Patents by Inventor Peter Nopp

Peter Nopp has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20230347148
    Abstract: A patient-specific frequency mapping procedure, a fitting system for carrying out said procedure and computer program product for a cochlear implant or an electric-acoustic stimulation device having an electrode array that has been implanted into the cochlea of said patient is disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2021
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Inventors: Richard Penninger, Mathias Kals, Reinhold Schatzer, Dirk Meister, Peter Nopp, Daniel Hofer
  • Patent number: 9180295
    Abstract: Electrode stimulation signals are generated for an implanted electrode array. An acoustic audio signal is processed with a bank of filters that are each associated with a band of audio frequencies, and a set of band pass signals is generated with each band pass signal corresponding to the band of frequencies associated with one of the filters. Stimulation information is extracted from the band pass signals to generate a set of stimulation event signals defining electrode stimulation signals. Then the stimulation event signals are weighted with a weighted matrix of stimulation amplitudes reflecting patient-specific perceptual characteristics to produce a set of electrode stimulation signals for electrodes in the implanted electrode array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: MED-EL Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Schleich, Peter Nopp
  • Patent number: 8954159
    Abstract: Fitting a multi-channel cochlear implant system to an implanted patient is described. A fit map database is accessed that contains parameter data from fit maps of previously measured cochlear implant patients. For subsets of signal channels in each fit map, an average deviation is established between estimated parameter values and measured parameter values across signal channels not in a given subset based on measured parameter values of signal channels in the given subset. For a given number of signal channels, a subset of the same number of signal channels is identified that has a minimum average deviation. Then fit parameters for signal channels in the identified subset are measured and fit parameters for the remaining signal channels not in the identified subset are estimated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: MED-EL Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Nopp, Chris Durst
  • Patent number: 8948877
    Abstract: A system and method for activating stimulation electrodes in cochlear implant electrode is described. A preprocessor filter bank is configured to process an input acoustic audio signal to generate band pass signals that each represent an associated band of audio frequencies. An information extractor is configured to extract stimulation signal information from the band pass signals based on assigning the band pass signals to corresponding electrode stimulation groups that each contain one or more stimulation electrodes, and generates a set of stimulation event signals for each electrode stimulation group that define electrode stimulation timings and amplitudes. A pulse selector is configured to select a set of electrode stimulation signals from the stimulation event signals based on a pulse weighting function that uses channel-specific weighting factors favoring lower frequencies for activating the stimulation electrodes to stimulate neighboring audio nerve tissue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: MED-EL Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Schleich, Dirk Meister, Peter Nopp
  • Publication number: 20140094874
    Abstract: An implant includes a humidity sensor for generating a signal indicative of humidity within the implant. A controller within the implant receives the signal indicative of humidity, and controls the implant based on the signal indicative of humidity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2013
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Applicant: MED-EL Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbH
    Inventors: Martin Zimmerling, Ingeborg Hochmair, Erwin Hochmair, Martin J. Kerber, Werner Lindenthaler, Peter Nopp, Marcus Schmidt, Hansjörg Schösser, Clemens M. Zierhofer
  • Publication number: 20140005746
    Abstract: A system and method for activating stimulation electrodes in cochlear implant electrode is described. A preprocessor filter bank is configured to process an input acoustic audio signal to generate band pass signals that each represent an associated band of audio frequencies. An information extractor is configured to extract stimulation signal information from the band pass signals based on assigning the band pass signals to corresponding electrode stimulation groups that each contain one or more stimulation electrodes, and generates a set of stimulation event signals for each electrode stimulation group that define electrode stimulation timings and amplitudes. A pulse selector is configured to select a set of electrode stimulation signals from the stimulation event signals based on a pulse weighting function that uses channel-specific weighting factors favoring lower frequencies for activating the stimulation electrodes to stimulate neighboring audio nerve tissue.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2013
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Applicant: MED-EL Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Schleich, Dirk Meister, Peter Nopp
  • Patent number: 8620444
    Abstract: An implant includes a humidity sensor for generating a signal indicative of humidity within the implant. A controller within the implant receives the signal indicative of humidity, and controls the implant based on the signal indicative of humidity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Med-El Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbH
    Inventors: Martin Zimmerling, Ingeborg Hochmair, Erwin Hochmair, Martin Kerber, Werner Lindenthaler, Peter Nopp, Marcus Schmidt, Hansjörg Schoesser, Clemens Zierhofer
  • Patent number: 8577473
    Abstract: A system and method for activating stimulation electrodes in cochlear implant electrode is described. A preprocessor filter bank processes an input acoustic audio signal to generate band pass signals that each represent an associated band of audio frequencies. An information extractor extracts stimulation signal information from the band pass signals based on assigning the band pass signals to corresponding electrode stimulation groups that each contain one or more stimulation electrodes, and generates a set of stimulation event signals for each electrode stimulation group that define electrode stimulation timings and amplitudes. A pulse selector selects a set of electrode stimulation signals from the stimulation event signals based on a pulse weighting function that uses channel-specific weighting factors favoring lower frequencies for activating the stimulation electrodes to stimulate neighboring audio nerve tissue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Med-El Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Schleich, Dirk Meister, Peter Nopp
