete pure tone regions of the cochlea to better simulate natural hearing and achieve better perception of the details of the sound signal. Although focused stimulation generally improves hearing performance, this improved hearing performance is at the expense of significantly increased power consumption, increased processing path delays, and increased complexity relative to using only monopolar stimulation. In addition, not all listening situations benefit from the increased fidelity provided by focused stimulation, because different listening situations present different levels of difficulty to cochlear implant recipients. For example, it is easier to understand speech in a quiet room than in a noisy restaurant with many competing speakers. Therefore, in different environments, recipients benefit more or less from the details of the sound presented using increased stimulation resolution.

[0059] According to certain embodiments presented herein, a hearing device is configured to analyze a received sound signal to determine a primary or dominant sound "class" of the sound signal. In general, the sound class provides an indication of the difficulty / complexity of the recipient's listening situation / environment (i.e., the environment in which the device is currently / presently located). Based on the sound class of the sound signal, the hearing device is configured to set operational (e.g., sound processing) settings of an electrical stimulation signal delivered to the recipient to evoke the perception of the sound signal. The operational settings are set in a manner that optimizes a trade-off between hearing performance (e.g., increasing fidelity) and power consumption (e.g., battery life). The hearing device uses higher resolution stimulation (i.e., stimulation that provides relatively more acoustic details) in more challenging listening situations that increase the expected listening effort, and uses lower resolution stimulation (i.e., stimulation that provides relatively less acoustic details) in easier listening situations with lower expected listening effort. Since the power available in a cochlear implant is limited, it is advantageous to adapt the stimulation resolution according to the listening situation so as to optimize the stimulation resolution to achieve the best overall hearing performance on a long-term power budget.

[0060] When a recipient experiences a change in the acoustic environment (e.g., traveling to a new environment with different background noise), the hearing device may determine the primary or dominant sound "class" of the new sound signal and determine a new set of operational (e.g., sound processing) settings for generating stimulation signals (e.g., electrical stimulation signals) and / or delivering them to the recipient. An abrupt change from a first set of operational settings to a second set of operational settings may cause perceptual disturbance to the recipient of the hearing device. According to embodiments presented herein, stimulation parameters (i.e., parameters associated with processing and / or delivering stimulation signals by the hearing device) may be adjusted in an incremental (e.g., stepwise or progressive) manner to produce a smooth transition between a first set of operational settings to a second set of operational settings. Incrementally adjustable parameters may include, for example, a threshold level, a comfort level, a volume level, a degree of focus, a number of channels stimulated with different electrode configurations, electrode weights, and / or different parameters. In some embodiments, incrementally adjusting parameters may include switching between sound encoding strategies. For example, switching between a higher rate power-demanding sound encoding strategy (e.g., the Advanced Combined Encoder (ACE) strategy) to a lower rate more battery-efficient sound encoding strategy (e.g., the Fundamental Asynchronous Stimulation Timing (FAST) strategy) can increase battery runtime.

[0061] According to embodiments presented herein, the degree of focus can be adjusted via changes in spatial resolution (e.g., adjusting the spatial properties of the electrical stimulation). For example, spatial resolution can be increased by using a more focused stimulation strategy. Conversely, spatial resolution can be reduced, for example, by using monopolar stimulation or a wider / defocused stimulation strategy. These reductions in spatial resolution have the benefits of lower power consumption and lower complexity, but also sacrifice listening fidelity (e.g., loss of sound detail).

[0062] In addition, the temporal resolution (i.e., the temporal properties of the electrical stimulation) can be changed, for example, by changing the rate of the current pulses that form the electrical stimulation. Higher pulse rates provide higher temporal resolution and use more power, while lower pulse rates provide lower temporal resolution and are more power efficient. As described above, the term stimulation resolution can refer to spatial resolution and temporal resolution as well as other properties (e.g., the frequency property of the electrical stimulation, the instantaneous spectral bandwidth property of the electrical stimulation, etc.). Therefore, references to changes in stimulation resolution can refer to changes in any of the above properties related to stimulation resolution.

[0063] In general, the stimulation resolution can vary with different associated power costs, and in some cases, the technology presented herein purposefully degrades the hearing performance (e.g., speech perception) to reduce power consumption. However, this degradation of the hearing performance is only dynamically activated in listening situations where the recipient may have no difficulty understanding / perceiving sound signals with lower stimulation resolution (e.g., monopolar stimulation, defocused stimulation, etc.) and / or does not need the details provided by high resolution (e.g., focused stimulation). The degradation of the hearing performance can also be activated in pure noise (e.g., an environment without speech) and pure quiet environments that do not affect the recipient's listening experience.

[0064] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a general signal processing path 350 of a cochlear implant, such as cochlear implant 102, according to embodiments presented herein. As depicted, cochlear implant 102 includes one or more sound input elements 308. Figure 3 In the example of , the sound input element 308 includes two microphones 309 and at least one auxiliary input 311 (e.g., an audio input port, a cable port, a telecoil, a wireless transceiver, etc.). If not already in electrical form, the sound input element 308 converts the received / input sound signal into an electrical signal 353, referred to herein as an electrical input signal, which represents the received sound signal. Figure 3 As shown in , the electrical input signal 353 is provided to the pre-filter bank processing module 354.

[0065] The pre-filter bank processing module 354 is configured to combine the electrical input signals 353 received from the sound input element 308 as needed and prepare those signals for subsequent processing. The pre-filter bank processing module 354 then generates a pre-filter output signal 355, which is the basis for further processing operations as further described below. The pre-filter output signal 355 represents the collective sound signal received at the sound input element 308 at a given point in time.

[0066] Cochlear implant 102 is typically configured to perform sound processing and encoding to convert pre-filter output signal 355 into an output signal representing electrical stimulation for delivery to a recipient. Thus, sound processing path 350 includes a filter bank module (filter bank) 356, a post-filter bank processing module 358, a channel selection module 360, and a channel mapping and encoding module 362.

