Abstract: Sound processors with light transmissive seals and systems including such sound processors are disclosed. A seal, formed in part from substantially translucent material and having at least a portion of the substantially translucent material associated with the housing exterior of the sound processor, transmits light from a light emitter carried within the housing to indicate an operational aspect of the sound processor.

Abstract: Sound processor housings, sound processors and systems including sound processors are disclosed.

Abstract: An exemplary method of initializing a sound processor includes detecting a condition prompting an initialization of a sound processor for a cochlear implant patient, verifying, in response to the detecting, an integrity of program data stored by the sound processor, and performing, in response to the verifying, a quick initialization of the sound processor by selectively rewriting header information stored by the sound processor to associate the sound processor with the patient without rewriting the program data stored by the sound processor. Corresponding methods and systems are also described.

Abstract: An exemplary method includes a fitting subsystem maintaining a plurality of patient data instances associated with a fitting of a cochlear implant system to a patient, displaying one or more of the patient data instances within one or more main views of a graphical user interface used to fit the cochlear implant system to the patient, receiving data representative of a request by a user to archive a patient data instance included in the plurality of patient data instances, and archiving, in response to the request, the patient data instance by preventing the patient data instance from being displayed within the one or more main views of the graphical user interface. Corresponding methods and systems are also described.

Abstract: An exemplary method of fitting a cochlear implant patient includes a fitting station detecting a user input associated with a sound processor of a cochlear implant system, wherein the sound processor is communicatively coupled to the cochlear implant fitting station by way of a communication path, and transmitting a signal to the sound processor by way of the communication path in response to the detecting of the user input, the signal configured to direct the sound processor to display a visual cue. Corresponding methods and systems are also described.

Abstract: Cochlear implant headpieces with improved moisture resistance. The headpiece comprises a housing (102) including a housing microphone aperture (124), a microphone (108) within the housing, a membrane (148) between the housing microphone aperture and the microphone, a cap (104) including a sound port (158) and a shield (168), the cap being removably connectable to the housing and the headpiece being protected from particulate and moisture ingress.

Abstract: Sound processor housings, sound processors and systems including sound processors are disclosed.

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 hearing instrument and a method of operating a hearing instrument are provided. The hearing instrument includes an electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical output transducer. When a low battery status of the hearing instrument is detected, a low power audio signal processing mode is selected to extend a lifetime of a battery. The low power audio signal processing mode includes reducing a gain at predefined frequencies; switching off an audio signal processing function for one or more audio frequencies; switching-off parts of a digital audio processor to reduce a duty cycle; and reducing power consumption of an audio signal preamplifier, an audio signal analog-to-digital converter or an audio signal digital-to-analog converter.

Abstract: An electrical feedthrough includes a ceramic body and a ribbon via extending through the ceramic body, an interface between the ribbon via and the ceramic body being sealed using partial transient liquid phase bonding. The ribbon via extends out of the ceramic body and makes an electrical connection with an external device.

Abstract: A percutaneous cochlear implant system includes a cochlear stimulator configured to be coupled to an electrode lead, the electrode lead comprising a plurality of electrodes configured to be in communication with a plurality of stimulation sites within a cochlear region of a patient, a sound processor communicatively coupled to the cochlear stimulator and configured to control the cochlear stimulator to generate and apply electrical stimuli representative of an audio signal to at least one of the stimulation sites via at least one of the electrodes, a power source configured to provide power to at least one of the cochlear stimulator and the sound processor, and a percutaneous port configured to be percutaneously implanted within a head of the patient. The percutaneous port may be configured to house at least one of the power source, sound processor, and cochlear stimulator.

Abstract: There is provided an implantable actuator for stimulating a patient's hearing, comprising a support frame (70), a dielectric electroactive polymer membrane (74) fixed and tensioned on the support frame, with the polymer membrane being provided with a first electrode (76) on one side and a second electrode (78) on the other side, means (80, 82, 84) for supplying electric signals to the electrodes, wherein the polymer membrane is for vibrating the cochlear liquid according to the electric signals supplied to the electrodes by direct contact or by contact with the round window membrane (88).

Abstract: An exemplary method of managing cochlear implant fitting software includes a cochlear implant fitting subsystem maintaining data representative of a cochlear implant fitting software package comprising a plurality of cochlear implant fitting features, maintaining data representative of a plurality of independent licensing heuristics corresponding to the plurality of cochlear implant fitting features, and selectively enabling or disabling each cochlear implant fitting feature within the plurality of cochlear implant fitting features in accordance with the corresponding independent licensing heuristic. Corresponding methods and systems are also described.

Abstract: An exemplary system includes a sound processor configured to identify one or more spectral peaks of an audio signal presented to a cochlear implant patient and an implantable cochlear stimulator communicatively coupled to the sound processor and configured to apply electrical stimulation representative of the one or more spectral peaks to at least one stimulation site within the cochlear implant patient using a partial multipolar stimulation configuration and apply electrical stimulation representative of one or more other spectral components of the audio signal to at least one other stimulation site within the cochlear implant patient using a monopolar stimulation configuration. Corresponding systems methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: An implantable medical device includes a housing component comprising a flexure; and a ceramic feedthrough attached to the flexure such that the flexure reduces transmission of forces from housing component to the ceramic feedthrough. According to one illustrative embodiment, the implantable medical device is a cochlear implant which includes a titanium feedthrough case made up of a body portion and a flexure; and a ceramic feedthrough being hermetically joined to the flexure by an active braze, the flexure reducing transmission of forces from the titanium feedthrough case to the ceramic feedthrough.

Abstract: Exemplary methods and systems of generating a graphical representation of an intracochlear trajectory of electrodes include using electrical field imaging to generate an electrical field spread curve for each of a plurality of electrodes contained within an electrode array at least partially inserted within a cochlear implant patient and generating a graphical representation of an intracochlear trajectory of the electrodes based on the electrical field spread curves.

Abstract: An exemplary method includes a sound processor 1) mapping an analysis channel associated with a frequency band to a stimulation channel that comprises at least three electrodes communicatively coupled to an auditory prosthesis associated with a patient, 2) identifying a spectral peak included in an audio signal presented to the patient, the spectral peak having a peak frequency included in the frequency band, and 3) directing the auditory prosthesis to apply electrical stimulation representative of the spectral peak to a stimulation site associated with the peak frequency by simultaneously stimulating at least two of the at least three electrodes at substantially fifty percent or less of their respective most comfortable current levels (M levels) in accordance with a multi-monopolar current steering strategy. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.

Abstract: A cochlear implant system includes: an electrode array implanted within a cochlea; an internal processor in communication with the electrode array; an implanted antenna which is electrically coupled to the internal processor; and a modular external headpiece which is removably positioned over the implanted antenna, the modular external headpiece including a core containing a sound processor for processing sound and providing a corresponding signal to the implanted antenna; and a modular component configured to releasably engage the core and supply electrical power to the core.

Abstract: Exemplary systems and methods for loading a pre-curved electrode array onto a straightening member are described herein. An exemplary system may include a loading tool including a housing and a slider member disposed at least partially within the housing. The slider member may be slidable from a first position to a second position and configured to move a pre-curved electrode array from a curved configuration to a straightened configuration as it slides from the first position to the second position. The exemplary system may also include a straightening member configured to be inserted into the pre-curved electrode array. Corresponding methods are also described.