  • Patent number: 8489194
    Abstract: A system and method of signal processing for a hearing implant. The hearing implant includes at least one electrode, each electrode associated with a channel specific sampling sequence. An acoustic audio signal is processed to generate for each electrode a band pass signal representing an associated band of audio frequency. For each electrode, a sequence signal is determined as a function of the electrode's associated band pass signal and channel specific sampling sequence. An envelope of each band pass signal is determined. The envelope of each band pass signal is filtered to reduce modulations resulting from unresolved harmonics, creating for each electrode an associated filtered envelope signal. Each electrode's sequence signal is weighted based, at least in part, on the electrode's associated filtered envelope signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Med-El Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbH
    Inventors: Dirk Meister, Peter Schleich, Peter Nopp
  • Publication number: 20120209351
    Abstract: A system and method of signal processing for a hearing implant. The hearing implant includes at least one electrode, each electrode associated with a channel specific sampling sequence. An acoustic audio signal is processed to generate for each electrode a band pass signal representing an associated band of audio frequency. For each electrode, a sequence signal is determined as a function of the electrode's associated band pass signal and channel specific sampling sequence. An envelope of each band pass signal is determined. The envelope of each band pass signal is filtered to reduce modulations resulting from unresolved harmonics, creating for each electrode an associated filtered envelope signal. Each electrode's sequence signal is weighted based, at least in part, on the electrode's associated filtered envelope signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2012
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Applicant: MED-EL ELEKTROMEDIZINISCHE GERAETE GMBH
    Inventors: Dirk Meister, Peter Schleich, Peter Nopp
  • Patent number: 7941223
    Abstract: A system and method for activating electrodes in an implanted electrode array with a stimulation signal is described. A stimulation definition stage, for each of a plurality of defined sound signal characteristics (C), assigns each electrode to one of a plurality of stimulation groups (G) each having an associated group stimulation amplitude function (A), where (G) varies with (C). An electrode stimulator activates each electrode as the stimulation signal varies based on spectral components of the stimulation signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: MED-EL Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbH
    Inventors: Clemens M. Zierhofer, Peter Nopp, Peter Schleich, Andrea Nobbe, Ernst Aschbacher
  • Publication number: 20110004274
    Abstract: A system and method for activating stimulation electrodes in cochlear implant electrode is described. A preprocessor filter bank processes an input acoustic audio signal to generate band pass signals that each represent an associated band of audio frequencies. An information extractor extracts stimulation signal information from the band pass signals based on assigning the band pass signals to corresponding electrode stimulation groups that each contain one or more stimulation electrodes, and generates a set of stimulation event signals for each electrode stimulation group that define electrode stimulation timings and amplitudes. A pulse selector selects a set of electrode stimulation signals from the stimulation event signals based on a pulse weighting function that uses channel-specific weighting factors favoring lower frequencies for activating the stimulation electrodes to stimulate neighboring audio nerve tissue.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2010
    Publication date: January 6, 2011
    Applicant: MED-EL ELEKTROMEDIZINISCHE GERAETE GMBH
    Inventors: Peter Schleich, Dirk Meister, Peter Nopp
  • Publication number: 20090264961
    Abstract: Electrode stimulation signals are generated for an implanted electrode array. An acoustic audio signal is processed with a bank of filters that are each associated with a band of audio frequencies, and a set of band pass signals is generated with each band pass signal corresponding to the band of frequencies associated with one of the filters. Stimulation information is extracted from the band pass signals to generate a set of stimulation event signals defining electrode stimulation signals. Then the stimulation event signals are weighted with a weighted matrix of stimulation amplitudes reflecting patient-specific perceptual characteristics to produce a set of electrode stimulation signals for electrodes in the implanted electrode array.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2009
    Publication date: October 22, 2009
    Applicant: MED-EL ELEKTROMEDIZINISCHE GERAETE GMBH
    Inventors: Peter Schleich, Peter Nopp
  • Publication number: 20080200779
    Abstract: An implant includes a humidity sensor for generating a signal indicative of humidity within the implant. A controller within the implant receives the signal indicative of humidity, and controls the implant based on the signal indicative of humidity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2008
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Applicant: MED-EL ELEKTROMEDIZINISCHE GERAETE GMBH
    Inventors: Martin Zimmerling, Ingeborg Hochmair, Erwin Hochmair, Martin Kerber, Werner Lindenthaler, Peter Nopp, Marcus Schmidt, Hansjorg Schoesser, Clemens Zierhofer
  • Publication number: 20080172108
    Abstract: A system and method for activating electrodes in an implanted electrode array with a stimulation signal is described. A stimulation definition stage, for each of a plurality of defined sound signal characteristics (C), assigns each electrode to one of a plurality of stimulation groups (G) each having an associated group stimulation amplitude function (A), where (G) varies with (C). An electrode stimulator activates each electrode as the stimulation signal varies based on spectral components of the stimulation signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2007
    Publication date: July 17, 2008
    Applicant: MED-EL ELEKTROMEDIZINISCHE GERAETE GMBH
    Inventors: Clemens M. Zierhofer, Peter Nopp, Peter Schleich, Andrea Nobbe, Ernst Aschbacher