[0067] In operation, the pre-filtered output signal 355 generated by the pre-filter bank processing module 354 is provided to the filter bank module 356. The filter bank module 356 generates a suitable set of bandwidth-limited channels or frequency partitions, each of which includes the spectral components of the received sound signal. That is, the filter bank module 356 includes a plurality of bandpass filters that separate the pre-filtered output signal 355 into a plurality of components / channels, each of which carries a single frequency subband of the original signal (i.e., the frequency components of the received sound signal).

[0068] The channels created by the filter bank module 356 are sometimes referred to herein as sound processing channels, and the sound signal components within each sound processing channel are sometimes referred to herein as bandpass filtered signals or channelized signals. The bandpass filtered or channelized signals created by the filter bank module 356 are processed (e.g., modified / adjusted) as they pass through the sound processing path 350. Therefore, the bandpass filtered or channelized signals are referred to differently at different stages of the sound processing path 350. However, it will be appreciated that references to bandpass filtered signals or channelized signals herein can refer to spectral components of a sound signal received at any point within the sound processing path 350 (e.g., preprocessing, processing, selection, etc.).

[0069] At the output of the filter bank module 356, the channelized signal is initially referred to herein as the pre-processed signal 357. The number "m" of channels and pre-processed signals 357 generated by the filter bank module 356 can depend on many different factors, including but not limited to implant design, number of active electrodes, encoding strategy, and / or recipient preference(s). In some arrangements, twenty-two (22) channelized signals are created, and the sound processing path 350 is considered to include 22 channels.

[0070] The pre-processed signal 357 is provided to the post-filter bank processing module 358. The post-filter bank processing module 358 is configured to perform a number of sound processing operations on the pre-processed signal 357. For example, these sound processing operations include channelized gain adjustment (e.g., gain adjustment of one or more discrete frequency ranges of the sound signal) for hearing loss compensation in one or more channels, noise reduction operations, speech enhancement operations, etc. After performing the sound processing operations, the post-filter bank processing module 358 outputs a plurality of processed channelized signals 359.

[0071] exist Figure 3 In a particular arrangement, the sound processing path 350 includes a channel selection module 360. The channel selection module 360 ​​is configured to perform a channel selection process according to one or more selection rules to select which of the "m" channels should be used in hearing compensation. The signal selected at the channel selection module 360 ​​is Figure 3 , represented by arrow 361, and is referred to herein as the selected channelization signal, or more simply the selection signal.

[0072] exist Figure 3 In an embodiment of the present invention, the channel selection module 360 ​​selects a subset "n" of the "m" processed channelized signals 359 for generating electrical stimulation for delivery to the recipient (i.e., the sound processing channels are reduced from "m" channels to "n" channels). In one specific example, "n" maximum amplitude channels (maxima) are generated from the "m" available combined channel signals / masker signals, where "m" and "n" are programmable during initial fitting and / or operation of the hearing device. It should be appreciated that different channel selection methods may be used and are not limited to maximum selection.

[0073] It should also be appreciated that in some embodiments, the channel selection module 360 ​​may be omitted. For example, some arrangements may use continuous interleaved sampling (CIS), CIS-based or other non-channel selective sound encoding strategies.

[0074] The sound processing path 350 also includes a channel mapping and encoding module 362. The channel mapping and encoding module 362 is configured to map the amplitude of the selected signal 361 (or the processed channelized signal 359 in embodiments that do not include channel selection) to a set of output signals (e.g., stimulation commands) that represent the properties of the electrical stimulation signals to be delivered to the recipient in order to evoke the perception of at least a portion of the received sound signal. For example, this channel mapping can include threshold and comfort level mapping, dynamic range adjustment (e.g., compression), volume adjustment, etc., and can cover the selection of various sequential and / or simultaneous stimulation strategies.

[0075] exist Figure 3 In an embodiment of the present invention, the set of stimulation commands representing electrical stimulation signals are encoded for transcutaneous transmission (e.g., via an RF link) to the implantable component 112. Figure 3 In the specific example of , this encoding operation is performed at the channel mapping and encoding module 362. Therefore, the channel mapping and encoding module 362 is sometimes referred to as a channel mapping and encoding module in this article, and operates as an output block configured to convert multiple channelized signals into multiple output signals 363.

[0076] exist Figure 3Also shown in the figure is a sound classification module 364, a battery monitoring module 366 and a stimulus adaptation and smoothing module 368. The sound classification module 364 is configured to evaluate / analyze the input sound signal and determine the sound category of the sound signal. That is, the sound classification module 364 is configured to use the received sound signal to "classify" the surrounding sound environment and / or the sound signal into one or more sound categories (i.e., determine the input signal type). The sound category / category may include but is not limited to "speech", "noise", "speech+noise", "music" and "quiet". As further described below, the sound classification module 364 may also estimate the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the sound signal. In one example, the operation of the sound classification module 364 is performed using the pre-filter output signal 355 generated by the pre-filter bank processing module 354.

[0077] The sound classification module 364 generates sound classification information / data 365, which is provided to the stimulation adaptation and smoothing module 368. The sound classification data 365 represents the sound category of the sound signal, and in some examples, represents the SNR of the sound signal. Based on the sound classification data 365, the stimulation adaptation and smoothing module 368 is configured to determine the level of stimulation resolution that should be used when delivering the electrical stimulation signal to represent the sound signal (evoke its perception). The level of stimulation resolution that should be used when delivering the electrical stimulation signal is sometimes referred to herein as the "target" stimulation resolution.

[0078] The stimulus adaptation and smoothing module 368 is configured to adjust one or more operations performed in the sound processing path 350 in order to achieve a target stimulus resolution (i.e., to adapt the stimulus resolution of the electrical stimulus delivered to the recipient). In addition, the stimulus adaptation and smoothing module 368 makes adjustments in a smooth manner in order to mitigate perceptual disturbances to the recipient. For example, the stimulus adaptation and smoothing module 368 may adjust the operations of the filter bank module 356, the post-filter bank processing module 358, the channel selection module 360, and / or the mapping and encoding module 362 to generate an output signal representing an electrical stimulus signal having a target stimulus resolution.

