Dynamic Electro-Acoustic Signal Ratio in Hearing Prostheses
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Solution Overview
Problem
Individuals with sensorineural hearing loss often do not benefit from auditory prostheses that generate mechanical motion of the cochlea fluid, and those with partial sensorineural hearing loss require improved sound perception methods that leverage their residual hearing.
Innovation Solution
An electro-acoustic hearing prosthesis that dynamically sets the ratio of acoustical stimulation signals to electrical stimulation signals based on attributes of the sound signals, using both sound input elements and processors to generate and deliver acoustical and electrical stimulation, enhancing sound perception by adjusting the relative level and loudness of each type of stimulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If auditory prostheses generate mechanical motion of the cochlea fluid, then conductive hearing loss is addressed, but sensorineural hearing loss does not benefit from this approach
Solution Approach 1:
The auditory prosthesis is designed to provide both acoustical stimulation (for conductive hearing loss and residual hearing) and electrical stimulation (for sensorineural hearing loss), making it universally applicable to multiple types and degrees of hearing loss. The system can adapt its output mode based on the recipient's specific hearing condition.
Solution Approach 2:
The prosthesis dynamically adjusts the ratio of acoustical to electrical stimulation based on sound signal attributes and the recipient's residual hearing characteristics. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to optimize performance for different listening conditions and individual needs.
2Reliability
If electro-acoustic hearing prosthesis uses both acoustical and electrical stimulation, then sound perception is improved, but the complexity of signal processing increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sound signal processing is divided into separate acoustical and electrical pathways, each processed independently according to its specific requirements. This segmentation allows for specialized processing in each domain while maintaining overall system manageability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes processing parameters such as the ratio of acoustical to electrical stimulation, frequency allocation, and gain settings based on sound signal attributes and recipient feedback, optimizing performance without requiring complete redesign of the processing architecture.
3Measurement precision
If the ratio of acoustical to electrical stimulation is dynamically adjusted, then sound localization and pitch perception improve, but the control system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms that monitor sound signal attributes and recipient response, automatically adjusting the acoustical-to-electrical stimulation ratio to optimize sound localization and pitch perception while maintaining manageable control complexity through adaptive algorithms.
Data Source
AI summary
Presented herein are techniques for dynamically setting, in real-time, a ratio of acoustical stimulation signals to electrical stimulation signals delivered by a hearing prosthesis. The ratio of the acoustical stimulation signals to the electrical stimulation signals is set based on one or more characteristics or attributes of the input sound signals that are received and processed by the hearing prosthesis in order to generate the acoustical and electrical stimulation signals.