Auditory Prosthesis Stimulation Rate Periodicity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cochlear implants face issues with unwanted jitter in electrical pulse stimulation due to fixed stimulation rates, which can distort the representation of periodicity in audio signals, leading to suboptimal sound perception.
Innovation Solution
Varying the stimulation pulse frequency to maintain an integer ratio with the prominent sensed frequency of the input audio signal, either by using band pass filters or determining frequencies via fast Fourier transform, to eliminate jitter and enhance sound processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a fixed stimulation rate is used in cochlear implants, then the device complexity is reduced and operation is simplified, but unwanted jitter occurs in electrical pulse stimulation which distorts the representation of periodicity in audio signals
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by transitioning from a fixed stimulation rate to a variable stimulation rate that adapts to the periodicity of audio signals. The stimulation rate is dynamically adjusted based on the detected fundamental frequency of the audio signal, allowing the system to maintain an integer ratio relationship and eliminate jitter while preserving ease of operation through automated adaptation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the stimulation rate parameter from a fixed value to a variable value that is derived from the audio signal's fundamental frequency. By maintaining an integer ratio between the stimulation rate and the audio signal periodicity, the system eliminates jitter and improves periodicity representation without significantly increasing device complexity.
2Manufacturing precision
If the stimulation pulse frequency is varied to maintain an integer ratio with audio signal periodicity, then jitter is reduced or eliminated and sound perception is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional signal processing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential information needed for jitter reduction - the fundamental frequency of the audio signal - using efficient algorithms like autocorrelation or FFT. By taking out only this critical parameter and using it to adjust the stimulation rate, the system achieves jitter reduction without requiring complex processing of the entire audio signal.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by focusing signal processing efforts only on extracting the fundamental frequency information necessary for maintaining integer ratio relationships, rather than processing all aspects of the audio signal. This selective approach reduces computational complexity while achieving the desired jitter reduction effect.
3Measurement precision
If band pass filters or fast Fourier transform are used to determine prominent frequencies, then the precision of frequency detection is improved, but the processing time and computational load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-computing or efficiently detecting the fundamental frequency of the audio signal before generating stimulation pulses. By determining the prominent frequency in advance and maintaining an integer ratio relationship, the system achieves precise frequency detection without requiring continuous complex processing during pulse generation, thereby reducing real-time processing time.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method is described for an auditory prosthesis system to generate electrical stimulation signals to stimulation contacts on an outer surface of an implanted electrode array. An input audio signal having a prominent sensed frequency is pre-processed to produce multiple representative frequency band signals. Each of the frequency band signals is then processed to generate corresponding electric stimulation signals for the stimulation contacts. Each of the electric stimulation signals has an associated stimulation frequency, and for at least one of the electric stimulation signals, the stimulation frequency is varied to maintain an integer ratio between the stimulation frequency and the prominent sensed frequency of the input audio signal.