Cochlear Trauma Management via Computational Auditory Model
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cochlear trauma management systems are prone to false positive feedback, leading to confusion and reduced trust among surgical teams, as they often misinterpret drops in evoked potentials during electrode lead insertion procedures.
Innovation Solution
The system employs a computational auditory model that accounts for recipient attribute data, electrode lead depth, and diagnostic test results to distinguish between trauma-induced and idiosyncratic changes in electrical potentials, thereby reducing false positive feedback.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If evoked potentials are monitored to detect cochlear trauma, then real-time trauma detection capability is improved, but false positive feedback increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a computational auditory model as an intermediary between the raw evoked potential measurements and the trauma detection decision. This model accounts for recipient-specific attributes and electrode depth to translate the measured potentials into accurate trauma likelihood assessments, filtering out false positives caused by idiosyncratic variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter representation from raw evoked potential amplitudes to a computed trauma likelihood score. By transforming the measurement through a computational model that incorporates multiple parameters (recipient attributes, electrode depth, characteristic frequencies), the system achieves more accurate trauma detection while reducing false positives.
2Device complexity
If simple evoked potential monitoring is used, then system complexity is reduced, but false positive trauma reports increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-storing recipient attribute data and pre-computing characteristic frequencies before the insertion procedure. During surgery, these pre-prepared resources are quickly referenced and combined with real-time measurements, enabling accurate trauma detection without adding significant complexity or time to the surgical workflow.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a computational copy or model of the recipient's auditory system based on preoperative data. This virtual auditory model is then used during surgery to interpret measurements, replacing the need for complex physical measurement equipment while maintaining high detection reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
An illustrative cochlear trauma management system determines, intraoperatively during an insertion procedure to introduce an electrode lead of a cochlear implant system into a cochlea of a recipient, an electrical potential evoked in response to acoustic stimulation applied to the recipient as part of a diagnostic test. The system estimates a depth of the electrode lead within the cochlea for the diagnostic test and accesses recipient attribute data that represents a hearing attribute of the recipient. The recipient attribute data is generated based on preoperative analysis of the recipient. Based on the electrical potential and the recipient attribute data, the system intraoperatively determines a likelihood that the electrode lead is inflicting trauma on the cochlea at the estimated depth. The system then performs an action based on the likelihood that the electrode lead is inflicting the trauma on the cochlea. Corresponding systems and methods are also disclosed.