[0079] According to embodiments presented herein, stimulus adaptation and smoothing module 368 can adjust the operation of sound processing path 350 at many different time scales. For example, stimulus adaptation and smoothing module 368 can determine a target stimulus resolution and make corresponding processing adjustments in response to a triggering event, such as detecting a change in the listening environment (e.g., when sound classification data 365 indicates that cochlear implant 102 is in a listening environment that is different from a previous listening environment). Alternatively, stimulus adaptation and smoothing module 368 can determine a target stimulus resolution and make corresponding processing adjustments substantially continuously, periodically (e.g., every 1 second, every 5 seconds, etc.), etc. According to embodiments described herein, stimulus adaptation and smoothing module 268 can be configured to transition between operating settings (e.g., different sound processing settings) by gradually adjusting parameters to alleviate perceptual interference to the recipient.

[0080] Figure 3 An arrangement is shown in which the cochlear implant 102 further includes a battery monitoring module 366. The battery monitoring module 366 is configured to monitor the charge state of one or more batteries (e.g., monitor the charge level, remaining battery life, etc.) and provide battery information 367 to the stimulation adaptation and smoothing module 368. In addition to the sound classification data 365, the stimulation adaptation and smoothing module 368 may also use the battery information 367 to determine a target stimulation resolution and make corresponding processing adjustments to the sound processing path operation. For example, if the battery information 167 indicates that one or more batteries of the cochlear implant are below a threshold charge level (e.g., below 20% charge), the stimulation adaptation and smoothing module 368 may switch the sound processing path 350 to a power saving mode (e.g., only monopolar stimulation or defocused stimulation) using a lower resolution to save power.

[0081] Figure 3 Also shown is a particular arrangement that includes one sound classification module 364. It will be appreciated that alternative embodiments may utilize multiple sound classification modules. In these embodiments, the stimulus adaptation and smoothing module 368 is configured to utilize information from each of the multiple sound classification modules to determine a target stimulus resolution, and to adapt the sound processing operations accordingly (i.e., such that the generated stimulus has a resolution that corresponds to the target stimulus resolution).

[0082] although Figure 3 A cochlear implant arrangement is shown, but it will be appreciated that the embodiments presented herein may also be implemented in other types of medical devices, such as other types of hearing devices. For example, the techniques presented herein may be used in an electroacoustic hearing device configured to deliver both acoustic and electrical stimulation to a recipient. In these embodiments, the device would include two parallel sound processing paths, with the first sound processing path being similar to Figure 3The electrical sound processing path (cochlear implant sound processing path) shown in . In this arrangement, the second sound processing path is an acoustic sound processing path (hearing aid sound processing path) configured to generate an output signal for a recipient of acoustic stimulation.

[0083] In one embodiment, operating settings (e.g., sound processing settings) can be switched between a first set of operating settings and a second set of operating settings by switching between different channel / electrode configurations (such as between monopolar stimulation, wide / defocused stimulation, focused (e.g., multipolar current focusing) stimulation, etc.). Figures 4A-4E is a series of schematic diagrams showing exemplary electrode currents and stimulation patterns for five (5) different channel configurations. It should be understood that Figures 4A-4C The stimulation patterns shown in are generally illustrative, and in practice, the stimulation current may spread differently in different recipients.

[0084] Figures 4A-4E Each of the figures shows a plurality of electrodes, shown as electrodes 144(1)-144(9), spaced apart along the recipient's cochlear frequency axis (ie, along the basilar membrane). Figures 4A-4E Solid lines of varying lengths extending from the various electrodes are also included to generally illustrate the intracochlear stimulation currents 180(A)-180(E) delivered according to a particular channel configuration. However, it should be understood that stimulation is delivered to the recipient using a charge-balanced waveform (e.g., biphasic current pulses) and that the stimulation is delivered to the recipient using a charge-balanced waveform (e.g., biphasic current pulses). Figures 4A-4E The length of the solid line extending from the electrode in each of the graphs shows the relative "weight" of the two phases applied to the charge balance waveform at the corresponding electrode according to the different channel configurations. As further described below, different stimulation currents 180(A)-180(E) (i.e., different channel weightings) produce different stimulation patterns 182(A)-182(E) of voltage and neural excitation, respectively, along the frequency axis of the cochlea.

[0085] First reference Figure 4C , showing the use of a monopolar channel configuration, in which all intracochlear stimulation currents 180(C) are delivered with the same polarity via a single electrode 144(5). In this embodiment, the stimulation current 180(C) is injected by the extracochlear return contact, which has been removed from the cochlear return contact for ease of illustration. Figure 4C The intracochlear stimulation current 180(C) produces a stimulation pattern 182(C) which, as shown, spreads across adjacent electrodes 144(3), 144(4), 144(6), and 144(7). The stimulation pattern 182(C) represents the spatial properties (spatial resolution) of the monopolar channel configuration.

[0086] Figure 4A and Figure 4BWide or defocused channel configurations are shown in which the stimulation current is distributed among an increasing number of intracochlear electrodes and thus the width of the stimulation pattern increases, thus providing increasingly lower spatial resolution. In these embodiments, stimulation currents 180(A) and 180(B) are again injected by extracochlear return contacts, which have been removed for ease of illustration. Figure 4A and Figure 4B Omitted in .

[0087] More specifically, in Figure 4B In FIG. 1 , stimulation current 180(B) is delivered via three electrodes, namely electrodes 144(4), 144(5), and 144(6). The intracochlear stimulation current 180(B) produces a stimulation pattern 182(B) that is diffuse across electrodes 144(2)-144(8), as shown. Figure 4A , a stimulation current 180(A) is delivered via five electrodes, namely electrodes 144(3)-144(7). The intracochlear stimulation current 180(A) produces a stimulation pattern 182(A) which, as shown, spreads across electrodes 144(1)-144(9). In general, the greater the number of nearby electrodes with weights of the same polarity, the lower the spatial resolution of the stimulation signal.

[0088] Figure 4D and Figure 4E A focused channel configuration is shown in which an intra-cochlear compensation current is added to reduce the current spread along the frequency axis of the cochlea. The compensation current is delivered with a polarity opposite to that of the primary / main current. In general, the more compensation current is at nearby electrodes, the more focused the stimulation pattern produced (i.e., the lower the width of the stimulation pattern increases, and therefore the spatial resolution increases). That is, spatial resolution is increased by introducing increasing large compensation currents on electrodes surrounding the central electrode with positive current.

