Abstract: The invention relates to a novel method for scoring sleep stages of a mammal subject, comprising extracting features from polysomnography data using the continuous wavelet transform; grouping the extracted features into clusters that are assigned to different sleep stages; and scoring the sleep stages based on the clusters. The method does not require prior visual knowledge of sleep stages nor supervised training.

Abstract: Disclosed is a cochlear implant (Cl) and a method of generating stimulations for the CI. The Cl may include, at least one optical signal generator configured to generate a plurality of optical signals having a wavelength of at most 1600 nm, and a plurality of light emitters, for delivering the optical signals to different locations along a cochlear nerve. The method may further include optimizing the stimulation energy through selection of stimulation wavelengths and stimulation pulse shapes.

Abstract: A sleep monitor device for monitoring breathing and other physiological parameters is used to classify, assess, diagnose, and/or treat sleeping disorders (e.g., obstructive sleep apnea and upper airway obstruction, among others). The sleep monitor device can be a wearable device that contains one or more microphones arranged around the subject's neck when worn. Additionally, the wearable device may also include, or otherwise be in communication with, other sensors and/or measurement components, such as optical sources and electrodes. Using the sleep monitor device it is possible to identify upper airway resistances, the site of the obstruction, to monitor tissue resistance, temperature, and oxygen saturation. Early detection of the development of upper airway resistances during sleep can be used to control supportive measures for sleep apnea, such controlling continuous positive airway pressure (“CPAP”) devices or neurological or mechanical stimulators.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and pharmaceutical compositions for treating and/or preventing hearing loss in a subject in need thereof. The disclosed methods typically utilize and the pharmaceutical compositions typical comprise an effective amount of a polyphenol therapeutic agent such as honokiol.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of selecting stimulations for a cochlear implant or an auditory implant. The method may include: capturing an acoustical signal; dividing the acoustical signal into a plurality of frequency bands; determining a mean acoustical energy for each frequency band; for each frequency band: comparing the mean acoustical energy with the mean acoustical energy determined for neighboring frequency bands; merging neighboring frequency bands having a difference between the mean acoustical energies that is less than an acoustical energy threshold value; selecting one or more types of stimulation to be applied to one or more locations in a cochlea or along an auditory nerve based on bandwidths of each frequency band. The one or more types of stimulation may be selected from: electrical stimulation, optical stimulation and opto-electrical stimulation, and the one or more locations in cochlea or along the auditory nerve may correspond to specific frequencies of the acoustical signal.

Abstract: Representative apparatus, method, and system embodiments are disclosed for non-invasive detection an ingested battery or magnet in a human or other animal subject. The various apparatus embodiments include one or more Hall effect sensors, arranged in a hand-held embodiment or arranged along a flexible strip having an adhesive. A calibration may be determined or reference or calibration field measurements may be generated. A flexible strip is arranged, or the hand-held embodiment is moved, over the esophagus of the subject to generate target magnetic field measurements. The presence of an ingested battery or magnet is detected when one or more target magnetic field measurements (or gradient) is or are greater than or equal to a first predetermined threshold, or when a sign reversal occurs for a difference between target and reference measurements. The various apparatus and system embodiments may also include a monitor for signal processing and display of results.

Abstract: A system for neuromodulation device coding for stimulation of a patient includes a neural code library comprising digital representations of neural responses of neural units of at least one normal functioning animal, each digital representation corresponding to one of digital representations of stimulus; a sensory device configured to detect a sensory signal; an analyzer configured to identify one of the digital representations of stimulus in the neural code library in response to receipt of the sensory signal; a processing device configured, for each identified sensory signal, to retrieve the digital representations of neural responses of neural units corresponding to the identified sensory signal from the neural code library, and select one or more neural units of a patient to be stimulated by a neuromodulation device associated with the patient; and a transmitting device configured to stimulate the selected one or more neural units of the patient.

