Cochlear Implant Concurrent Audio Signal Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Prosthetic hearing implants struggle to differentiate between multiple sound sources in noisy environments due to the intermingling of sound signals, limiting recipients' ability to understand speech in complex auditory settings.
Innovation Solution
A prosthetic hearing implant system that independently and concurrently processes multiple audio input signals, generating separate stimulation signals for each source and applying them to the cochlea, allowing for spatial hearing and differentiation between sound sources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If multiple audio signals are combined into a single audio signal, then the device complexity is reduced, but the ability to differentiate between sound sources is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the audio processing by maintaining separate processing paths for first and second audio signals from different spatial locations. Each signal is processed independently through its own filter bank and channel allocation, preserving spatial hearing information while managing complexity through structured segmentation of the processing architecture.
2Loss of information
If separate processing channels are allocated for each audio signal, then the ability to distinguish sound sources is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the processing of multiple audio signals by allocating channels from a shared pool of cochlear implant stimulation channels. Both first and second audio signals are processed through common hardware resources including the same filter bank structure and channel allocation mechanism, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining separate processing paths for spatial differentiation.
Data Source
AI summary
A prosthetic hearing implant capable of independently and concurrently processing multiple audio input signals such that each audio input signal is separately utilized to stimulate the basilar membrane of the implant recipient. A prosthetic hearing implant of the present invention simultaneously receives discrete audio signals from each of one or more audio sources, generates a separate set of one or more stimulations signals for each audio signal, and concurrently applies the stimulation signals to the cochlear. Different channels of stimulation may be allocated to each audio input signal. Alternatively, different modes of stimulation may be used for each input signal. Or, in yet another example, the audio input signals may be time-multiplexed such that the input signals are applied in alternating timeslots. Or, in yet other examples, the input signals may be applied using a combination of stimulation channels, modes of stimulation, and alternating time slots. The stimulation signals may be delivered to the same or different electrodes depending on the quantity and frequency component of the received audio input signals, the quantity of available stimulation channels, and other factors.