US 11,654,282 B2
Cochlear implant system with improved across-electrode interference model
Aswin Adris Wijetillake, Smørum (DK); and Manuel Segovia Martinez, Vallauris (FR)
Assigned to Oticon Medical A/S, Smørum (DK)
Filed by Oticon Medical A/S, Smørum (DK)
Filed on Jul. 2, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/919,514.
Claims priority of application No. 19184599 (EP), filed on Jul. 5, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0001125 A1, Jan. 7, 2021
Int. Cl. A61N 1/36 (2006.01)
CPC A61N 1/36039 (2017.08) [A61N 1/36178 (2013.01); A61N 1/36185 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A cochlear implant system comprising;
a microphone unit configured to receive an acoustical signal and transmit an audio signal based on the acoustical signal,
a processor unit configured to receive the audio signal and process the audio signal into a plurality of electrode pulses,
an electrode array including a plurality of electrode configured to stimulate auditory nerves of a user of the cochlear implant system based on the plurality of electrode pulses,
a memory unit including a masking model scheme including masking contributions of the plurality of electrode pulses provided to the plurality of electrodes,
wherein the processor unit is configured to:
employ a masking model scheme to determine a status of an electrode pulse of the plurality of electrode pulses assigned to the respective electrode;
determine and assign an importance value to one or more electrodes of the plurality of electrodes, wherein each of the importance values is determined based on the status of the electrode pulse of the plurality of electrode pulses assigned to the respective electrode; and
activate one or more electrodes of the plurality of electrodes, based on the importance value assigned thereto, to stimulate auditory nerves based on the electrode pulses of the plurality of electrode pulses,
wherein the status of the electrode pulse of the respective electrode includes a determined amount of across-electrode interference induced on the electrode pulse of the respective electrode by one or more electrode pulses of other electrodes of the plurality of electrodes, the processor unit determining the induced amount of across-electrode interference in accordance with the following operations of the masking model scheme:
determining spatial masking contributions of each of the one or more electrode pulses of the other electrodes induced on the electrode pulse of the respective electrode based on a spatial separation between the electrode and each of the other electrodes; and
multiplying the determined spatial masking contribution from each of the electrode pulses of the other electrodes by a temporal masking decay function including the pulse time difference between the electrode pulse of the respective electrode and each of the electrode pulses of the other electrodes.