Cochlear Implant Electrode Pulse Rate Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Patients with cochlear implants have difficulty distinguishing small pitch changes and perceiving pitch information, limiting their ability to understand music and tonal languages due to the inefficiencies in existing stimulation strategies that do not account for the individual position of electrodes in the cochlea.
Innovation Solution
A device and method that determine and control the pulse rate for each stimulation electrode based on its position in the cochlea, using a processor to adjust pulse rates and amplitudes to improve pitch mapping, allowing for more precise stimulation of pitch information and reducing energy consumption by preventing excessive local stimulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If fixed pulse rate and amplitude are used for all stimulation electrodes, then device complexity is reduced and ease of operation is improved, but pitch perception precision and mapping accuracy deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by determining individual pulse rates for each stimulation electrode based on its specific position in the cochlea. The processor calculates position-specific pulse rates using the actual electrode positions obtained from imaging, ensuring that each electrode delivers stimulation optimized for its local anatomical location, thereby improving pitch perception precision while maintaining ease of operation through automated control.
2Measurement precision
If individual pulse rates are determined for each stimulation electrode based on position, then pitch mapping precision is improved, but device complexity and computational requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements parameter changes by dynamically adjusting the pulse rate parameter for each stimulation electrode based on its determined position in the cochlea. The processor modifies the stimulation parameters (pulse rate and amplitude) according to the actual electrode positions obtained from imaging data, enabling precise pitch mapping while the automated calculation processes manage the computational complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies self-service by automatically determining electrode positions from imaging data and calculating optimal pulse rates without requiring manual configuration. The processor autonomously performs position determination and parameter optimization, reducing the burden on operators while achieving high precision pitch mapping.
3Reliability
If stimulation rate is adjusted to signal frequency with phase synchronization, then temporal fine structure mapping is improved, but pitch discrimination capability remains insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the pulse rate adaptive rather than fixed. The system determines individual pulse rates for each electrode based on their actual positions in the cochlea, allowing the stimulation parameters to dynamically adjust to the anatomical variations. This position-specific adaptive approach improves pitch discrimination capability beyond what fixed phase-synchronized stimulation can achieve.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a device (10) and to a method for electric stimulation. Said device comprises a stimulator (12) which comprises a multi-channel electrode arrangement with several stimulation electrodes (E1-E12). Said device also comprises a processor (18) which determines the pulse rate and the pulse amplitude for each stimulation electrode (E1-E12), and which controls the electrode arrangement for releasing stimulation impulses of the determined pulse rate and pulse amplitude. Said processor (18) determines the pulse rate for each stimulation electrode (E1-E12) dependent on the position in the cochlea. The invention also relates to a computer program product by means of which a data processing system determines the pulse rate for each stimulation electrode (E1-E12) dependent on the actual position thereof.