168 results about "Auditory prosthesis" patented technology

An auditory prosthesis (30) comprising a microphone (27) for receiving the sound and producing a microphone signal responding to the received sound, an output device for providing audio signals in a form receivable by a user of the prosthesis (30), a sound processing unit (33) operable to receive the microphone signal and carry out a processing operation on the microphone signal to produce an output signal in a form suitable to operate the output device, wherein the sound processing unit (33) is operable in a first mode in which the processing operation comprises at least one variable processing factor which is adjustable by a user to a setting which causes the output signal of the sound processing unit (33) to be adjusted according to the preference of the user for the characteristics of the current acoustic environment.

A sound processing method for auditory prostheses, such as cochlear implants, which is adapted to improve the perception of loudness by users, and to improve speech perception. The overall contribution of stimuli to simulated loudness is compared with an estimate of acoustic loudness for a normally hearing listener based on the input sound signal. A weighting is applied to the filter channels to emphasize those frequencies which are most important to speech perception for normal hearing listeners when selecting channels as a basis for stimulation.

A method and system for fitting and adjusting the operation of an acoustic hearing prosthesis or a hybrid electric and acoustic hearing prosthesis. A graphic user interface allows for the acoustic and electric fitting parameters to be viewed and adjusted in a comparable way. The method further allows for the parameters for acoustic stimulation of the acoustic channels to be adjusted in response to behavioural or objective measurement of responses to known stimuli, so as to achieve a desired response curve.

A multimodal auditory prosthesis. The prosthesis comprises a sound processing unit configured to process sound and to generate electrical signals representing different frequency components of the processed sound and a stimulation module communicably coupled to the sound processing unit, configured to stimulate the recipient to evoke a hearing percept of a range of the frequency components. The prosthesis also comprises an external stimulation module, configured to be positioned within an externally accessible portion of the recipient's first ear, comprising: a receiver unit to wirelessly receive the electrical signals representing the different frequency components, and a transducer that delivers acoustic or mechanical energy to the recipient's ear to evoke a hearing percept of a range of the frequency components.

A method of improving sound quality of audio signals that are digitally processed includes steps of extracting amplitude and frequency modulations from one or more narrow bands of the audio signal, and filtering and compressing those modulations to produce amplitude and frequency modulated audio signals that are digitally processed to provide an acoustic signal similar to the original audio signal. The methods may be used in auditory prostheses and telecommunication systems.

An auditory prosthesis comprising an actuator for providing mechanical stimulation to a recipient. The auditory prosthesis comprises a measurement circuit for use in determining the resonance peak(s) of the actuator. In an embodiment, the measurement circuit measures the voltage drop across the actuator and / or current through the actuator during a frequency sweep of the operational frequencies of the actuator. These measured voltages and / or currents are then analyzed for discontinuities that are indicative of a resonance peak of the actuator. In another embodiment, rather than using a frequency sweep to measure voltages and / or currents across the actuator, the measurement circuit instead applies a voltage impulse to the actuator and then measure the voltage and / or current across the actuator for a period of time after application of the impulse. The measured voltages and / or currents are then analyzed to identify resonance peak(s) of the actuator.

The present invention discloses of binaural stimulation in a neural auditory prosthesis. Binaural acoustic signals are generated that represent sound associated with a user's left and right ears respectively. Based on the binaural acoustic signals, corresponding binaural stimulation signals are generated for electrical stimulation of auditory nerve tissue of the user, wherein the binaural stimulation signals each include a fine structure component with periodic characteristics and interaural time difference (ITD) information. A phase jitter component is added to the binaural stimulation signals to reduce the periodic characteristics of the fine structure component while preserving the interaural time difference (ITD) information.

A cochlear prosthesis comprises multiple electrodes for stimulating the cochlea. A received sound signal is filtered into frequency channels, and from a subset of the frequency channels pulsatile stimuli are generated to be applied by the electrodes. A modulating signal is also obtained from the received sound signal. High rate stimuli modulated by the modulating signal are generated and applied by at least one of the electrodes.

