Advanced Bionics Ag

Chen Chen

Leonid Michael Litvak

Dean Swan

Kanthaiah Koka

R Tissa Karunasiri

Hannah A Glick

Jason Galster

Anthony J Spahr

An illustrative system includes a stimulation device configured to apply stimulation to a recipient, a sensing device configured to detect a physiological condition of the recipient, and a processing unit communicatively coupled to the stimulation device and the sensing device. The processing unit determines a stimulation strategy that is customized to the recipient and includes stimulation frames and stimulation gaps. The processing unit then directs the stimulation device to apply the stimulation to the recipient in accordance with the stimulation strategy by applying the stimulation only during time that corresponds to the stimulation frames. The processing unit also directs the sensing device to detect the physiological condition of the recipient in accordance with the stimulation strategy by detecting only during time that corresponds to the stimulation gaps. Based on the detected physiological condition, the processing unit performs an action. Corresponding systems, methods, and apparatuses are also disclosed.

Systems and methods for monitoring and acting on a physiological condition of a stimulation system recipient

An illustrative cochlear implant system includes an electrode lead having an array of electrodes, a cochlear implant coupled with the electrode lead and configured to be implanted within a recipient together with the electrode lead, and a processing unit communicatively coupled to the cochlear implant. The processing unit is configured to direct the cochlear implant to apply stimulation to the recipient by way of the array of electrodes. The processing unit is further configured to detect, by way of one or more electrodes included in the array of electrodes, a cortical potential produced by the recipient. Based on the detected cortical potential, the processing unit is configured to determine a fitting parameter associated with the cochlear implant system. Corresponding systems and methods are also disclosed.

Systems and methods for fitting a hearing system to a recipient based on cortical potentials of the recipient

An exemplary emulation system may acoustically isolate the recipient from the local listening environment by disabling a microphone included in the cochlear implant system, receive user input representative of a request to present a sound token to the recipient, generate a modified sound token, and present the modified sound token to the recipient while the microphone is disabled. The modified sound token may be generated by adding a system noise floor of the cochlear implant system to the sound token. Additionally or alternatively, the modified sound token may be generated by adding an environmental noise floor of the remote listening environment to the sound token. Additionally or alternatively, the modified sound token may be generated by filtering the sound token with an acoustic transfer function of the remote listening environment.

Systems and methods for emulating a remote listening environment for a recipient of a cochlear implant system

A binaural hearing system includes a binaural pair of microphones that are configured to be located, respectively, at a first ear and a second ear of a user. The system further includes an interconnected binaural pair of sound processors that are associated with the binaural pair of microphones. The sound processors are configured to preserve an interaural level difference ('ILD') between a first signal generated by the first microphone and a second signal generated by the second microphone. The sound processors do this by performing a contralateral gain synchronization operation to a first degree with respect to the first and second signals at the first sound processor, and to a second degree with respect to the first and second signals at the second sound processor, where the first degree is distinct from the second degree or at least one of the first and second degrees is a partial degree.

Binaural hearing systems and methods for preserving an interaural level difference between signals generated for each ear of a user

A binaural hearing system ('system') enhances and/or preserves interaural level differences between first and second signals. The system includes first and second audio detectors associated with first and second ears of a user, respectively. The audio detectors detect an audio signal presented to the user and generate the first and second signals to represent the audio signal as detected at the first and second ears, respectively. The system also includes a first sound processor that receives the first signal from the first audio detector and the second signal from a second sound processor via a communication link with the second sound processor. The first sound processor generates a directional signal representative of a spatial filtering of the audio signal detected at the first ear according to an end-fire directional polar pattern and presents an output signal representative of the directional signal to the user at the first ear.

Systems and methods for facilitating interaural level difference perception by enhancing the interaural level difference

A binaural cochlear implant system (system) includes first and second microphones associated with first and second ears of a patient, respectively. The microphones detect an audio signal presented to the patient and output first and second signals representative of the audio signal as detected at the first and second ears, respectively. The system also includes a first sound processor that receives the first signal from the first microphone and the second signal from a second sound processor by way of a communiation link with the second sound processors. The first sound processor generates first and second fine structure signals representative of fine structure information of the first and second fine structure signals, respectively, and generates a timing pulse signal based on the first and second fine structure signals. The first sound processor uses the timing pulse signal to represent to the patient an interaural time difference between the first and second signals.

Systems and methods for facilitating interaural time difference perception by a binaural cochlear implant patient

A binaural hearing system ('system') preserves and/or enhances interaural level differences ('ILDs') between first and second signals. The system includes audio detectors each associated with an ear of a user. The audio detectors detect an audio signal presented to the user and generate the first and second signals to represent the audio signal as detected at each ear. The system also includes sound processors associated with each ear that each receive the first and second signals from the audio detectors directly and/or by way of a communication link from the other sound processor. The sound processors each perform operations with respect to the first and second signals to preserve and/or enhance the ILDs between the signals. In so doing, the sound processors perform a contralateral gain synchronization operation to a first degree at the first sound processor and to a distinct second degree at the second sound processor.

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Valencia, CA, United States of America

Chen Chen