[0089] More specifically, in Figure 4D , a positive stimulation current 180(D) is delivered via electrode 144(5), and a stimulation current 180(D) of opposite polarity is delivered via adjacent electrodes, namely electrodes 144(3), 144(4), 144(6), and 144(7). The intracochlear stimulation current 180(D) produces a stimulation pattern 182(D) that, as shown, is diffuse only over electrodes 144(4)-144(6). Figure 4E , a positive stimulation current 180(E) is delivered via electrode 144(5), while a stimulation current 180(E) of opposite polarity is delivered via adjacent electrodes, namely electrodes 144(3), 144(4), 144(6), and 144(7). The intracochlear stimulation current 180(E) produces a stimulation pattern 182(E) that is substantially confined to a spatial region adjacent to electrode 144(5), as shown.

[0090] Respectively Figure 4D and Figure 4E The difference between stimulation patterns 182(D) and 182(E) in FIG. 1 is due to the magnitude (i.e., weighting) of the currents of opposite polarity delivered via adjacent electrodes 144(3), 144(4), 144(6), and 144(7). Specifically, Figure 4D A partial focusing configuration is shown, where the compensation current does not completely cancel the main current on the central electrode, and the remaining current goes to the far-field extra-cochlear electrode (not shown). Figure 4E is a fully focusing configuration in which the compensation current completely cancels the main current on the central electrode 144(5) (ie, no far-field extra-cochlear electrode is required).

[0091] As stated, Figures 4A-4E Techniques for adjusting spatial resolution (i.e., adjusting the spatial properties of electrical stimulation) according to embodiments presented herein are collectively shown. However, as described, it will be appreciated that other methods for changing stimulation resolution may be used in conjunction with or as a substitute for adjustments to spatial resolution implemented by different stimulation strategies. For example, another technique for adapting stimulation resolution includes changing temporal resolution via pulse rate (i.e., higher pulse rates for higher temporal resolution, and lower pulse rates for lower temporal resolution). In general, changes in temporal resolution may be implemented in the post-filter bank processing module 358 (e.g., during calculation of the channel envelope signal) and / or in the mapping and encoding module 362 (e.g., selection of pulse rate).

[0092] Figure 5 Transitioning from a first set of operating settings (eg, sound processing settings) to a second set of operating settings is shown by gradually adjusting parameters for delivering a signal to a recipient using a number of transitional sets of operating settings. Figure 5 Included are map A 510, map B 520, and transition maps 530-1 through 530-N. As used herein, the term "map" refers to a set of operating settings for delivering electrical stimulation signals to a recipient of a hearing device (eg, cochlear implant system 102) via one or more stimulation channels.

[0093] exist Figure 5 In the example shown in , the recipient may be in a first acoustic environment, and cochlear implant 102 delivers electrical stimulation signals to the recipient using the operating settings of map A 510. Map A 510 has threshold levels for each channel (collectively defined as T A ) and the comfort level of each channel (collectively defined as C ACochlear implant system 102 may determine to switch the operating setting to an operating setting of map B 520 having threshold levels for each channel (collectively defined as T B ) and the comfort level of each channel (collectively defined as C B ).

[0094] In one embodiment, determining to switch from map A 510 to map B 520 can be based on a change in the acoustic environment. For example, the recipient may move from one environment to another environment with different background noise, such as from a quiet environment to a noisy environment where people are talking or playing music. In this case, cochlear implant system 102 can determine to switch from map A 510 to map B 520 to provide the recipient with a stimulation pattern that is better suited to the acoustic environment.

[0095] In another embodiment, cochlear implant system 102 may determine to switch from map A 510 to map B 520 at a specific time based on the recipient's schedule. For example, a switching schedule between operating settings may be generated based on training data associated with the recipient's regular schedule. If the recipient changes the acoustic environment regularly at set times, cochlear implant system 102 may switch from map A 510 to map B 520 at the time indicated by the training data.

[0096] Switching from graph A 510 to graph B 520 without a transition or smoothing / fading out may create a perceptual disturbance to the recipient that the recipient may find jarring. To mitigate this disturbance, the parameters associated with graph A 510 may be gradually adjusted until the operational settings associated with graph B 520 are achieved. Figure 5 As shown in FIG. 5 , the amount of time to switch between graph A 510 and graph B 520 is determined by the fade-out time (t F The fade-out time may be configurable based on, for example, sound settings associated with Graph A 510 and / or Graph B 520, recipient preferences, etc.

[0097] exist Figure 5In the example shown in , the parameters associated with the profile A 510 are adjusted in a stepwise manner. For example, the parameters associated with the profile A 510 are slightly adjusted, which produces the transition profile 530-1. After the operational settings are switched from the settings associated with the profile A 510 to the transition profile 530-1, the electrical stimulation signal is delivered to the recipient using the operational settings of the transition profile 530-1. Because the parameters associated with the transition profile 530-1 are similar to the parameters associated with the profile A 510, switching between the profile A 510 and the transition profile 530-1 may result in minimal or no interference to the recipient of the hearing device. The parameters associated with the transition profile 530-1 may be slightly adjusted, which produces the transition profile 530-2, and the electrical stimulation signal is delivered to the recipient using the operational settings of the transition profile 530-2. Once again, switching between the transition profile 530-1 and the transition profile 530-2 may result in minimal or no interference to the recipient. The parameters may continue to be slightly adjusted, resulting in transition profiles 530 - 3 , 530 - 4 , . . . , 530 -N and profile B 520 .

[0098] The number of transition profiles 530-1 to 530-N may depend on many factors, such as the desired fade-out time, the difference between the sound settings of profile A 510 and profile B 520, or additional factors. Figures 6A-6E As discussed, several different parameters or combinations of parameters may be adjusted in a stepped or faded manner to produce a smooth transition between atlas A 510 and atlas B 520. For example, the parameters defining each transition atlas include the threshold (T) and loud but comfortable (C) levels for each channel, the dynamic range (CT), the volume (V), and the intra-cochlear electrode weight (W) to be applied to each stimulation electrode for each atlas channel. By making multiple, smaller changes to the parameters associated with the operating settings when switching between sets of operating settings, the perceptual disturbances resulting from switching between atlas A 510 and atlas B 520 may be mitigated.