A sound processing method for auditory prostheses, such as cochlear implants, which is adapted to improve the perception of loudness by users, and to improve speech perception. The overall contribution of stimuli to simulated loudness is compared with an estimate of acoustic loudness for a normally hearing listener based on the input sound signal. A weighting is applied to the filter channels to emphasize those frequencies which are most important to speech perception for normal hearing listeners when selecting channels as a basis for stimulation.

A hearing prosthesis, the hearing prosthesis including a plurality of sound capture devices and a determinator configured to generate a parameter indicative of an orientation of the plurality of sound capture devices relative to a reference, wherein the hearing prosthesis is configured to adjust a direction of focus of the hearing prosthesis based on at least the parameter.

The invention provides a tuned transmitter coil for transcutaneous transmission of power and information from an external component of an auditory prosthesis to an implanted receiver. A shield is provided in order to reduce a skin-to-coil capacitance, thereby improving tuning stability of the coil from one user to the next. A shield may also be provided in order to reduce electromagnetic interference.

A method is described for generating stimulus signals for an auditory prosthesis system. A high frequency signal conveys higher frequency audio information including exceptionally low rate band-pass envelope characteristics. This high frequency signal represents at least the upper part if not all of the range of frequencies for speech, music, and other sounds that are audible to listeners with normal hearing. A separate low frequency signal is also provided representing lower audio frequency information including periodicity characteristics (voiced / unvoiced or periodic / aperiodic distinctions) and for periodic sounds, fundamental frequency characteristics. The high frequency signal is applied to the auditory system of a patient by an associated high frequency stimulator, and the low frequency signal is applied to the auditory system of the patient by an associated low frequency signal.

The invention provides a cochlea stimulator for implantation comprising optical fibres of which are coupled to an irradiation source that is controlled by a modulator to generate irradiation specific for a pre-determined range of sound-frequencies. The cochlea stimulator effects a frequency-specific activation of the organ of Corti needed for speech perception especially in noisy environment and more complex sounds. For imparting excitation signals which are generated by modulated pulsed laser irradiation conducted within an optical fibre in order to elicit nervous signals in residual functional organ of Corti sections, the auditory prosthesis preferably contains optical fibres which are dimensioned to terminate in end sections within the cochlea at different sites or sections of the organ of Corti. e.g. having different lengths for locating their end sections at different internal parts of the cochlea.

A method for fitting to a recipient a cochlear prosthesis having a sound processor that processes received sound in accordance with a MAP, the method comprises providing, by the hearing prosthesis, combinations of voice prompts and test stimuli for testing values of an element of the MAP; receiving from the recipient an indication of which of said values are desirable; and revising the MAP with the desired value for the tested element. A neural-stimulating device for stimulating nerve cells of a recipient is provided.

A method of pre-processing a sound signal including music for an auditory prosthesis is provided. An input sound signal is received. The sound signal is processed using music pre-processing software to produce a music pre-processed signal. The music pre-processed signal is presented for further processing, so as to produce a corresponding stimuli signal.

The invention provides a tuned transmitter coil for transcutaneous transmission of power and information from an external component of an auditory prosthesis to an implanted receiver. A shield is provided in order to reduce a skin-to-coil capacitance, thereby improving tuning stability of the coil from one user to the next. A shield may also be provided in order to reduce electromagnetic interference.

A hearing prosthesis including an implantable component including a vibrator portion configured to vibrate in response to a sound signal to evoke a hearing precept and a screw portion configured to removably attach the implantable component to a recipient, wherein the vibratory portion is rigidly adhered to the screw portion.

A hearing prosthesis configured for delivery of stochastic stimulation to a recipient. The hearing prosthesis comprises a sound pickup component configured to receive a sound signal having at least one pitch; a stochastic stimulation generator configured to generate a stochastic sequence of stimulation pulses having first and second inter-pulse intervals distributed stochastically throughout the sequence within controlled limits, the first inter-pulse interval based on the at least one pitch; and at least one stimulation channel to deliver the sequence of electrical stimulation pulses to the recipient.

