Abstract: A customized drilling jig for implantation of a hearing aid involves a molded imprint (14) of a patient's upper teeth (12) made of a solidified elastic material connected to a jig (16) having a lateral beam (20) and navigation benchmarks (22) and with which a three-dimensional image of the patient's head can be captured for determining a minimal invasive drilling axis (28) for hearing aid implantation based on the three-dimensional image. The customized jig has a drilling guide opening in a lateral beam of the jig for guiding a drilling tool (26). The position and orientation of the drilling guide opening are selected to guide the drilling tool along the determined minimal invasive drilling axis when the jig is positioned on the patient's head by using the imprint (14).

Abstract: An exemplary system for synchronizing an operation of a middle ear analyzer and a cochlear implant system includes 1) a mapping facility configured to maintain mapping data representative of an association between a plurality of sound levels and a plurality of current levels and between a plurality of frequencies and a plurality of electrodes, 2) a detection facility configured to receive an acoustic signal transmitted by the middle ear analyzer and detect a sound level and a frequency of the acoustic signal, and 3) a processing facility configured to identify, based on the mapping data, a current level associated with the detected sound level and one or more electrodes associated with the detected frequency and direct the cochlear implant system to apply electrical stimulation having the identified current level to one or more stimulation sites within a patient by way of the identified one or more electrodes.

Abstract: An exemplary bilateral auditory prosthesis system includes 1) a primary auditory prosthesis configured to be implanted on a first side of a head of a patient, 2) a secondary auditory prosthesis configured to be implanted on a second side of the head of the patient and to be communicatively coupled to the primary auditory prosthesis with one or more wires, the second side being contralateral to the first side, and 3) a sound processor configured to be communicatively coupled to the primary auditory prosthesis and to control an operation of the secondary auditory prosthesis by transmitting control data to the secondary auditory prosthesis by way of the primary auditory prosthesis and at least one wire included in the one or more wires. Corresponding systems and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: An exemplary auditory prosthesis system includes a sound processor module configured to process an audio signal and operate in accordance with a plurality of control parameters and an accessory header module configured to be selectively coupled to the sound processor module and facilitate external adjustment of one or more control parameters included in the plurality of control parameters while coupled to the sound processor module. Corresponding systems and methods are also described.

Abstract: An exemplary system includes a sound processing unit configured to apply noise reduction to an audio signal in accordance with a noise reduction parameter, an implantable cochlear stimulator communicatively coupled to the sound processing unit and configured to apply stimulation representative of the noise reduced audio signal to a patient via one or more electrodes, and a user input facility communicatively coupled to the sound processing unit and that facilitates manual adjustment of the noise reduction parameter.

Abstract: A system includes a sound processor included in an electro-acoustic stimulation (“EAS”) device and that directs a cochlear implant to apply electrical stimulation to a patient and a receiver to apply acoustic stimulation to the patient. The system further includes a volume control facility and a selection facility that selectively associates the volume control facility with the electrical stimulation in response to a first user input, selectively associates the volume control facility with the acoustic stimulation in response to a second user input, and selectively associates the volume control facility with both the electrical stimulation and the acoustic stimulation in response to a third user input.

Abstract: An exemplary method of lowering a pitch sensation as perceived by a cochlear implant patient includes 1) identifying a most apical electrode included in a plurality of electrodes disposed within a cochlea of the patient, 2) directing a cochlear implant communicatively coupled to the plurality of electrodes to apply one or more anodecathode biphasic stimulation pulses to the most apical electrode during a stimulation period, and 3) directing the cochlear implant to apply one or more cathode-anode biphasic stimulation pulses to one or more other electrodes included in the plurality of electrodes during the stimulation period. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.

Abstract: An exemplary speech processor configured to be used in a cochlear implant system includes signal processing circuitry that 1) separates an incoming audio signal into a plurality of channels, wherein each channel included in the plurality of channels includes a channel signal included in a plurality of channel signals and representing a portion of the audio signal, 2) selects one or more channel signals from the plurality of channel signals that have a spectral power that exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the selected one or more channel signals corresponding to one or more channels included in the plurality of channels, and 3) designates only the one or more channels that correspond to the selected one or more channel signals to be used for stimulation representative of the incoming audio signal.

Abstract: An exemplary system includes a detection facility configured to detect an input sound level of an audio signal presented to an auditory prosthesis patient; and an adaptive gain control (AGC) facility configured to 1) determine whether the detected input sound level is in a quiet region, an intermediate region, or a loud region, and 2) apply a gain to the audio signal in accordance with an AGC gain function that specifies the gain to be substantially equal to or less than a first gain threshold if the detected input sound level is in the quiet region, substantially equal to or less than a second gain threshold if the detected input sound level is in the loud region, and greater than the first and second gain thresholds if the detected input sound level is in the intermediate region. Corresponding systems and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: A hearing aid including a permanent magnet to be fixed at a patient's incus (26), an audio signal source (14), an audio signal processing unit (16) for processing audio signals from the audio signal source, a driver unit (18) including a coil (22) for generating a magnetic field (25) that vibrates the permanent magnet according to the processed audio signals in order to stimulate the patient's hearing, and a measurement arrangement (56, 58, 60) for measuring the magnetic coupling between the coil and the permanent magnet in order to adjust the position of the coil or the input signals to the coil provided by the driver unit.

