EP0241101A1 — Cochlear implant system with psychological testin…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 139 words

A cochlear implant system having a speech processor located external to a patient's body, said speech processor including sound-to-stimulation encoding means, a body-implantable receiver-stimulator and an electrode array implantable in the cochlea of a patient for receiving electrical signals from said encoding means, characterized by means for performing psychophysical testing on the auditory nervous system of the patient while said receiver-stimulator is receiving said electrical signals, means, using the results of said testing, for preparing data in a map representing a patient stimulation strategy; means for converting audio signal information to electrical signals in said sound-to-stimulation encoding means for that patient; and means for erasably programming and storing said mapped data in said encoding means, such that stimulation parameters for speech signals are optimized utilizing said stored data to enhance the ability of the patient to recognize speech signals.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 139 words

A cochlear implant system having a speech processor located external to a patient's body, said speech processor including sound-to-stimulation encoding means, a body-implantable receiver-stimulator and an electrode array implantable in the cochlea of a patient for receiving electrical signals from said encoding means, characterized by means for performing psychophysical testing on the auditory nervous system of the patient while said receiver-stimulator is receiving said electrical signals, means, using the results of said testing, for preparing data in a map representing a patient stimulation strategy; means for converting audio signal information to electrical signals in said sound-to-stimulation encoding means for that patient; and means for erasably programming and storing said mapped data in said encoding means, such that stimulation parameters for speech signals are optimized utilizing said stored data to enhance the ability of the patient to recognize speech signals.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 22 words

The cochlear implant system of claim 1 including patient operated controls in said testing means for determining stimulation thresholds and comford levels.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 29 words

The cochlear implant system of claim 1 in which said sound to stimulation encoding means includes memory means for storing the configuration of said sound to stimulation encoding means.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 17 words

The cochlear implant system of claim 3 in which said memory means is an erasable programmable read-only-memory.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 38 words

The cochlear implant system of claim 1 in which psychophysical testing means include means for stimulation, logging, display, and storage of the results of providing a plurality of inputs to the auditory auditory nervous system of a patient.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 40 words

The cochlear implant system of claim 1 in which psychophysical testing means includes means for determining the mapping between acoustic parameters and stimulation parameters, and means for testing the mapping before incorporating the mapping into the patient's stimulation encoding means.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 228 words

A multichannel cochlear prosthesis system for use with a patient comprising: a multichannel electrode array suitable for implantation in the ear of a person; a multichannel stimulator connected to said electrode array, said stimulator being suitable for implantation in said person and being used to provide electrical signals to stimulate said electrode array; means for encoding sound to an electrical stimulation signal, said means for encoding being suitable to be worn externally by said person; means for transmitting encoded electrical signals representative of speech stimulation parameters from said means for encoding to said multichannel stimulator; means, external to the patient, for testing the patient's psychophysical responses to stimulation of the patient's auditory nerves by selected electrical signals applied to said electrode array by said multichannel stimulator through the means for encoding; means for mapping the psychophysical responses in the form of data of the patient to stimulation of the patient's auditory nerves by said selected electrical signals applied to said electrode array be said multichannel stimulator through said means for encoding to optimize the ability of the patient to perceive certain sounds; and means for storing data from the results of said responses in said means for encoding to encode said data, said results being utilized to determine a relationship between auditory input and said electrical stimulation parameters to optimize the ability of the patient to perceive sounds.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 228 words

A multichannel cochlear prosthesis system for use with a patient comprising: a multichannel electrode array suitable for implantation in the ear of a person; a multichannel stimulator connected to said electrode array, said stimulator being suitable for implantation in said person and being used to provide electrical signals to stimulate said electrode array; means for encoding sound to an electrical stimulation signal, said means for encoding being suitable to be worn externally by said person; means for transmitting encoded electrical signals representative of speech stimulation parameters from said means for encoding to said multichannel stimulator; means, external to the patient, for testing the patient's psychophysical responses to stimulation of the patient's auditory nerves by selected electrical signals applied to said electrode array by said multichannel stimulator through the means for encoding; means for mapping the psychophysical responses in the form of data of the patient to stimulation of the patient's auditory nerves by said selected electrical signals applied to said electrode array be said multichannel stimulator through said means for encoding to optimize the ability of the patient to perceive certain sounds; and means for storing data from the results of said responses in said means for encoding to encode said data, said results being utilized to determine a relationship between auditory input and said electrical stimulation parameters to optimize the ability of the patient to perceive sounds.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 25 words

The system of claim 7 in which said electrode array comprises series of spaced platinum rings fixed on a flexible strip carrier of tapering diameter.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 26 words

The system of claim 7 including means in said stimulator for providing a leakage current to electrodes not selected for stimulation of less than 10 microamps.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 30 words

