Abstract: A headpiece for a cochlear implant system includes a transcutaneous transmission coil that transfers power and/or data to an implantable device implanted under a user's skin. The headpiece includes a magnet for holding the transmission coil in close proximity to the receiver coil in the implanted device, which also contains a magnet, and provides the desired alignment between the coils so that inductive coupling may efficiently occur. The headpiece has a bottom surface for skin contact that includes a plurality of flexible bumps configured to distribute pressure over a large surface area while allowing blood flow throughout the area. This also provides friction contact with the skin to help secure the headpiece, reducing movement due to lateral loading, while reducing skin irritation and erosion.

Abstract: Methods of optimizing stimulation current applied to a cochlear implant patient include determining a plurality of narrowband spectral modulation detection thresholds for the patient and adjusting a stimulation current applied to the patient in accordance with the narrowband spectral modulation detection thresholds. Systems for optimizing stimulation current applied to a cochlear implant patient include an electrode array having a plurality of electrodes disposed thereon, an implantable cochlear stimulator coupled to the electrode array and configured to apply a stimulation current to one or more locations along a cochlea of a patient via one or more of the electrodes, and a fitting station communicatively coupled to the implantable cochlear stimulator. The fitting station is configured determine a plurality of narrowband spectral modulation detection thresholds and adjust the stimulation current in accordance with the narrowband spectral modulation detection thresholds.

Abstract: Optimizing pitch allocation in a cochlear stimulation system may include implanting an electrode array having a plurality of electrodes into the cochlea of a patient, where the electrode array has an associated implant fitting characteristic that defines a relationship between the implanted electrode array and audio frequencies, presenting sounds through the electrode array to the patient, receiving from the patient a selection of one of the sounds that most closely conforms to a single note, and determining a slope of the implant fitting characteristic of the electrode array based on the sound selected by the patient. Each sound may include a fundamental frequency and one or more harmonics. The optimization may also include changing a center frequency of a band pass filter associated with each electrode based on the determined slope.

Abstract: Systems and methods for efficiently transmitting power using a high frequency (e.g., RF) telemetry transmitter are provided. The telemetry transmitter may include a fixed clock source (which may provide a fixed clock signal), telemetry phase shift circuitry (which may include switching circuitry and phase shifting circuitry), and a push-pull network. The telemetry phase shift circuitry generates a phase shifted clock signal that is phase shifted with respect to the fixed clock signal. The fixed and phase shifted clock signals may drive the switching circuitry to produce a high frequency signal that is passed through the push-pull network. The power or magnitude of the high frequency signal is based on the phase delay between the fixed clock signal and the phase shifted clock signal.

Abstract: An In The Ear (ITE) microphone improves the acoustic response of a Behind The Ear (BTE) Implantable Cochlear Stimulation (ICS) system during telephone use. An acoustic seal provided by holding a telephone earpiece against the ear provides improved coupling of low frequency (up to about 1 KHz) sound waves, sufficient to overcome losses due to the near field acoustic characteristics common to telephones. In an exemplary embodiment, the ITE microphone is connected to a removable ear hook of the BTE ICS system by a short bendable stalk.

Abstract: Systems for fitting an implantable cochlear stimulator to a patient include an interface unit configured to display a graphical representation of an implant fitting line as part of a graphical user interface. The implant fitting line has a slope and a horizontal position and represents a mapping relationship between a plurality of audio frequencies and a plurality of stimulation sites within a cochlea of the patient. The interface unit is further configured to facilitate adjustment of the slope and/or horizontal position of the fitting line.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods and systems for selecting one or more channels of a neural implant to stimulate. A channel selection unit is configured to asynchronously and stochastically select the winning channel or channels based, in part, on the richness of the input sensory environment. Thereafter, the channel selection unit reduces the likelihood that the selected channel or channels will be selected again for a period of time.

