Cochlear Implant Signal Processing for Power Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cochlear implant systems face limitations in efficiently delivering electrical stimulation pulses, particularly in terms of power consumption and the spread of excitation in neural tissue, with existing coding strategies often resulting in spectral clustering and reduced availability of electrode channels for coding important sound features.
Innovation Solution
A signal processing arrangement that dynamically assigns focused or unfocused stimulation patterns to electrode channels based on spectral feature analysis, using tripolar or monopolar stimulation modes to optimize energy delivery and reduce power consumption, while allowing for a mixture of stimulation patterns to better represent the audio signal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If conventional cochlear implant systems use traditional electrode stimulation patterns, then the structure is simple and ease of manufacture is maintained, but power consumption is high and excitation spread in neural tissue is excessive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the stimulation pattern adaptive and variable rather than fixed. The system dynamically adjusts stimulation patterns based on real-time analysis of spectral features in the audio signal, allowing the focus and configuration of stimulation to change according to the characteristics of the input sound, thereby optimizing power consumption for different listening conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes physical parameters of the stimulation by adjusting the focus pattern (concentrated vs. distributed) and the configuration of active electrode contacts based on spectral feature analysis. This parameter adaptation allows the system to optimize power consumption by concentrating stimulation energy only where and when it is most needed, rather than using uniform stimulation across all electrodes.
2Adaptability or versatility
If traditional cochlear implant coding strategies are used, then device complexity is low, but spectral clustering occurs and electrode channels become less available for coding important sound features
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing spectral feature analysis before generating the stimulation pattern. The system预先 identifies the spectral characteristics of the audio signal and uses this information to pre-determine the optimal focus pattern and electrode configuration, ensuring that electrode channels are optimally allocated before stimulation occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by using the results of spectral feature analysis to continuously adjust and optimize the stimulation pattern. The system analyzes the spectral content of the input signal and uses this feedback information to adaptively configure which electrode contacts are active and how the stimulation is focused, thereby maximizing the availability of electrode channels for coding important sound features.
3Adaptability or versatility
If focused stimulation patterns are used to reduce excitation spread, then power consumption decreases, but the system lacks adaptability to different sound levels and features
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the stimulation pattern dynamic and adaptive to different sound levels and spectral features. Rather than using a fixed focused pattern, the system continuously analyzes the spectral content of the audio signal and adjusts the focus pattern accordingly, allowing concentrated stimulation to be applied selectively only when and where spectral features indicate it is most beneficial for power efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by making different parts of the cochlea receive different stimulation patterns based on the local spectral features of the audio signal. The system identifies specific frequency regions with important spectral features and applies focused stimulation locally to those regions while using more distributed patterns in other regions, thereby achieving power efficiency without sacrificing overall adaptability.
Data Source
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AI summary
A signal processing arrangement generates electrode stimulation signals to stimulation contacts in a cochlear implant electrode array. A signal filter bank transforms an input sound signal into band pass signals, which each represent an associated frequency band of audio frequencies. A signal processing module processes the band pass signals in a sequence of sampling time frames, wherein for each time frame, the processing includes performing a spectral feature analysis of the band pass signals, and dynamically assigning a stimulation focus pattern to one or more of the band pass signals based on the spectral feature analysis. A stimulation coding module is configured to code the processed band pass signals for each time frame to produce the electrode stimulation signals for delivery by the stimulation contacts to a region of adjacent auditory neural tissues.