The system of claim 7 in which said electrodes are stimulated with a biphasic constant current thereby to provide zero D.C. current to the electrode and substantially prevent corrosion problems.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 21 words

The system of claim 7 including selection means for selecting bipolar stimulation from any pair of said electrodes in said array.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 16 words

The system of claim 11 in which said selection means is contained in said encoding means.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 149 words

A multichannel cochlear prosthesis system comprising: a patient implantable tissue stimulating multichannel electrode array; a patient implantable multichannel stimulator connected to said array; a patient externally worn sound-to-electrical signal stimulation encoding means, said encoding means including memory means programmable after implantation of said electrode array and said stimulator in a patient; means for programming said memory means based on the patient's auditory perceptions in response to various electrical stimulating pulse signals; means for transmitting electrical stimulation signals representing speech parameters from said encoding means to said stimulator and to said array for stimulating tissue in accord with said programmed perspections; and means for controlling said stimulator by said encoding means, such control including varieties of at least one or more of pulse rate, puls amplitude, pulse duration interval between phases of a biphasic current pulse, and selection of which two of any electrodes stimulus current is to be applied.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 149 words

A multichannel cochlear prosthesis system comprising: a patient implantable tissue stimulating multichannel electrode array; a patient implantable multichannel stimulator connected to said array; a patient externally worn sound-to-electrical signal stimulation encoding means, said encoding means including memory means programmable after implantation of said electrode array and said stimulator in a patient; means for programming said memory means based on the patient's auditory perceptions in response to various electrical stimulating pulse signals; means for transmitting electrical stimulation signals representing speech parameters from said encoding means to said stimulator and to said array for stimulating tissue in accord with said programmed perspections; and means for controlling said stimulator by said encoding means, such control including varieties of at least one or more of pulse rate, puls amplitude, pulse duration interval between phases of a biphasic current pulse, and selection of which two of any electrodes stimulus current is to be applied.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 29 words

The system of claim 13 wherein the selection of which electrode or electrodes are to be used for stimulation is done in the external sound to stimulation encoding means.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 13 words

The system of claim 13 wherein said memory means is a programmable read-only-memory.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 14 words

The system of claim 13 wherein said memory means is an erasable programmable read-only-memory.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 17 words

The system of claim 13 including means for preventing the delivery of uncomfortable stimuli to the patient.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 50 words

The system of claim 17 wherein said means for preventing delivery of uncomfortable stimuli comprises a data map stored in said encoding means wherein the maximum allowable electrical stimulus to the patient capable of being generated by the data in said data map is beneath the level which causes discomfort.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 31 words

The system of claim 17 wherein said means for preventing delivery of uncomfortable stimuli comprises means for providing a common current source for biphasic current stimulation of equal duration and amplitude.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 39 words

The system of claim 13 wherein said means for loading said memory means is separably attachable to said encoding means when it is desired during patient testing to configure or reconfigure the memory means based on the patient's perceptions.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 41 words

The system of claim 13 wherein said means to input the memory means includes means to select subsets of up to all of the electrodes in said array to be used for stimulation in response to a given auditory input signal.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 35 words

The system of claim 13 including means to select the order of pitch ranking of the electrodes in the array and to configure the encoding means in response to the patient's selections of such ranking.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 25 words

The system of claim 13 including means for simultaneous independent selection of particular electrodes for stimulation, the stimulation rate and stimulation amplitude for each stimulation.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 26 words

The system of claim 20 further including acoustic simulation means in said testing and programming means for monitoring the stimulus signals delivered to the implanted stimulator.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 34 words

The system of claim 13 further including means for displaying continuously a visual indication of the electrode selected by the transmitted data from the sound to stimulation encoding means for the purpose of monitoring.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 44 words

The system of claim 13 further including means in the sound to stimulation encoding means for generating information leading to the application of a known and unvarying train of stimulus pulses from the implantable stimulator to selected electrodes to verify operation of the system.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 46 words

The system of claim 13 in which said means to control the stimulator by said sound to stimulator encoding means includes means to transmit and receive power and data, said means to receive power and data including a receiver coil means, said coil means being tunable.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 25 words

The system of claim 27 in which said receiver coil means is coupled via a transformer to a power and data circuit in said stimulator.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 18 words

The system of claim 13 including means in said encoding means for permitting selection of various stimulation strategies.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 65 words

The system of claim 29 wherein in said means in said encoding means for permitting selection of various stimulation strategies, the frequency of the second formant of the acoustic signal is encoded into electrode selection, the voicing frequency is encoded into stimulation rate and the amplitude of the second formant is encoded into stimulation amplitude, each of said encodations being made in said encoding means.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 39 words

The system of claim 29 wherein in said last mentioned means the frequency of the second formant of the acoustic signal is encoded into stimulation rate and the amplitude of the overall acoustic signal is encoded into stimulation amplitude.