[0099] Figures 6A-6C An exemplary switching pattern for switching between Graph A 510 and Graph B 520 is shown. Fig. 6A An example is shown in which an operating setting is switched from map A 510 to map B 520 without smoothing the transition. Switching without smoothing the transition may take into account the understanding of the perception that drives the delta or change between the two operating settings.

[0100] Figure 6B An example is shown in which level and / or volume changes are used to smooth the transition. To smooth the transition between graph A 510 and graph B 520, the loudness is gradually changed by adjusting the T and / or C levels and / or volumes. Figure 6BSix transition profiles are shown, namely transition profiles 610-1 through 610-6. Each transition profile is the result of adjusting the T and / or C levels and / or volume from the previous profile. In this example, profiles 610-1 through 610-3 have the same weight as profile A 510, and profiles 610-4 through 610-6 have the weight of profile B 520. Because Figure 6B Six transition profiles are shown, so each transition profile uses a duration t F / 6. Although Figure 6B Six transition profiles are shown, but the number of transition profiles used during a transition may vary based on desired fade-out times, differences in operating settings associated with profile A 510 and profile B 520, recipient preferences, and the like.

[0101] Figure 6C An example is shown in which a gradual change in focus level is used to smooth or fade out the transition. Figure 6C It includes map A 510, map B 520, transition map 610-7 and table 620. Fig.6D and Fig. 6E Reference to map A 510, map B 520, and transition map 610-7. The defocus index (DI) indicates the degree of focus of the focused multipolar stimulation. For example, a DI of 1 may correspond to monopolar (MP) stimulation, and a DI of 0.2 may correspond to focused multipolar (FMP) stimulation. Figure 6C In the example shown in FIG. 5 , graph A 510 corresponds to the sound settings associated with MP stimulation and graph B 520 corresponds to the sound settings associated with FMP stimulation. D The internal transition map 610-7 gradually changes the DI from map A 510 to map B 520 to perform transition smoothing. In this example, t D is 400 milliseconds.

[0102] As shown in table 620, at time 0, DI is 1. At this time, the operating settings correspond to a set of operating settings associated with map A510, which corresponds to monopolar stimulation. D During the time period t (in this case, 400 milliseconds), the DI is gradually changed in the transition profile 610-7. For example, as shown in table 620, at time 100 milliseconds, the DI changes to 0.8. At time 200 milliseconds, the DI changes to 0.6. At time 300 milliseconds, the DI changes to 0.4. At time 400 milliseconds, the DI is 0.2, which corresponds to the DI of the FMP stimulus associated with profile B 520. Although in this example the DI changes gradually during the 400 millisecond time period t D The parameters are changed every 100 milliseconds, but t DThe length of and each interval are exemplary and may be different lengths of time, may vary based on circumstances, and / or may be customized.

[0103] As the DI is gradually changed from profile A 510 to profile B 520, the T level and C level of the intermediate DI may also change. The T level and C level may be interpolated between the endpoints corresponding to profile A 510 or profile B 520, directly measured, estimated from population data, or otherwise inferred.

[0104] Fig.6D An example is shown in which a gradual change in the number of channels stimulated with different patterns or electrode configurations is used to smooth or fade out the transition. Fig.6D Table 630 is included, which shows that in the transition spectrum 610-7 (in Figure 6C ) in the time period t D Each electrode is configured with a stimulation channel. Fig.6D In the example shown, map A 510 corresponds to the sound settings associated with FMP stimulation, map B 520 corresponds to the sound settings associated with MP stimulation, and t D is 400 milliseconds.

[0105] As shown in Table 630, at time zero (0) milliseconds, the sound settings correspond to a set of sound settings associated with Atlas A 510. At this time, each of the 22 channels is stimulated using FMP stimulation. In transition Atlas 610-7, the parameters are gradually changed so that at time 100 seconds, 17 of the 22 channels are stimulated using FMP stimulation, and 5 of the 22 channels are stimulated using MP stimulation. At time 200 milliseconds, the parameters are gradually changed again so that ten (10) of the channels are stimulated using FMP stimulation, and 12 of the channels are stimulated using MP stimulation. At time 300 milliseconds, the parameters are gradually changed again so that five (5) of the channels are stimulated using FMP stimulation, and 17 of the channels are stimulated using MP stimulation. At time 400 milliseconds, all 22 of the channels are stimulated using MP stimulation, which corresponds to the sound settings of Atlas B 520. At this point, transition profile 610-7 ends and the electrical stimulation signal is delivered to the recipient using the sound settings of profile B 520. Although in this example the 400 millisecond period t D The parameters are changed every 100 milliseconds, but t D The length of and each interval are exemplary and may be different lengths of time, may vary based on circumstances, and / or may be customized.

[0106] exist Fig.6DIn the example shown in , the T level and the C level of each channel are the T level and the C level of the map A 510 or the map B 520. In the transition map 610-7, the T level and the C level are not ramped.

[0107] Fig. 6E An example is shown in which the transition is smoothed or faded out by changing the channel weights along a continuum. In this example, the weight of each transition profile is a weighted average or some other combination of the weights of profile A 510 and profile B 520. Fig. 6E Table 640 is included, which shows that in the transition spectrum 610-7 (in Figure 6C ) for a period of 400 milliseconds (t D ) gradually changes the weights applied to the electrodes.

[0108] As shown in table 640, at time zero (0) milliseconds, the weight is the weight of the graph A 510 (W a ) and the weight (W) of zero percent (0) atlas B 520 b ). At time 100 ms, the weight is gradually changed so that the weight is 75% W a and 25% W b (Weight = 0.75 W a +0.25 W b ). At time 200 ms, the weight is 50% W a and 50% W b (Weight = 0.5 W a +0.5 W b ). At time 300 ms, weight is 25% W a and 75% W b (Weight = 0.25 W a +0.25 W b ). At time 400 ms, the weight is 100% W b and 0% W At , which corresponds to the parameters of the spectrum B 520. Although in this example the 400 millisecond period t D The parameters are changed every 100 milliseconds, but t D The length of each interval is exemplary and can be different lengths of time, can be changed based on the situation, and / or can be customized, including by applying different weighting tables to different stimulation channels.