Abstract: A system for neuromodulation device coding for stimulation of a patient includes a neural code library comprising digital representations of neural responses of neural units of at least one normal functioning animal, each digital representation corresponding to one of digital representations of stimulus; a sensory device configured to detect a sensory signal; an analyzer configured to identify one of the digital representations of stimulus in the neural code library in response to receipt of the sensory signal; a processing device configured, for each identified sensory signal, to retrieve the digital representations of neural responses of neural units corresponding to the identified sensory signal from the neural code library, and select one or more neural units of a patient to be stimulated by a neuromodulation device associated with the patient; and a transmitting device configured to stimulate the selected one or more neural units of the patient.

Abstract: Aspects of the invention include systems and methods for neuromodulation device coding with a neural code library. The method includes identifying a pattern of a sensory signal, retrieving one or more digital representations of a neural response corresponding to the identified pattern from a neural code library, where the neural code library comprises a plurality of digital representations of neural responses of neural units corresponding to each pattern, selecting one or more neural units of a patient to be stimulated by a neuromodulation device associated with the patient based on the retrieved one or more digital representations of a neural response pattern, and stimulating the selected neural units of the patient.

Abstract: Representative apparatus, method, and system embodiments are disclosed for non-invasive detection an ingested battery or magnet in a human or other animal subject. The various apparatus embodiments include one or more Hall effect sensors, arranged in a hand-held embodiment or arranged along a flexible strip having an adhesive. A calibration may be determined or reference or calibration field measurements may be generated. A flexible strip is arranged, or the hand-held embodiment is moved, over the esophagus of the subject to generate target magnetic field measurements. The presence of an ingested battery or magnet is detected when one or more target magnetic field measurements (or gradient) is or are greater than or equal to a first predetermined threshold, or when a sign reversal occurs for a difference between target and reference measurements. The various apparatus and system embodiments may also include a monitor for signal processing and display of results.

Abstract: A cochlear implant includes electrodes and a processor for generating frequency-modulated electrical pulse trains in one or more of the electrodes responsive to dividing data representing audio spanning frequency-bands into bins associated with each frequency-band, each bin representing an energy level of the data within the frequency-band within a time-period; associating each frequency-band with a phase probability that starts at an initial phase probability value (PPV), resets to a minimum PPV after generating a pulse, and increases from the minimum PPV to a maximum PPV over a time-period; for each bin, assigning a power probability as a normalized intensity being a number between a minimum power probability and a maximum power probability representing the energy level of the bin, and generating a pulse in an electrode associated with the frequency-band associated with the bin when a random number generated is less than the power probability divided by the phase probability.

Abstract: A cochlear implant includes electrodes and a processor for generating frequency-modulated electrical pulse trains in one or more of the electrodes responsive to dividing data representing audio spanning frequency-bands into bins associated with each frequency-band, each bin representing an energy level of the data within the frequency-band within a time-period; associating each frequency-band with a phase probability that starts at an initial phase probability value (PPV), resets to a minimum PPV after generating a pulse, and increases from the minimum PPV to a maximum PPV over a time-period; for each bin, assigning a power probability as a normalized intensity being a number between a minimum power probability and a maximum power probability representing the energy level of the bin, and generating a pulse in an electrode associated with the frequency-band associated with the bin when a random number generated is less than the power probability divided by the phase probability.

Abstract: Aspects of the invention include system and method for transmitting neural data extracted from an electrical signal of a non-human mammal to a human. The system includes an electrode implantable into the animal auditory nerve, brainstem, or midbrain of the non-human mammal, configured to record the electrical signal of the non-human mammal, the electrical signal being in the form of sequences of pulses or pulse trains encoding frequency information of the non-human mammal, a processing device electrically coupled with the electrode, configured to process the electrical signal and convert the processed electrical signal into a digital signal, a transmitting device electrically coupled with the processing device, configured to transmit the digital signal, and a receiving device electrically coupled with the transmitting device, configured to receive the transmitted digital signal, convert the received digital signal into a sensory output perceptible to the human, and apply the sensory output to the human.