Abstract: A system and method for generating a beamforming signal is disclosed. A beam forming signal is generated by disposing a first microphone and a second microphone in horizontal coplanar alignment. The first and second microphones are used to detect a known signal to generate a first response and a second response. The first response is processed along a first signal path communicatively linked to the first microphone, and the second response is processed along a second signal path communicatively linked to the second microphone. The first and second responses are matched, and the matched responses are combined to generate the beamforming signal on a combined signal path.

Abstract: Sound processing strategies for use with cochlear implant systems utilizing simultaneous stimulation of electrodes are provided. The strategies include computing a frequency spectrum of a signal representative of sound, arranging the spectrum into channels and assigning a subset of electrodes to each channel. Each subset is stimulated so as to stimulate a virtual electrode positioned at a location on the cochlea that corresponds to the frequency at which a spectral peak is located within an assigned channel. The strategies also derive a carrier for a channel having a frequency that may relate to the stimulation frequency so that temporal information is presented. In order to fit these strategies, a group of electrodes is selected and the portion of the current that would otherwise be applied to electrode(s) having a partner electrode in the group is applied to the partner electrode.

Abstract: A cochlear implant processing strategy increases speech clarity and higher temporal performance. The strategy determines the power spectral component within each channel, and dynamically selects or de-selects the channels through which a stimulation pulse is provided as a function of whether the spectral power of the channel is high or low. “High” and “low” are estimated relative to a selected spectral power, for example. The selected spectral power can be estimated by signal average or mean, or by other criteria. Once a selection of the channels to stimulate has been made, the system can decide that only those channels are stimulated, and stimulation is removed from the other channels. The selected channels are the ones on which the spectral power is above the mean of all the available channels. Fewer channels are stimulated at any time and the contrast of the stimulation is enhanced. Also, the temporal resolution increases as the number of channels that must be stimulated on a given frame decreases.

Abstract: A cochlear implant processing strategy increases speech clarity and higher temporal performance. The strategy determines the power spectral component within each channel, and dynamically selects or de-selects the channels through which a stimulation pulse is provided as a function of whether the spectral power of the channel is high or low. “High” and “low” are estimated relative to a selected spectral power, for example. The selected spectral power can be estimated by signal average or mean, or by other criteria. Once a selection of the channels to stimulate has been made, the system can decide that only those channels are stimulated, and stimulation is removed from the other channels. The selected channels are the ones on which the spectral power is above the mean of all the available channels. Fewer channels are stimulated at any time and the contrast of the stimulation is enhanced. Also, the temporal resolution increases as the number of channels that must be stimulated on a given frame decreases.

Abstract: An exemplary method includes generating, by an external control device selectively and communicatively coupled to an implantable stimulator, a calibration table indicating transmit power levels required to achieve a plurality of distinct combinations of compliance voltages and maximum stimulation current levels by the implantable stimulator, determining, by the external control device, a maximum stimulation current level to be delivered by the implantable stimulator via one or more electrodes to one or more stimulation sites within a patient during a stimulation frame, determining, by the external control device, an optimal compliance voltage that allows the implantable stimulator to deliver the determined maximum stimulation current level, and selecting, by the external control device in accordance with the calibration table, a transmit power level that results in the implantable stimulator operating at substantially the optimal compliance voltage during the stimulation frame.

Abstract: An In The Ear (ITE) microphone improves the acoustic response of a Behind The Ear (BTE) Implantable Cochlear Stimulation (ICS) system during telephone use. An acoustic seal provided by holding a telephone earpiece against the ear provides improved coupling of low frequency (up to about 1 KHz) sound waves, sufficient to overcome losses due to the near field acoustic characteristics common to telephones. In an exemplary embodiment, the ITE microphone is connected to a removable ear hook of the BTE ICS system by a short bendable stalk.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a hermetic electrical feedthrough includes engraving a circuitous groove into a surface of an electrically conductive monolithic slab so that the interior of the circuitous groove forms a pin. A dielectric material is formed in the circuitous groove. The pin is then electrically isolated from the surrounding material and provides electrical access through the hermetic feedthrough.