[0109] exist Fig. 6E In the example shown in , the T levels and C levels of the transition profile 610 - 7 may be interpolated between the endpoints corresponding to profile A 510 or profile B 520 , directly measured, estimated from population data, or otherwise inferred.

[0110] Figure 7 700 is a flow chart illustrating a method 700 according to an embodiment presented herein. The method 700 begins at 702, where a hearing device receives a sound signal. At 704, the hearing device delivers a stimulation signal (e.g., an acoustic stimulation signal, a mechanical stimulation signal, and / or an electrical stimulation signal) to a recipient of the hearing device using a first operating setting based on the sound signal. At 706, the hearing device determines that the stimulation signal is to be delivered to the recipient using a second operating setting. At 708, the hearing device incrementally adjusts one or more parameters of the stimulation signal to transition from the first operating setting to the second operating setting. Incrementally adjusting one or more parameters of the stimulation signal to transition from the first operating setting to the second operating setting may refer to adjusting parameters used to generate the stimulation signal.

[0111] Figure 8 800 is a flow chart illustrating a method 800 according to an embodiment presented herein. The method 800 begins at 802, where a medical device receives an input signal. At 804, the medical device converts the input signal into a stimulation signal for delivery to a recipient of the medical device using a first set of operating settings. At 806, a determination is made to switch to a second set of operating settings. At 808, the medical device gradually transitions from using the first set of stimulation signals to using the second set of operating settings by incrementally adjusting parameters for delivering the stimulation signals to the recipient.

[0112] As previously mentioned, the technology disclosed herein can be applied to any of a variety of situations and used with a variety of different devices. Fig. 9 and Fig.10 Exemplary devices that may benefit from the technology disclosed herein are described in more detail in . The technology disclosed herein may be applied to other medical devices, such as neurostimulators, pacemakers, defibrillators, sleep apnea management stimulators, epilepsy treatment stimulators, tinnitus management stimulators, and vestibular stimulation devices, as well as other medical devices that deliver stimulation to tissues. In addition, the technology described herein may also be applied to consumer devices. These various systems and devices may benefit from the technology described herein.

[0113] Fig. 9 is a functional block diagram of an implantable stimulator system 900 that can benefit from the technology described herein. The implantable stimulator system 900 includes a wearable device 100 that acts as an external processor device and an implantable device 30 that acts as an implanted stimulator device. In an example, the implantable device 30 is an implantable stimulator device that is configured to be implanted below the tissue (e.g., skin) of the recipient. In an example, the implantable device 30 includes a biocompatible implantable housing 902. Here, the wearable device 100 is configured to be percutaneously connected to the implantable device 30 via a wireless connection to provide additional functionality to the implantable device 30.

[0114] In the example shown, the wearable device 100 includes one or more sensors 912, a processor 914, a transceiver 918, and a power supply 948. The one or more sensors 912 may be one or more units configured to generate data based on sensed activity. In the example where the stimulation system 900 is a hearing prosthesis system, the one or more sensors 912 include a sound input sensor, such as a microphone, an electrical input for an FM hearing system, other components for receiving sound input, or a combination thereof. In the case where the stimulation system 900 is a visual prosthesis system, the one or more sensors 912 may include one or more cameras or other visual sensors. In the case where the stimulation system 900 is a cardiac stimulator, the one or more sensors 912 may include a cardiac monitor. The processor 914 may be a component (e.g., a central processing unit) configured to control the stimulation provided by the implantable device 30. The stimulation may be controlled based on data from the sensor 912, a stimulation schedule, or other data. In the case where the stimulation system 900 is a hearing prosthesis, the processor 914 may be configured to convert a sound signal received from (one or more) sensors 912 (e.g., acting as a sound input unit) into a signal 951. The transceiver 918 is configured to transmit a signal 951 in the form of a power signal, a data signal, a combination thereof (e.g., by interleaving the signal), or other signals. The transceiver 918 may also be configured to receive power or data. The stimulation signal may be generated by the processor 914 and transmitted to the implantable device 30 using the transceiver 918 for providing stimulation.

[0115] In the example shown, implantable device 30 includes transceiver 918, power source 948, and medical device 911 including electronics module 910 and stimulator assembly 930. Implantable device 30 also includes a hermetically sealed biocompatible implantable housing 902 that encloses one or more of the components.

[0116] The electronic module 910 may include one or more other components to provide medical device functions. In many examples, the electronic module 910 includes one or more components for receiving a signal and converting the signal into a stimulation signal 915. The electronic module 910 may also include a stimulator unit. The electronic module 910 can generate a stimulation signal 915 or control the delivery of the stimulation signal to the stimulator assembly 930. In an example, the electronic module 910 includes one or more processors (e.g., a central processing unit or a microcontroller) connected to a memory component (e.g., a flash memory), and the memory component stores instructions that, when executed, cause the execution of an operation. In an example, the electronic module 910 generates and monitors parameters (e.g., output voltage, output current, or line impedance) associated with generating and delivering stimulation. In an example, the electronic module 910 generates a telemetry signal (e.g., a data signal) including telemetry data. The electronic module 910 can send a telemetry signal to the wearable device 100 or store the telemetry signal in a memory for later use or retrieval.

[0117] The stimulator assembly 930 can be a component configured to provide stimulation to the target tissue. In the example shown, the stimulator assembly 930 is an electrode assembly, which includes an electrode contact array arranged on a lead. The lead can be arranged near the tissue to be stimulated. In the case where the system 900 is a cochlear implant system, the stimulator assembly 930 can be inserted into the cochlea of ​​the recipient. The stimulator assembly 930 can be configured to deliver the stimulation signal 915 (e.g., electrical stimulation signal) generated by the electronic module 910 to the cochlea so that the recipient experiences hearing perception. In other examples, the stimulator assembly 930 is a vibration actuator, which is arranged inside or outside the housing of the implantable device 30 and is configured to generate vibration. The vibration actuator receives the stimulation signal 915 and generates a mechanical output force in the form of vibration based on the stimulation signal. The actuator can deliver vibration to the recipient's skull in a manner that generates movement or vibration of the recipient's skull, thereby generating hearing perception by activating the hair cells in the recipient's cochlea via cochlear fluid movement.

