Cochlear Limited

Sean Lineaweaver

Gregory Howard Wakefield

John Michael Heasman

John Louis Parker

Jim Patrick

Aaron Parkinson

Wendy Parkinson

Christopher Van Den Honert

Christopher Joseph Long

Ishan Ann Tsay

Chris Van Den Hobert

Presented herein are techniques for the determination/selection of a set of electrodes for use in an electrically-stimulating auditory/hearing prosthesis. More specifically, an electrically-stimulating hearing prosthesis includes a plurality of electrodes implanted in a recipient. Based, at least in part on a recipient's subjective preferences, one or more of these electrodes may be deactivated. The remaining (i.e., non-deactivated) electrodes form a final electrode set that is subsequently used by the hearing prosthesis for subsequent hearing rehabilitation operations.

Recipient-directed electrode set selection

A method, including the action of operating a sense prosthesis, such as a retinal implant, according to a first operating regime while the recipient has a first fatigue level, and operating the sense prosthesis according to a second operating regime while the recipient has a second fatigue level that is greater than the first fatigue level.

Shifting of output in a sense prosthesis

A method of forecasting subjective efficacy of a hearing prosthesis implanted in a recipient, including subjecting a recipient to a plurality of temporally spaced aural training tasks, the aural training tasks evoking hearing percepts with the hearing prosthesis, obtaining first data indicative of the recipient's ability to hear with the hearing prosthesis based on performance by the recipient of the temporally spaced aural training tasks, and forecasting second data based on the first data, wherein the second data are indicative of the recipient's ability to hear with the hearing prosthesis at one or more temporal locations in the future.

Hearing prosthesis efficacy altering and/or forecasting techniques

A method for operating a hearing prosthesis including operating the hearing prosthesis in a first mode, and monitoring an operating characteristic of the hearing prosthesis. The operating characteristic may relate to one or more of a power supply configured to provide power to the hearing prosthesis, or a temperature characteristic of the hearing prosthesis. The method also includes determining that the operating characteristic is at a threshold level, and responsive to determining that the operating characteristic is at the threshold level, operating the hearing prosthesis in a second mode. In this example, operating the hearing prosthesis in the second mode at least one of uses less power or generates less heat than operating the hearing prosthesis in the first mode.

Device monitoring for program switching

Presented herein are techniques for optimizing stimulation parameters for use in a stimulating auditory prosthesis based on a recipient's cognitive auditory ability.

Stimulation parameter optimization

Downshifting of output in a sense prosthesis

Embodiments of the present invention are generally directed to the use of a genetic algorithm for the purpose of providing progressive and adaptive auditory training (rehabilitation) to a recipient of a hearing prosthesis. In general, the genetic algorithm is used to adapt the training process to automatically increase the difficulty of the training based on recipient feedback and performance. That is, the genetic algorithm progressively removes perceivable sounds from the training process so as to generate groups of sounds that are difficult for a recipient to perceive.

Genetic algorithm based auditory training

Apparatus and method for at least partially fitting a medical implant system to a patient is described. These apparatuses and methods comprise using a dynamic mutation rate. This genetic algorithm may comprise generating successive generations of child populations. In executing the genetic algorithm, children may undergo mutations based on a mutation rate. This mutation rate may be dynamic and be based on the characteristics of the children in the generation. Additionally, values may be frozen during execution of the genetic algorithm if the likelihood that the value has converged on a particular value exceeds a threshold.

Using a genetic algorithm employing dynamic mutation

Apparatus and method for at least partially fitting a medical implant system to a patient is described. These apparatuses and methods comprise executing a genetic algorithm to select a set of parameter values for the medical implant system. This genetic algorithm may comprise executing a tabu search wherein value sets that are determined to be bad are added to a tabu list that may be consulted to exclude tabu value sets from successive generations of the genetic algorithm.

Using a genetic algorithm to fit a medical implant system to a patient

A compartmentalized fitting system that may be used by a recipient to determine device parameters, such as threshold and/or maximum comfort levels, for a stimulating medical device is provided. The compartmentalized fitting system segregates the fitting procedure into separate sessions. For example, in an embodiment, the fitting system provides a clinician driven setup session whereby a clinician may specify parameters that are to be used in fitting the medical device. After which, the fitting system may enter a recipient driven fitting session that is used to determine one or device parameters for the stimulating medical device. Once determined, the fitting system passes control to a clinician driven approval session whereby the clinician can approve the determined set of device parameters; and, if approved store the determined device parameters. This storage may comprise loading the determined device parameters onto the stimulating medical device for subsequent use by the device.

Growing community of inventors

Gig Harbor, WA, United States of America

Sean Lineaweaver