Abstract: An implantable sound pickup system. The system comprises an intracochlear acoustic sensor implantable in a recipient's cochlea comprising: piezoelectric element configured to detect pressure waves in the perilymph of the cochlea when the acoustic sensor is at least partially implanted in the cochlea, and to produce electrical signals corresponding to the detected pressure waves.

Abstract: An auditory prosthesis (30) comprising a microphone (27) for receiving the sound and producing a microphone signal responding to the received sound, an output device for providing audio signals in a form receivable by a user of the prosthesis (30), a sound processing unit (33) operable to receive the microphone signal and carry out a processing operation on the microphone signal to produce an output signal in a form suitable to operate the output device, wherein the sound processing unit (33) is operable in a first mode in which the processing operation comprises at least one variable processing factor which is adjustable by a user to a setting which causes the output signal of the sound processing unit (33) to be adjusted according to the preference of the user for the characteristics of the current acoustic environment.

Abstract: An implantable sound pickup system. The system comprises an intracochlear acoustic sensor implantable in a recipient's cochlea comprising: an elongate core conductor, and a piezoelectric element disposed on the surface of the core conductor configured to detect pressure waves in the perilymph of the cochlea when the acoustic sensor is at least partially implanted in the cochlea, and to produce electrical signals corresponding to the detected pressure waves.

Abstract: A sound processor including a microphone (1), a pre-amplifier (2), a bank of N parallel filters (3), means for detecting short-duration transitions in the envelope signal of each filter channel, and means for applying gain to the outputs of these filter channels in which the gain is related to a function of the second-order derivative of the slow-varying envelope signal in each filter channel, to assist in perception of low-intensity sort-duration speech features in said signal.

Abstract: A sound processing process, device and software are disclosed which seek to improve pitch perception, with particular application to auditory prostheses. After input sound signals are processed into channels, an algorithm is applied to selectively increase the modulation depth of the envelope signals. In certain embodiments, the channelized signals are adjusted in timing so as to align the phase of modulated envelope signals in different channels. This results in provision of synchronous (phase aligned) modulation periodicity across channels and hence less pitch ambiguity for listeners to the processed signal, or for application of the signal to hearing prostheses such as cochlear implants. In some embodiments, a broadband envelope signal is used to modulate the level of the narrow band channel signals, so that voicing frequency modulation information in the broadband envelope signal is provided in all narrow band channel signals and the phase of modulated signals in the channels are aligned.

Abstract: A hearing prosthesis, including receiver means for receiving a signal representative of a signal over a frequency range; a first filter bank, having a relatively higher resolution, adapted to process said received signal and produce a first set of channel outputs relating to a selected region or regions of said frequency range; and a second filter bank having a relatively lower resolution, adapted to process said received signal and produce a second set of channel outputs relating to at least the rest of said frequency range; combination means to combine the first and second sets of channel outputs, and processing means operative upon the combined outputs so as to produce a set of stimulation signals for said hearing prosthesis.

Abstract: A sound processing process is disclosed, with particular application to auditory prostheses. After input sound signals are processed into channels, an algorithm is applied to selectively increase the modulation depth of the envelope signals.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an apparatus for processing sound includes a means (401) for analysing a sound signal into a number of frequency bands and a means (403) for applying variable gain to each frequency band independently. Gain in applied under control of a number of gain comparator means (409) each of which generates a number ot statistical distribution estimates in respect of each signal and compares those estimates to predetermined hearing presponse parameters stored in memory (411). The numerous gain compensated frequency bands are then combined (415) in order to generate a single sound signal. The apparatus may be implemented in dedicated hardware embodiment or by software running on a microprocessor.

Abstract: A binaural cochlear implant system, including two intracochlear implants adapted for implantation in the cochleas of a user, each cochlear implant utilising a speech processing strategy wherein the electrical stimuli are matched to the relative timing of the relevant audio signals as detected at each ear, such that the interaural time delays between the audio signals at each ear are substantially preserved in electrical stimuli at each ear. The processing strategy comprises band pass filtering the audio signal, determining the peaks in, and intensity of, each band, prioritising and placing each peak in a buffer in time slots corresponding to the relative timing of each peak. The buffer output forms the basis for stimulus instructions.

Abstract: A sound processing process, device and software are disclosed which seek to improve pitch perception, with particular application to auditory prostheses. After input sound signals are processed into channels, an algorithm is applied to selectively increase the modulation depth of the envelope signals. In certain embodiments, the channelized signals are adjusted in timing so as to align the phase of modulated envelope signals in different channels. This results in provision of synchronous (phase aligned) modulation periodicity across channels and hence less pitch ambiguity for listeners to the processed signal, or for application of the signal to hearing prostheses such as cochlear implants. In some embodiments, a broadband envelope signal is used to modulate the level of the narrow band channel signals, so that voicing frequency modulation information in the broadband envelope signal is provided in all narrow band channel signals and the phase of modulated signals in the channels are aligned.

Abstract: A hearing prosthesis, including receiver means for receiving a signal representative of a signal over a frequency range; a first filter bank, having a relatively higher resolution, adapted to process said received signal and produce a first set of channel outputs relating to a selected region or regions of said frequency range; and a second filter bank having a relatively lower resolution, adapted to process said received signal and produce a second set of channel outputs relating to at least the rest of said frequency range; combination means to combine the first and second sets of channel outputs, and processing means operative upon the combined outputs so as to produce a set of stimulation signals for said hearing prosthesis.

Abstract: A sound processing process is disclosed, with particular application to auditory prostheses. After input sound signals are processed into channels, an algorithm is applied to selectively increase the modulation depth of the envelope signals.