[0118] The transceiver 918 may be a component configured to transcutaneously receive and / or transmit a signal 951 (e.g., a power signal and / or a data signal). The transceiver 918 may be a collection of one or more components that form part of a transcutaneous energy or data transmission system to transmit a signal 951 between the wearable device 100 and the implantable device 30. Various types of signal transmission, such as electromagnetic, capacitive, and inductive transmission, may be used to effectively receive or transmit the signal 951. The transceiver 918 may include a coil 20 or be electrically connected to a coil.

[0119] As shown, the wearable device 100 includes a coil 108 for transcutaneously transmitting signals with a concave coil 20. As described above, transcutaneously transmitting signals between the coil 108 and the coil 20 may include transmitting power and / or data from the coil 108 to the coil 20 and / or transmitting data from the coil 20 to the coil 108. The power supply 948 may be one or more components configured to provide operating power to other components. The power supply 948 may be or include one or more rechargeable batteries. The power of the battery can be received from the power supply and stored in the battery. The power can then be distributed to other components for operation as needed.

[0120] It should be understood that although combined Fig. 9 Although specific components are described, the technology disclosed herein can be applied to any of a variety of situations. The above discussion is not intended to indicate that the disclosed technology is only suitable for use in applications similar to those in Fig. 9 In general, the methods and systems herein may be practiced using additional configurations and / or some aspects described may be excluded without departing from the methods and systems disclosed herein.

[0121] Fig.10 An exemplary vestibular stimulator system 1002 is shown, which can be used to implement the embodiments presented herein. As shown, the vestibular stimulator system 1002 includes an implantable component (vestibular stimulator) 1012 and an external device / component 1004 (e.g., an external processing device, a battery charger, a remote control, etc.). The external device 1004 includes a transceiver unit 1060. Therefore, the external device 1004 is configured to transmit data (and possibly power) to the vestibular stimulator 1012.

[0122] The vestibular stimulator 1012 includes an implant body (main module) 1034, a lead region 1036, and a stimulation assembly 1016, all configured to be implanted below the skin / tissue (tissue) 1015 of a recipient. The implant body 1034 typically includes an airtight sealed housing 1038 in which an RF interface circuit system, one or more rechargeable batteries, one or more processors, and a stimulator unit are disposed. The implant body 134 also includes an internal / implantable coil 1014, which is typically external to the housing 1038 but connected to a transceiver via an airtight feedthrough (not shown).

[0123] The stimulation assembly 1016 includes a plurality of electrodes 1044(1)-(3) disposed in a carrier member (e.g., a flexible silicone body). In this particular example, the stimulation assembly 1016 includes three (3) stimulation electrodes, referred to as stimulation electrodes 1044(1), 1044(2), and 1044(3). The stimulation electrodes 1044(1), 1044(2), and 1044(3) serve as an electrical interface for delivering electrical stimulation signals to the vestibular system of a recipient.

[0124] The stimulation assembly 1016 is configured so that a surgeon can implant the stimulation assembly near the recipient's otolith organ via, for example, the recipient's oval window. It should be understood that this particular embodiment with three stimulation electrodes is merely illustrative, and the techniques presented herein can be used with stimulation assemblies with different numbers of stimulation electrodes, stimulation assemblies with different lengths, etc.

[0125] In operation, the vestibular stimulator 1012, the external device 1004, and / or another external device can be configured to implement the techniques presented herein. That is, the vestibular stimulator 1012, which may be combined with the external device 1004 and / or another external device, can be configured for smooth switching between different settings (such as different stimulation strategies) as described elsewhere herein.

[0126] It should be understood that although specific uses of the present technology have been illustrated and discussed above, the disclosed technology can be used with various devices according to many examples of the present technology. The above discussion is not intended to indicate that the disclosed technology is only suitable for implementation in systems similar to those shown in the accompanying drawings. In general, additional configurations can be used to practice the processes and systems herein, and / or some aspects described can be excluded without departing from the processes and systems disclosed herein.

[0127] The present disclosure describes some aspects of the present invention technology with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which only some possible aspects are shown. However, other aspects may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the aspects set forth herein. Instead, these aspects are provided to make the present disclosure detailed and complete and to fully convey the scope of possible aspects to those skilled in the art.

[0128] It should be understood that the various aspects (e.g., parts, components, etc.) described herein with respect to the figures are not intended to limit the systems and processes to the specific aspects described. Therefore, additional configurations can be used to practice the methods and systems herein, and / or some aspects described can be excluded without departing from the methods and systems disclosed herein.

[0129] According to certain aspects, a system and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium are provided. The system is configured with hardware configured to perform operations similar to the method of the present disclosure. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media include instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations similar to the method of the present disclosure.

[0130] Similarly, where steps of a process are disclosed, these steps are described for the purpose of illustrating the present methods and systems, and are not intended to limit the present disclosure to a particular sequence of steps. For example, the steps may be performed in a different order, two or more steps may be performed simultaneously, additional steps may be performed, and disclosed steps may be eliminated without departing from the present disclosure. Furthermore, the disclosed processes may be repeated.

[0131] Although specific aspects are described herein, the scope of the present technology is not limited to these specific aspects. Those skilled in the art will recognize other aspects or improvements within the scope of the present technology. Therefore, specific structures, actions or media are disclosed only as illustrative aspects. The scope of the present technology is limited by the attached claims and any equivalents therein.

[0132] It should also be understood that the embodiments presented herein are not mutually exclusive and that various embodiments can be combined with another embodiment in any of a variety of different ways.

