Closed-Loop Hearing Prosthesis Adjustments for Perception Changes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hearing prosthesis recipients experience sound perception changes due to changes in their residual hearing abilities over time, which are not adequately addressed by conventional fitting processes, leading to negative learning outcomes, especially in cases where regular clinical visits are not feasible.
Innovation Solution
An electro-acoustic hearing prosthesis with a perception monitoring module that uses objective measurements to detect sound perception changes and automatically adjusts operational settings in real-time to remediate these changes, without requiring active recipient participation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional fitting processes are used for hearing prostheses, then initial sound perception is established, but sound perception changes over time are not detected or corrected
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a feedback loop by continuously monitoring neural activity through ECAP measurements and automatically adjusting prosthesis operations to maintain optimal sound perception. The processor compares measured neural activity against expected patterns and modifies stimulation parameters in response to detected changes, creating a closed-loop control system that maintains reliability over time.
Solution Approach 2:
The hearing prosthesis performs self-adjustment by autonomously detecting sound perception changes through neural activity monitoring and automatically remediating these changes through operational modifications. This eliminates the need for external clinical intervention for routine adjustments, allowing the device to maintain optimal performance independently between clinical visits.
2Reliability
If regular clinical visits are required for fitting adjustments, then sound perception can be corrected, but accessibility is limited for recipients who cannot visit clinics regularly
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service by automatically detecting sound perception changes through neural activity monitoring and performing self-adjustment of operational parameters. This autonomous operation allows recipients to maintain optimal sound perception without requiring regular clinical visits, significantly improving accessibility for those who cannot travel to clinics frequently.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical system of manual clinical fitting with an automated electronic monitoring and adjustment system. By using neural activity measurements and automated processing algorithms, the system eliminates the need for physical presence at a clinic, substituting remote electronic adjustment with in-person professional fitting.
3Adaptability or versatility
If manual fitting processes are used, then initial prosthesis operation is established, but real-time adjustments for perception changes cannot be made
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors neural activity and provides real-time feedback to the processor, which automatically adjusts operational parameters in response to detected perception changes. This closed-loop feedback mechanism enables both adaptability to changing conditions and rapid adjustment, as the system responds immediately to neural activity changes without manual intervention delays.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from static manual fitting to dynamic automated adjustment. The operational parameters are no longer fixed but continuously adapt based on real-time neural activity measurements. This dynamic approach allows the prosthesis to automatically track and respond to perception changes, achieving both adaptability and speed of adjustment.
Data Source
AI summary
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.