Presented herein are techniques for monitoring the physical state of a stimulating assembly to, for example, detect the occurrence of an adverse event. More specifically, an elongate stimulating assembly comprising a plurality of longitudinally spaced contacts is at least partially implanted into a recipient. Electrical measurements are performed at one or more of the plurality of contacts and the electrical measurements are evaluated relative to one another to determine the physical state of the stimulating assembly.

Aspect of the present invention are generally directed to synchronization between a first auditory prosthesis and a second auditory prosthesis of a bilateral auditory prosthesis system. In this system, a primary wireless communications channel, usable for synchronizing the first and second prostheses, may be disabled to, for example, conserve power. Then, upon detection of a trigger in sound received by one or more of the prostheses, the primary wireless communication channel is enabled and the prostheses synchronized using the primary wireless communication channel.

Presented herein are techniques for optimizing stimulation parameters for use in a stimulating auditory prosthesis based on a recipient's auditory cognitive ability

A hearing prosthesis whereby the change of a parameter by the user is only possible in discrete maximum steps, with the availability for further increments being dependant upon some conditional event or occurrence (“condition” herein) represented by one or more parameters such as the time which has elapsed since some previous event. In embodiments in which the parameter(s) include an event, such event may be, for example, the initial fitting or adjustment by a clinician, the last user adjustment, the last upward adjustment by the user, etc. In certain embodiments, the condition parameter(s) may include, for example, an elapsed period of time, a certain quantity of stimuli at a particular current level, or some combination of time, stimulation count and stimulation level. In alternative embodiments, there may be a tiered set of increasing increments, of which more gradually are available over time.

An exemplary system includes a detection facility configured to detect an input sound level of an audio signal presented to an auditory prosthesis patient; and an adaptive gain control (AGC) facility configured to 1) determine whether the detected input sound level is in a quiet region, an intermediate region, or a loud region, and 2) apply a gain to the audio signal in accordance with an AGC gain function that specifies the gain to be substantially equal to or less than a first gain threshold if the detected input sound level is in the quiet region, substantially equal to or less than a second gain threshold if the detected input sound level is in the loud region, and greater than the first and second gain thresholds if the detected input sound level is in the intermediate region. Corresponding systems and methods are also disclosed.

Fitting an auditory prosthesis to a recipient by automatically determining operational thresholds of the prosthesis based on changes in the activity of the recipient that occur in response to applied stimulation signals. Such changes in recipient activity are detected by an inertial measurement unit (IMU) permanently or temporarily secured to or implanted in the recipient as an integral part of the prosthesis or a separate device operationally coupled to the prosthesis.

An auditory prosthesis device for selectively stimulating electrodes within an auditory prosthesis electrode array, comprising a transducer ( 2 ) for converting a complex acoustic sound into an electrical signal; signal processing means ( 13 ) responsive to an electrical signal and generating a temporal pattern of stimulation pulses to selected electrodes within the electrode array, the stimulation pulses being applied to each electrode at an electrode stimulation rate; feature extraction means ( 14 ) for deriving an estimate of at least one fundamental frequency of the electrical signal; and stimulation pulse adjustment means ( 15 ) for adjusting the stimulation pulses in accordance with the estimated fundamental frequency.

An exemplary method of facilitating adjustment of one or more fitting parameters by an auditory prosthesis patient includes 1) receiving, by a fitting subsystem communicatively coupled to a sound processor, user input representative of a selection of a fitting parameter, 2) associating, by the fitting subsystem in response to the user input, the fitting parameter with a physical input mechanism that is a part of the sound processor, and 3) dynamically adjusting, by the fitting subsystem, a value of the fitting parameter in response to actuation by a user of the physical input mechanism. Corresponding methods and systems are also described.