Abstract: A method of generating frequency-modulated pulse trains in a CI includes dividing data representing audio spanning frequency bands into a plurality of bins associated with each frequency band, each bin representing an energy level of the data within the frequency band within a period of time; associating each frequency band with a phase probability that starts at an initial phase probability value (PPV), resets to a minimum PPV after generating a pulse, and increases from the minimum PPV to a maximum PPV over a period of time; for each bin, assigning a power probability as a normalized intensity being a number between a minimum power probability and a maximum power probability representing the energy level of the bin, and generating a pulse in an electrode associated with the frequency band associated with the bin when a random number generated is less than the power probability divided by the phase probability.

Abstract: A method of generating frequency-modulated pulse trains in a CI includes dividing data representing audio spanning frequency bands into a plurality of bins associated with each frequency band, each bin representing an energy level of the data within the frequency band within a period of time; associating each frequency band with a phase probability that starts at an initial phase probability value (PPV), resets to a minimum PPV after generating a pulse, and increases from the minimum PPV to a maximum PPV over a period of time; for each bin, assigning a power probability as a normalized intensity being a number between a minimum power probability and a maximum power probability representing the energy level of the bin, and generating a pulse in an electrode associated with the frequency band associated with the bin when a random number generated is less than the power probability divided by the phase probability.

Abstract: Statin compositions are disclosed for stimulating neurite growth from spiral ganglion neurons in the inner ear, as well as methods and kits for preventing damage to or treating damage of auditory neurons and/or hair cells of the cochlea following acoustic or toxic insult.

Abstract: Aspects of the invention include system and method for transmitting neural data extracted from an electrical signal of a non-human mammal to a human. The system includes an electrode implantable into the animal auditory nerve, brainstem, or midbrain of the non-human mammal, configured to record the electrical signal of the non-human mammal, the electrical signal being in the form of sequences of pulses or pulse trains encoding frequency information of the non-human mammal, a processing device electrically coupled with the electrode, configured to process the electrical signal and convert the processed electrical signal into a digital signal, a transmitting device electrically coupled with the processing device, configured to transmit the digital signal, and a receiving device electrically coupled with the transmitting device, configured to receive the transmitted digital signal, convert the received digital signal into a sensory output perceptible to the human, and apply the sensory output to the human.

Abstract: Aspects of the invention include system and method for transmitting neural data extracted from an electrical signal of a non-human mammal to a human. The system includes an electrode implantable into the animal auditory nerve, brainstem, or midbrain of the non-human mammal, configured to record the electrical signal of the non-human mammal, the electrical signal being in the form of sequences of pulses or pulse trains encoding frequency information of the non-human mammal, a processing device electrically coupled with the electrode, configured to process the electrical signal and convert the processed electrical signal into a digital signal, a transmitting device electrically coupled with the processing device, configured to transmit the digital signal, and a receiving device electrically coupled with the transmitting device, configured to receive the transmitted digital signal, convert the received digital signal into a sensory output perceptible to the human, and apply the sensory output to the human.

Abstract: Statin compositions are disclosed for stimulating neurite growth from spiral ganglion neurons in the inner ear, as well as methods and kits for preventing damage to or treating damage of auditory neurons and/or hair cells of the cochlea following acoustic or toxic insult.

Abstract: Aspects of the invention include systems and methods for neuromodulation device coding with a neural code library. The method includes identifying a pattern of a sensory signal, retrieving one or more digital representations of a neural response corresponding to the identified pattern from a neural code library, where the neural code library comprises a plurality of digital representations of neural responses of neural units corresponding to each pattern, selecting one or more neural units of a patient to be stimulated by a neuromodulation device associated with the patient based on the retrieved one or more digital representations of a neural response pattern, and stimulating the selected neural units of the patient.