Cochlear Implant Electrode Array Fitting via Segmented Weighted Averaging

Solution Overview

Problem

Current cochlear implant fitting methods are time-consuming and may not accurately account for electrode-specific particularities, leading to potential over-stimulation or under-stimulation of patients due to the use of fixed starting values or simultaneous fitting of multiple electrode contacts without considering individual differences.

Innovation Solution

Assigning multiple different fitting methods to non-adjacent electrode contacts and using a weighted averaging of fittings from various methods, including objective and subjective approaches, to determine optimal stimulation parameters for each contact, allowing for interpolation of non-assigned contacts and reducing systematic measurement errors.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If fixed starting values or simultaneous fitting of multiple electrode contacts is used, then the fitting process is simplified and faster, but accuracy deteriorates due to electrode-specific particularities being ignored leading to over-stimulation or under-stimulation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefitting speedVSAvoidfitting accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The electrode array is divided into multiple groups, with each group assigned a different fitting method. This segmentation allows simultaneous processing of multiple electrode contacts while accounting for electrode-specific characteristics, resolving the contradiction between fitting speed and accuracy by enabling parallel fitting operations with method diversity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different fitting methods are applied to different electrode contact groups based on their specific characteristics. This local quality approach ensures that each electrode contact receives the most appropriate fitting method for its particularities, improving accuracy while maintaining efficiency through targeted application of fitting strategies.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Measurement precision

If multiple different fitting methods are applied to all electrode contacts, then fitting accuracy improves by accounting for electrode-specific differences, but the fitting process becomes more time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefitting accuracyVSAvoidfitting time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The electrode array is divided into multiple groups, with each group assigned a different fitting method. This segmentation allows simultaneous processing of multiple electrode contacts while accounting for electrode-specific characteristics, resolving the contradiction between fitting speed and accuracy by enabling parallel fitting operations with method diversity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Multiple fitting methods are combined and applied simultaneously to different electrode contact groups. This merging of methods enables parallel execution of multiple fitting approaches, improving overall accuracy while reducing total fitting time compared to sequential application of each method to all contacts.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Productivity

If simultaneous fitting of multiple electrode contacts is performed without considering individual differences, then the fitting process is accelerated, but reliability deteriorates due to potential over-stimulation or under-stimulation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefitting throughputVSAvoidstimulation accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Different fitting methods are applied to different electrode contact groups based on their specific characteristics. This local quality approach ensures that each electrode contact receives the most appropriate fitting method for its particularities, improving accuracy while maintaining efficiency through targeted application of fitting strategies.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The electrode array is divided into multiple groups, with each group assigned a different fitting method. This segmentation allows simultaneous processing of multiple electrode contacts while accounting for electrode-specific characteristics, resolving the contradiction between fitting speed and accuracy by enabling parallel fitting operations with method diversity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS10881855B2Fast fitting for cochlear implants

Publication Date: 2021.01.05 MED EL ELEKTROMEDIZINISCHE GERAETE GMBH

AI summary

Approaches are described for fitting an implanted cochlear implant having electrode array contacts to an implanted patient. For multiple different fitting methods, each fitting method is assigned one or more electrode contacts wherein no electrode contact is assigned more than one fitting method. For each fitting method, the assigned electrode contacts are fitted according to the fitting method and fitting values for non-assigned electrode contacts are interpolated. Then a fitting is performed for each electrode contact in the electrode array based on a weighted averaging of the fittings for the various different fitting methods.