Claims

1. A method comprising: receiving an acoustic signal at a hearing device; delivering a stimulation signal to a recipient of the hearing device using a first operating setting based on the sound signal; determining that the stimulation signal is to be delivered to the recipient using a second operating setting different from the first operating setting; as well as One or more parameters of the stimulation signal are incrementally adjusted to transition from the first operating setting to the second operating setting. 2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein incrementally adjusting the one or more parameters of the stimulation signal comprises incrementally adjusting one or more of a threshold level, a comfort level, or a volume level associated with the stimulation signal. 3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein incrementally adjusting the one or more parameters of the stimulation signal comprises incrementally adjusting a stimulation resolution of the stimulation signal. 4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein incrementally adjusting the stimulation resolution of the stimulation signal comprises incrementally adjusting a spatial resolution of the stimulation signal. 5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein incrementally adjusting the stimulation resolution of the stimulation signal comprises incrementally adjusting a temporal resolution of the stimulation signal.

6. The method of claim 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, wherein the stimulation signal is an electrical stimulation signal.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first operating setting is associated with a first electrode configuration and the second operating setting is associated with a second electrode configuration.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more parameters of the stimulation signal include adjusting a number of stimulation channels stimulated with the first electrode configuration and the second electrode configuration.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein incrementally adjusting the one or more parameters of the stimulation signal comprises incrementally adjusting electrode weights of electrodes applied to one or more stimulation channels.

10. The method of claim 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, wherein the first operating setting and the second operating setting are sound processing settings.

11. The method of claim 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5, wherein incrementally adjusting the one or more parameters comprises adjusting at least one of the one or more parameters in a stepwise manner.

12. The method of claim 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, wherein determining to deliver the stimulation signal to the recipient using a second operating setting is based on a change in sound classification of the sound signal.

13. The method of claim 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5, wherein determining to deliver the stimulation signal to the recipient using a second operating setting is based on a schedule associated with the recipient.

14. The method of claim 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, wherein the hearing device is a cochlear implant.

15. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: receiving an input signal at a medical device; converting the input signal into a stimulation signal for delivery to a recipient of the medical device using a first set of operating settings; Determining to switch to the second set of operating settings; and Gradually transitioning from using the first set of operating settings to using the second set of operating settings by incrementally adjusting parameters used to deliver the stimulation signal to the recipient.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 15, wherein: The instructions further cause the processor to incrementally adjust one or more of a threshold level, a comfort level, or a volume level associated with the stimulation signal when gradually transitioning from using the first set of operating settings to using the second set of operating settings.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 15, wherein: The instructions further cause the processor to incrementally adjust a stimulation resolution of the stimulation signal when gradually transitioning from using the first set of operating settings to using the second set of operating settings.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 17, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to incrementally adjust a spatial resolution of the stimulation signal.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 17, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to incrementally adjust a temporal resolution of the stimulation signal.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 15, 16, 17, 18, or 19, wherein the stimulation signal is an electrical stimulation signal.

21. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 20, wherein the first set of operational settings is associated with a first electrode configuration and the second set of operational settings is associated with a second electrode configuration.

22. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media according to claim 21, wherein: The instructions further cause the processor to incrementally adjust the number of stimulation channels stimulated with the first electrode configuration and the second electrode configuration when gradually transitioning from using the first set of operating settings to using the second set of operating settings.

23. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 20, wherein: The instructions further cause the processor to incrementally adjust electrode weights applied to electrodes of one or more stimulation channels while gradually transitioning from using the first set of operating settings to using the second set of operating settings.

24. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 15, 16, 17, 18, or 19, wherein the medical device is a sensory device, and wherein the input signal comprises an environmental signal.

25. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 24, wherein the sensory device is a hearing device, and wherein the ambient signal comprises a sound signal.

26. A medical device comprising: one or more input elements configured to receive an input signal; a processing pathway configured to convert the input signal into one or more output signals for delivery to a recipient of the medical device using a first set of operational settings; as well as A stimulus adaptation and smoothing module is configured to gradually adjust the operation of the processing pathway from using the first set of operating settings to using a second set of operating settings over a period of time.

27. The medical device of claim 26, wherein the one or more output signals comprise electrical stimulation signals.

28. The medical device of claim 26 or 27, wherein the stimulation adaptation and smoothing module is configured to incrementally adjust the operation of the processing path to incrementally change the stimulation resolution of the output signal.

29. The medical device of claim 28, wherein the stimulus adaptation and smoothing module is configured to incrementally adjust the operation of the processing path to incrementally change the spatial resolution of the output signal.

30. The medical device of claim 28, wherein the stimulus adaptation and smoothing module is configured to incrementally adjust the operation of the processing path to incrementally change the temporal resolution of the output signal.

31. A medical device according to claim 26 or 27, wherein the first set of operating settings is associated with a first electrode configuration and the second set of operating settings is associated with a second electrode configuration, and wherein the stimulation adaptation and smoothing module is configured to incrementally adjust the number of stimulation channels stimulated with the first electrode configuration and the second electrode configuration.

32. The medical device of claim 26 or 27, wherein the stimulation adaptation and smoothing module is configured to incrementally adjust electrode weights applied to electrodes of one or more stimulation channels.

33. A medical device according to claim 26 or 27, wherein the input signal includes one or more environmental signals, and wherein the stimulus adaptation and smoothing module is configured to gradually adjust the operation of the processing path based on one or more properties of the one or more environmental signals.

34. The medical device of claim 33, wherein the one or more environmental signals include sound signals, and wherein the stimulus adaptation and smoothing module is configured to incrementally adjust the operation of the processing pathway based on a sound classification of the sound signals.

35. The medical device of claim 26 or 27, further comprising at least one battery, and wherein the stimulus adaptation and smoothing module is configured to gradually adjust the operation of the processing pathway based on one or more properties of the at least one battery.

36. A hearing device comprising: one or more microphones configured to receive sound signals; as well as one or more processors configured to convert the sound signal into a first processed output signal using a first set of sound processing settings; wherein the processor is configured to subsequently determine that the sound signal is to be processed using a second set of sound processing settings that are different from the first sound processing, and to convert the sound signal into a second processed output signal using the first set of sound processing settings; and Wherein the one or more processors are configured to incrementally adjust one or more processes to transition from the first set of sound processing settings to the second set of sound processing settings.

Images