Claim 35

Independent Claim 26 words

The system of claims 22 or 23 wherein said means for loading said memory means is utilized to allow choice of an optimal speech processing strategy.

Claim 36

Dependent Claim 30 words

The system of claim 13 including means in said encoding means to generate a signal to deactivate the sound to stimulation encoding means during periods of relatively constant acoustic signal.

Claim 37

Dependent Claim 20 words

The system of claim 13 including means for configuring the program in said memory means for different patient psychophysical variables.

Claim 38

Dependent Claim 33 words

The system of claim 13 including means for preventing operation of said encoding means if an inadequate power supply voltage is present so as to prevent spurious pulses being transmitted to said stimulator.

Claim 39

Dependent Claim 39 words

The system of claim 13 including means for preventing of delivery of stimuli by the stimulator to the electrode array if a power supply voltage to said stimulator is insufficient to give required voltage compliance to said electrode array.

Claim 40

Dependent Claim 22 words

The system of claim 13 including means for programming the memory means while the memory means is connected to said encoding means.

Claim 41

Dependent Claim 42 words

The system of claim 13 including pulse burst forming means in said encoding means and means to control said pulse burst forming means, said control means including said memory means indicative of the patient auditory perceptions in response to electric stimuli perceived.

Claim 42

Dependent Claim 50 words

The system of claim 38 in which said encoding means and said implantable stimulator comprise integrated circuits, the circuit of said encoding means being programmed to produce sequences of constant frequency pulses with the number of pulses and time between pulses bursts being determined by either of said control means.

Claim 43

Dependent Claim 63 words

The system of claim 38 wherein said pulse bursts are formatted in successive frames of data bursts, each frame comprising a reset start burst, an active electrode select burst, an electrode configuration mode burst, an amplitude burst, and two bursts for the two phases of stimulation pulses, and means to provide a time interval between each of said bursts within each said frame.

Claim 44

Dependent Claim 29 words

The system of claim 40 including means to utilize the top 10 to 20 dB of the current acoustic stimulus level to determine stimulus amplitude for said amplitude burst.

Claim 45

Dependent Claim 47 words

The system of claim 40 further including means to minimize energy consumption by said stimulator to allow said stimulator to be in an active state when subsequent stimulus data frames are transmitted, so as to eliminate the need for a start power pulse in every stimulation frame.

Claim 46

Dependent Claim 20 words

The system of claim 38 including a frame of data bursts including two phase simulation bursts of constant time duration.

Claim 47

Dependent Claim 32 words

The system of claim 13 further including means in said encoding means to determine amplitude of output current by duration of amplitude burst and means to reduce amplitude by increasing burst duration.

Claim 48

Dependent Claim 58 words

The system of claim 13 wherein said stimulator comprised a digital circuit including an error detection circuit to generate signals to a state counter, means to reset said counter, said state counter being incremented through frame sequences of data bursts from said encoding means by a signal asserted at the end of every data burst other than reset.

Claim 49

Dependent Claim 22 words

The system of claim 16 further including means to erase and reprogram said memory while it is plugged into said encoding means.

Claim 50

Dependent Claim 29 words

The system of claim 13 wherein said means for loading said memory means is tailored to each patient's perceptions and said memory means is programmed to reflect said perceptions.

Claim 51

Dependent Claim 29 words

The system of claim 47 further including means in said sound to stimulation encoding means for selecting a subset of from one to all of said electrodes for stimulation.

Claim 52

Dependent Claim 35 words

The system of claim 13 further including means for providing a monotonic substantially exponentially decreasing relationship between a coded current amplitude of a stimulus to said electrodes and the actual current delivered to said electrodes.

Claim 53

Dependent Claim 18 words

The system of claim 49 including means for limiting the maximum current to be delivered to said electrodes.

Claim 54

Dependent Claim 29 words

The cochlear system of claim 13 further including means in said encoding means for disabling the generation of speech stimulation signals during a delay period of constant background noise.

Claim 55

Dependent Claim 75 words

A speech processor encoding means for a cochlear prosthesis comprising a memory means, means for programming a data format indicative of a patient's auditory perceptions into said memory means, means for mapping from said auditory perceptions to simulation parameters and means to program said resultant map of said parameters into said memory means, wherein said speech processor encoding means includes means for preventing burst sequences to said receiver-stimulator of an uncomfortable perception to the patient.

Claim 56

Dependent Claim 75 words

A speech processor encoding means for a cochlear prosthesis comprising a memory means, means for programming a data format indicative of a patient's auditory perceptions into said memory means, means for mapping from said auditory perceptions to simulation parameters and means to program said resultant map of said parameters into said memory means, wherein said speech processor encoding means includes means for preventing burst sequences to said receiver-stimulator of an uncomfortable perception to the patient.

Cochlear implant system with psychological testing or programming with mapped patient responses provided to encoder

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