Patent ID: 6778858
Filing Date: 2004-08-17
Classification: A61N,H03H

Abstract:
A cochlear implant comprising a signal processor having a set of audio channel units and being provided for the conversion of sound signals, according to a frequency related tonotopic division, each audio channel being provided for applying a frequency related filtering to said sound signal, each audio channel having an output associated with a first sampling unit provided for sampling at an audio channel associated sampling rate the signal output by its associated audio channel unit and writing sampled signal values into a storage buffer, each sampling unit being connected with said storage buffer provided for temporarily storing said sampled signal values, said storage buffer being connected with a waveform generator comprising at least one stimulation channel, said waveform generator and said storage buffer being connected to a read signal generator provided for generating read signals enabling to read the stored sampled signal values from said storage buffer, said waveform generator being provided for retrieving under control of said read signal said sampled signal values of each audio channel from said storage buffer and for generating based on said sampled signal values waveforms having a time period and a wave pattern, said waveform generator being provided for stimulating by means of said waveforms electrode contacts of said cochlear implant, characterised in that said read signal generator is provided for generating said read signals asynchronously from said writing into said storage buffer.