Patent classifications
A61N1/36039
Medial olivocochlear reflex sound coding with bandwidth normalization
A signal processing arrangement is described for signal processing in a bilateral hearing implant system. A channel compression module develops a inhibition-adjusted band pass signal for each band pass signal using a channel-specific dynamic inhibition adjustment based on a channel-normalized medial olivocochlear reflex model that reflects bandwidth energy for a corresponding contralateral band pass signal and bandwidth energy for a selected reference contralateral band pass signal.
Navigatable implantable electrode and collapsing lubricant reservoir
An implantable electrode arrangement for a cochlear implant system includes an elongated electrode array for insertion into a patient cochlea. A fluid delivery channel is located within the electrode array parallel to a central longitudinal axis with at least one fluid delivery port for delivering lubricant fluid from the fluid delivery channel to the outer surface of the electrode array. The fluid delivery port and the lubricant fluid are configured to produce a lubrication region close to the outer surface of the electrode array proximal to the fluid delivery port during insertion of the electrode array into the patient cochlea so as to reduce insertion resistance at an adjacent section of lateral wall of the patient cochlea.
IMPLANT VIABILITY FORECASTING
A system including a galvanic stimulator, and an eye tracking device, wherein the system is a clinical vestibular implant suitability evaluation system. The system includes a computing apparatus configured analyze eye tracking data generated by the eye tracking device and provide output indicative of the analysis. The system is configured to evoke a vestibular reflex in a human with at least a partially functioning neural system of the human's vestibular system.
SOMATIC, AUDITORY AND COCHLEAR COMMUNICATION SYSTEM AND METHOD
Methods and devices to deliver a tactile speech analog to a person's skin providing a silent, invisible, hands-free, eyes-free, and ears-free way to receive and directly comprehend electronic communications. Embodiments include an alternative to hearing aids that will enable people with hearing loss to better understand speech. A device, worn like watch or bracelet, supplements a person's remaining hearing to help identify and disambiguate those sounds he or she can not hear properly. Embodiments for hearing aids and hearing prosthetics are also described.
Catheter system
One aspect relates to a catheter system, a use of such catheter system and a manufacturing method for such catheter system. The catheter system includes an at least partially flexible catheter body, at least a ring electrode, and at least a strain gauge. The ring electrode surrounds at least a portion of the flexible catheter body. The strain gauge is allocated to the ring electrode and the strain gauge is configured to measure a deformation of the flexible catheter body at a position allocated to the ring electrode to detect a contact between the ring electrode and tissue.
Dynamic stimulus resolution adaption
Presented herein are techniques that use acoustic scene (environmental) analysis to determine the sound class of sound signals received at a hearing prosthesis and, accordingly, assess the estimated listening difficulty that the acoustic environment presents to a recipient of the hearing prosthesis. This difficulty of the recipient's listening situation can be used to adjust, adapt, or otherwise set the resolution of the electrical stimulation signals delivered to the recipient to evoke perception of the sound signals. In other words, the resolution of the electrical stimulation signals is dynamically adapted based on the present acoustic environment of the hearing prosthesis.
Multiple sound source encoding in hearing prostheses
Presented herein are techniques for enhancing a hearing prosthesis recipient's perception of multiple frequencies present in received sound signals. The hearing prosthesis is configured to extract a plurality of frequencies from the received sound signals and to use the plurality of frequencies to modulate the amplitudes of different stimulation pulse sequences that are to be delivered to the recipient via different stimulation channels. The hearing prosthesis may also adapt a stimulation resolution of the stimulation pulse sequences when delivering the modulated stimulation pulses sequences to the recipient.
Inner ear electrode implantation outcome assessment
Presented herein are techniques for assessing one or more outcomes associated with implantation of one or more electrodes into the inner ear of a recipient.
Cochlear implant localization system
A navigation system or combination of navigation systems can be used to provide one or more navigation modalities to track a position and navigate a single instrument in a volume. For example, both an Electromagnetic (EM) and Electropotential (EP) navigation system can be used to navigate an instrument within the volume. The two navigation systems may be used separately to selectively individually navigate the single instrument in the volume. Disclosed are also systems and processes to determine a shape of the single instrument either alone or in combination with the position of the instrument. The instrument may be navigated with the addition of tracking devices or with native or inherent portions of the instrument.
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR FITTING A HEARING SYSTEM TO A RECIPIENT BASED ON CORTICAL POTENTIALS OF THE RECIPIENT
An illustrative cochlear implant system includes an electrode lead having an array of electrodes, a cochlear implant coupled with the electrode lead and configured to be implanted within a recipient together with the electrode lead, and a processing unit communicatively coupled to the cochlear implant. The processing unit is configured to direct the cochlear implant to apply stimulation to the recipient by way of the array of electrodes. The processing unit is further configured to detect, by way of one or more electrodes included in the array of electrodes, a cortical potential produced by the recipient. Based on the detected cortical potential, the processing unit is configured to determine a fitting parameter associated with the cochlear implant system. Corresponding systems and methods are also disclosed.