Implanted Hearing Device Nerve Response Identification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cochlear implant fitting procedures are time-consuming and prone to errors due to the manual separation of nerve responses from artifacts, requiring expert judgment and inefficient processing of electrically evoked compound action potentials (eCAPs).
Innovation Solution
A hearing assistance device with an implanted part that includes stimulation and measurement circuitry, a control unit, and a processing unit to apply stimulation signals, measure responses, and identify nerve responses autonomously, reducing the need for external processing and minimizing communication bandwidth during fitting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual separation of nerve responses from artifacts is performed during fitting, then expert judgment can be applied to ensure accuracy, but the process becomes time-consuming and prone to errors
Solution Approach 1:
The implanted part autonomously performs the separation of nerve responses from artifacts using embedded processing circuitry, eliminating the need for external manual processing. The system self-identifies eCAPs by analyzing measured signals and separating them from stimulation artifacts automatically during the fitting procedure
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical process of expert judgment with automated electronic signal processing. The processing circuitry uses algorithmic methods to separate nerve responses from artifacts, substituting human expert analysis with automated computational techniques that reduce time while maintaining accuracy
2Measurement precision
If external processing is used for nerve response identification, then processing can be performed with sufficient computational resources, but communication bandwidth requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the signal processing functionality from the external system and relocates it to the implanted part. By taking out the processing capability and embedding it within the implant, the system performs nerve response identification locally, eliminating the need to transmit raw measured signals externally and thus reducing communication bandwidth requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The patent shifts the processing dimension from external to internal by embedding processing circuitry within the implanted part. This dimensional change in system architecture allows processing to occur at the source of the signal, transforming the system from a centralized external processing model to a distributed embedded processing model that conserves communication resources
3Productivity
If automated processing is implemented in the implanted part, then operation time is reduced and accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The processing circuitry in the implanted part is designed to perform multiple functions: measuring electrical signals from electrodes, separating nerve responses from artifacts, identifying eCAPs, and controlling stimulation parameters. By consolidating these diverse functions into a single multi-functional processing unit within the implant, the system achieves automated high-speed processing without proportionally increasing overall device complexity
Data Source
AI summary
The application relates to a hearing assistance device comprising an implanted part and to a method of its operation. The disclosure aims at improving the identification and processing of recorded nerve response data in an implanted part. The implanted part comprises a) A multitude of electrodes; b) Stimulation circuitry electrically coupled to a stimulation electrode during a stimulation time period; c) Measurement circuitry electrically coupled to a recording electrode during a measurement time period; d) A control unit configured to control the timing of the application of the stimulation signal in the stimulation time period and to control the measurement time period relative to the stimulation time period; and e) A processing unit configured to record the measured signal in the measurement time period and to identify a response from the auditory nerve based on said measured signal. The invention may e.g. be used for cochlear implant type hearing aids.