9 results about "Hearing prosthesis" patented technology

Presented herein are substantially automated techniques that enable an electro-acoustic or other hearing prosthesis implanted in a recipient to use objective measurements to determine when the recipient is likely experiencing sound perception changes. Once one or more perception changes are detected, the hearing prosthesis may initiate one or more remedial actions to, for example, address the perception changes. As described further below, the one or more remedial actions may include adjustments to the recipient's operational map to reverse the one or more perception changes.

Presented herein are techniques for monitoring the physical state of a stimulation assembly to, for example, detect the occurrence of an adverse event. More specifically, an elongate stimulation 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 each other to determine a physical state of the stimulation assembly.

A method of increasing an ability of a recipient of a hearing prosthesis' ability to hear with the hearing prosthesis, including obtaining data indicative of a first characteristic of content, wherein the content is an audio or an audio-visual content, obtaining data indicative of a second characteristic of the content, identifying, based on the first and second characteristics, specific content and using at least one item of the specific content with the hearing prosthesis such that a hearing percept in the recipient is evoked based on the at least one item of specific content.

Presented herein are techniques for initiating a night-time mode of operation in an implantable hearing prosthesis in response to detection of night-time recharging operations. More specifically, an implantable hearing prosthesis comprises a rechargeable battery that is configured to be recharged via an external night-time charging device, such as a pillow charger. The implantable hearing prosthesis is configured to detect inductive charging of the rechargeable battery by the external night-time charging device. In response, the implantable hearing prosthesis is switched to a night-time mode of operation.

Presented herein are techniques that make use of objective measurements obtained in response to acoustic stimulation signals. More specifically, at least one measure of outer hair cell function and at least one measure of auditory nerve function are obtained from a tonotopic region of an inner ear of a recipient of a hearing prosthesis. The at least one measure of auditory nerve function and the least one measure of outer hair cell function are then analyzed relative to one another.

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.

What is presented herein is a technique for determining an estimated battery autonomy (e.g., estimated run time) of a medical device having at least one actuator / transducer configured to mechanically stimulate a recipient. The medical device is specifically configured for the recipient and, as such, operates according to a plurality of recipient-specific settings. The configuration of the medical device for the recipient (e.g., the plurality of recipient-specific settings) as well as the frequency and sound level current consumption characteristics of the medical device are used to determine the estimated battery autonomy of the medical device. An environmental profile of the recipient can also be used along with the configuration of the medical device for the recipient as well as the frequency and sound level current consumption characteristics of the medical device to determine the estimated battery autonomy.

Presented herein are techniques for the determination / selection of a set of electrodes for use in an electrically-stimulating auditory / hearing prosthesis. More specifically, an electrically-stimulating hearing prosthesis includes a plurality of electrodes implanted in a recipient. Based, at least in part on a recipient's subjective preferences, one or more of these electrodes may be deactivated. The remaining (i.e., non-deactivated) electrodes form a final electrode set that is subsequently used by the hearing prosthesis for subsequent hearing rehabilitation operations.

A method and system to help determine the extent to which a hearing prosthesis recipient is exposed to speech. The hearing prosthesis will log data regarding audio input, optimally in correspondence with times when the hearing prosthesis is in a stimulation-on mode in which the hearing prosthesis is set to stimulate a physiological system of the recipient in accordance with received audio input, so as to facilitate identification of speech to which the recipient is exposed. Further, as the hearing prosthesis itself receives the audio input, the hearing prosthesis may analyze the audio input to determine one or more linguistic characteristics of the audio input, such as a quantity of speech by the recipient and / or by others, and the hearing prosthesis may output data representing the determined one or more linguistic characteristics. Advantageously, the data may then be used to help facilitate rehabilitation of the recipient.