US 11,724,107 B2
Cochlear implant system with improved electrode selection scheme
Aswin Adris Wijetillake, Smørum (DK); Simon Krogholt Christiansen, Smørum (DK); Pierre Stahl, Vallauris (FR); Dan Gnansia, Vallauris (FR); 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. 16/919,551.
Claims priority of application No. 19184585 (EP), filed on Jul. 5, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0001123 A1, Jan. 7, 2021
Int. Cl. A61N 1/05 (2006.01); A61N 1/36 (2006.01); H04R 25/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61N 1/36038 (2017.08) [A61N 1/0541 (2013.01); H04R 25/75 (2013.01); H04R 2225/49 (2013.01)] 20 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 electrodes configured to stimulate auditory nerves of a user of the cochlear implant system based on the plurality of electrode pulses, and wherein the processor unit is configured to:
assign an importance value to one or more electrodes of the plurality of electrodes, wherein each of the importance values is determined based on a status of an electrode pulse assigned to the respective electrode,
select a main set of electrodes of the plurality of electrodes during a time window, where the importance value of each of the selected electrodes of the main set of electrodes is larger or equal to an importance threshold value,
activate the electrodes of the main set of electrodes to stimulate auditory nerves based on the electrode pulses of the plurality of electrode pulses, and
select the electrodes of the main set of electrodes from among the plurality of electrodes as reserved electrodes to be placed into a reserved mode during a reservation period, wherein the specific selection of electrodes as the reserved electrodes influences a selection of electrodes to be activated during a subsequent time window during the reservation period by virtue of the reserved electrodes blocking activation of at least one other electrode of the plurality of electrodes that would otherwise be selected for activation based on the corresponding importance value.