Adaptive Noise Cancellation for Hearing Prostheses
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hearing prostheses, particularly cochlear implants, face challenges in distinguishing and managing own voice body conducted noise, which can lead to inappropriate noise cancellation and affect the perception of sound, especially in environments where the recipient's voice is loud relative to external sounds.
Innovation Solution
An adaptive noise cancellation system is implemented in the hearing prosthesis that adjusts its operation based on the presence of own voice body conducted noise, using a transducer subsystem to differentiate between own voice and non-own voice body conducted noise, and processes signals accordingly to evoke appropriate hearing percepts, thereby reducing unwanted noise interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If adaptive noise cancellation is applied to body conducted noise, then noise cancellation effectiveness is improved, but own voice body conducted noise is incorrectly cancelled leading to degraded sound perception
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments body conducted noise into two distinct categories: own voice body conducted noise and non-own voice body conducted noise. The system uses separate detection and processing pathways for each type, allowing selective cancellation of non-own voice noise while preserving own voice signals. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by enabling noise cancellation without incorrectly removing own voice components.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts its operation based on the detected type of body conducted noise. When own voice body conducted noise is detected, the system modifies its noise cancellation behavior to preserve the own voice signal. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to maintain high noise cancellation effectiveness for external sounds while avoiding cancellation of own voice, thus resolving the technical contradiction.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If noise cancellation is continuously applied, then external noise interference is reduced, but feedback oscillations are generated due to own voice cancellation
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms that continuously monitor the output signals for signs of feedback oscillations. When own voice body conducted noise is detected, the system adjusts its noise cancellation parameters to prevent oscillation generation. This feedback control resolves the contradiction by maintaining external noise cancellation while preventing the generation of harmful feedback oscillations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system takes preliminary action by detecting the presence of own voice body conducted noise before feedback oscillations can occur. Upon detection, it preemptively modifies its noise cancellation operation to prevent oscillation generation. This preliminary anti-action resolves the contradiction by preventing harmful feedback oscillations before they can develop, while maintaining effective external noise cancellation.
3Measurement precision
If the system distinguishes between own voice and non-own voice body conducted noise, then sound perception accuracy is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a practical level of differentiation that is sufficient to resolve the technical problems without excessive complexity. It uses targeted detection methods that focus on key characteristics of own voice body conducted noise versus non-own voice noise, achieving adequate measurement precision while avoiding overly complex processing algorithms. This partial action approach resolves the contradiction by providing just enough differentiation accuracy to prevent incorrect cancellation without unnecessary system complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution effectively reduces the interference of own voice body conducted noise, allowing for a more natural hearing experience by balancing the perception of the recipient's own voice with external sounds, preventing feedback oscillations, and maintaining effective noise cancellation.
Implementation Method 1
body noises being conducted through tissue of the recipient of the implanted transducer
Implementation Method 2
a hearing prosthesis including a transducer sub-system configured to transduce energy originating from an acoustic signal and from body noise
Data Source
AI summary
A system, including an adaptive noise cancellation sub-system, wherein the system is configured to adjust operation of the sub-system from a first operating state to a second operating state upon a determination that operation of the adaptive noise cancellation sub-system will be effectively affected by an own voice body conducted noise phenomenon.