Abstract: A cochlear implant processing strategy increases speech clarity and provides higher temporal performance. The strategy determines the power spectral component within each channel, and dynamically selects or de-selects the channels through which a stimulation pulse is provided as a function of whether the spectral power of the channel is high or low. “High” and “low” are estimated relative to a selected spectral power, for example. The selected spectral power can be estimated by signal average or mean, or by other criteria. Once a selection of the channels to stimulate has been made, the system can decide that only those channels are stimulated, and stimulation is removed from the other channels. The selected channels are the ones on which the spectral power is above the mean of all the available channels. Fewer channels are stimulated at any time and the contrast of the stimulation is enhanced.

Abstract: Audio streaming is made available throughout the signal processing path of the speech processor of a cochlear implant or other audio signal processor. Audio streaming comprises the digitally phase locked playback of a real time n-bit digital audio stream, where n may be a large number, e.g., 8, 12, 16, 24 or 32, that emanates (unsolicited) from an operating speech processor. A number of sample points are made available long the processing chain of a digital signal processor (DSP) used within the speech processor of the cochlear implant. Audio streaming may occur at any sample point. The signal at a selected sample point may be selectively monitored in order to allow appropriate diagnostics to be performed. Audio streaming utilizes an auto-referencing mixed-mode phase locked loop. Such phase locked loop processes an asynchronous stream of digital audio samples that arrive at a designated location, e.g., a selected sample point, at a consistent, but unknown, average rate.

Abstract: Implantable electrode leads, e.g. cochlear, spinal cord stimulation, or any type of neurostimulation leads, used in a patient's body to stimulate muscle or nerve tissue, provide enhanced stimulation for treating, e.g., hearing loss or chronic pain. One such lead includes, an implantable electrode array, adapted for insertion into a cochlea, which lead provides improved stability of electrode contact direction. In-line electrodes are spaced-apart along one side of a flexible carrier having non-conductive bumps coated with a bioresorbable material spaced apart between each electrode contact. Over time the bioresorbable material is absorbed thereby reducing chronic placement pressure caused during the insertion of the electrode array into the cochlea. The bioresorbable material may also serve as a carrier for drugs or other materials that would improve performance of the electrode for any type of lead.

Abstract: A special accessory adapter for use with a BTE device of a cochlear implant (CI) system provides two inputs: a T-Mic input and an auxiliary audio input. Both inputs (the T-Mic input and the auxiliary audio input) are connected to a special mixer circuit integrated into a body of the accessory adapter. The body of the accessory adapter connects to the BTE using the same earhook attachment mechanism used by other accessories used by the CI system. The special mixer circuit prevents signals from either the T-Mic input or the auxiliary audio input from interfering with each other. Both signals, however, can still be processed by the processing circuits of the BTE and combined in such a way that user is able to perceive both signals at the same time.

Abstract: A cochlear stimulation lead and method of making a curved electrode array are provided. In one embodiment of the lead, while the curved section of the lead is curled further beyond its originally molded curvature and held in this position, a filling channel is filled with a filling material that is hardened or cured in this held position. The resulting lead has a tip curvature that is more curved than the originally molded curvature.

Abstract: An exemplary cochlear system includes a sound processing unit configured to process an audio signal, an implantable cochlear stimulator communicatively coupled to the sound processing unit and configured to apply stimulation representative of the audio signal to a patient via one or more electrodes in accordance with the processing of the audio signal, and a user input facility communicatively coupled to the sound processing unit. The sound processing unit and the implantable cochlear stimulator are configured to operate in accordance with a plurality of control parameters, which may be selectively associated and disassociated with the user input facility in order to facilitate manual adjustment of one or more of the control parameters. Corresponding systems and methods are also disclosed.