Abstract: An exemplary sound processor apparatus includes 1) an earhook interface assembly that includes a plurality of contacts and that is configured to interchangeably connect to a microphone assembly and an EAS receiver assembly by way of the plurality of contacts, and 2) a control module communicatively coupled to the plurality of contacts and that is configured to selectively operate in an input mode or in an output mode. While operating in the input mode, the control module uses the plurality of contacts as input ports to receive one or more audio signals detected by the microphone assembly while the microphone assembly is connected to the earhook interface assembly. While operating in the output mode, the control module uses the plurality of contacts as output ports to output one or more EAS signals to the EAS receiver assembly while the EAS receiver assembly is connected to the earhook interface assembly.

Abstract: An exemplary sound processor apparatus included in an auditory prosthesis system includes 1) an interface assembly that includes a plurality of contacts and that facilitates interchangeable connectivity of a plurality of external components to the sound processor apparatus, and 2) a control module communicatively coupled to the plurality of contacts and that interacts with each of the external components by overloading each contact included in the plurality of contacts with a plurality of functions. Corresponding sound processor apparatuses, systems, and methods are also described.

Abstract: A waterproof enclosure for a cochlear implant system or other hearing assistance device includes an outer housing, an inner support in the interior of the outer housing, an acoustic element supported by the inner support, and water-impermeable polymeric protective membrane sealing the interior of the outer housing against water ingress. A hearing device such as a cochlear implant sound processor, a headpiece, an earhook, or a hearing aid comprises an outer housing, an inner support in the interior of the outer housing, a microphone supported by the inner support, and a water-impermeable polymeric protective membrane sealing the interior of the outer housing against water ingress.

Abstract: An exemplary method of optimizing speech and music perception by a bilateral cochlear implant patient includes identifying a first ear of a bilateral cochlear implant patient as being relatively more suited for processing speech than a second ear of the patient, directing a first cochlear implant subsystem associated with the first ear to operate in accordance with a first sound processing program configured to enhance speech perception by the patient, and directing a second cochlear implant subsystem associated with the second ear to operate in accordance with a second sound processing program configured to enhance music perception by the patient. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.

Abstract: An exemplary system includes 1) a first sound processor included in a first auditory prosthesis system associated with a first ear of a patient, the first sound processor including a first volume control facility, and 2) a second sound processor included in a second auditory prosthesis system associated with a second ear of the patient, the second sound processor including a second volume control facility. The first volume control facility adjusts, in response to actuation of the first volume control facility, a first volume level perceived by the patient when electrical stimulation is applied by either the first auditory prosthesis system or the second auditory prosthesis system. The second volume control facility adjusts, in response to actuation of the second volume control facility, a second volume level perceived by the patient when acoustic stimulation is applied by either the first auditory prosthesis system or the second auditory prosthesis system.

Abstract: An exemplary system includes 1) an electro-acoustic stimulation (“EAS”) subsystem that directs a cochlear implant to apply electrical stimulation to a patient, and directs a receiver to apply acoustic stimulation to the patient; and 2) a volume control subsystem communicatively coupled to the EAS subsystem and that facilitates independent control of a first volume level perceived by the patient when the electrical stimulation is applied and a second volume level perceived by the patient when the acoustic stimulation is applied.

Abstract: An exemplary sound processor (104) 1) identifies a stimulation site within a cochlea of a patient that is to be stimulated in order to represent acoustic content presented to the patient, the stimulation site included within a plurality of stimulation sites associated with a stimulation channel corresponding to a plurality of electrodes, 2) determines a target excitation field width associated with the stimulation channel and 3) dynamically sets, based on the identified stimulation site, an amplitude and a polarity of current to be applied to each electrode included in the plurality of electrodes in order to represent the acoustic content so that an excitation field created by the current has a width that roughly matches the target excitation field width. A system and a corresponding method are also disclosed.

Abstract: An exemplary apparatus for use with an auditory prosthesis system includes a housing, a connector port disposed at least partially within the housing and configured to be communicatively coupled to an auxiliary audio input device, a telecoil disposed at least partially within the housing, and a multi-position switch disposed at least partially within the housing and configured to selectively enable the auxiliary audio input device and the telecoil. The auxiliary audio input device is enabled and the telecoil is disabled when the switch is in a first position, both the auxiliary audio input device and the telecoil are enabled when the switch is in a second position, and the telecoil is enabled and the auxiliary audio input device is disabled when the switch is in a third position. Corresponding apparatuses, systems, and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: A partially implantable hearing device comprises a microphone assembly to be worn by the user for capturing audio signals from ambient sound, an audio signal processing unit for processing the audio signals captured by the microphone and an implantable assembly with a power supply and an electromechanical output transducer for stimulating the user's hearing according to the audio signals processed by the audio signal processing unit. Also a microphone assembly provides for transcutaneous transmission of audio signals captured by the microphone assembly to the implantable assembly and for transcutaneous transmission of power to microphone assembly from the implantable assembly.

Abstract: An exemplary sound processor (104) included in an auditory prosthesis system includes 1) a clock facility (406) configured to detect an elapsing of a predetermined amount of time and 2) a fitting facility (408) communicatively coupled to the clock facility and configured to automatically perform, in response to the elapsing of the predetermined amount of time, one or more fitting operations with respect to the auditory prosthesis system. Corresponding systems and methods are also disclosed.