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Timestamp: 2015-04-27 06:25:38
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Patent US7937157 - Electrical nerve stimulation based on channel specific sequences - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsA method of activating at least two electrodes in a multichannel electrode array using channel specific sampling sequences is presented. A channel specific sampling sequence is defined for each electrode, the sequence having a particular duration, pulse amplitude distribution, and number of pulses. A...http://www.google.com/patents/US7937157?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US7937157 - Electrical nerve stimulation based on channel specific sequencesAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS7937157 B2Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 11/685,887Publication dateMay 3, 2011Filing dateMar 14, 2007Priority dateAug 26, 1999Fee statusPaidAlso published asCA2382964A1, CA2382964C, DE60036875D1, DE60036875T2, EP1207938A1, EP1207938B1, EP1854504A2, EP1854504A3, EP1854504B1, EP2208507A1, EP2208507B1, US6594525, US7209789, US8798758, US20030105504, US20070156202, US20110230934, US20140324122, WO2001013991A1Publication number11685887, 685887, US 7937157 B2, US 7937157B2, US-B2-7937157, US7937157 B2, US7937157B2InventorsClemens M. ZierhoferOriginal AssigneeMed-El Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbhExport CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (27), Non-Patent Citations (45), Referenced by (2), Classifications (8), Legal Events (3) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetElectrical nerve stimulation based on channel specific sequences
At present, the most successful stimulation strategy is the so called �continuous-interleaved-sampling strategy� (CIS), as described by Wilson B. S., Finley C. C., Lawson D. T., Wolford R. D., Eddington D. K., Rabinowitz W. M., �Better speech recognition with cochlear implants,� Nature, vol. 352, 236-238 (July 1991) [hereinafter Wilson et al., 1991], which is incorporated herein by reference. Signal processing for CIS in the speech processor involves the following steps:
Each stimulation channel is associated with a particular CSSS, which is a sequence of ultra-high-rate biphasic pulses (typically 5-10 kpps). Each CSSS has a distinct length (number of pulses) and distinct amplitude distribution. The length of a CSSS is derived from the center frequency of the associated band pass filter. A CSSS associated with a lower filter channel is longer than a CSSS associated with a higher filter channel. Typically, it is one half of the period of the center frequency. The amplitude distribution can be adjusted to patient specific requirements. For convenience, the amplitude of the maximum biphasic pulse within a CSSS is normalized to one. For illustration, two examples for a 6-channel system are shown. In FIG. 1( a), the CSSS's are derived by sampling one half of a period of a sinusoid, whose frequency is equal to the center frequency of the band pass filter (center frequencies at 440 Hz, 696 Hz, 1103 Hz, 1745 Hz, 2762 Hz, and 4372 Hz). Sampling is achieved by means of biphasic pulses at a rate of 10 kpps and a phase duration of 25 μs. For channels #5 and #6, one half of a period of the center frequencies is too short to give space for more than one stimulation pulse, i.e., the �sequences� consist of only one pulse, respectively. In FIG. 1( b), the sequences are derived by sampling one quarter of a sinusoid with a frequency, which is half the center frequency of the band pass filters. These CSSS's have about the same durations as the CSSS's in FIG. 1( a), respectively, but the amplitude distribution is monotonically increasing. Such monotonic distributions might be advantageous, because each pulse of the sequence can theoretically stimulate neurons at sites which cannot be reached by its predecessors. This is a pure �geometric� effect, and could possibly result in a broader temporal distribution of the firing pattern of the neurons.
Spatial channel interaction means that there is considerable geometric overlapping of electrical fields at the location of the excitable nervous tissue, if different stimulation electrodes (positioned in the scala tympani) are activated. Thus, neglecting temporal channel interaction, the same neurons can be activated if different electrodes are stimulated. Stimulation of a particular electrode against a remote ground electrode (monopolar stimulation) causes an electrical potential within the scala tympani which can roughly be described by two decaying exponentials at both sides of the electrode, and the space constant (in humans) is typically λ=3.6 mm, as described by Wilson B. S., Finley C. C., Zerbi M., and Lawson D. T., �Speech processors for auditory prostheses,� Seventh Quarterly Progress Report, Feb. 1 through Apr. 30, 1994, NIH Contract N01-DC-2-2401 [hereinafter Wilson et al., 1994], which is incorporated herein by reference. This type of channel interaction is first of all due to the conductive fluids and tissues surrounding the stimulation electrode array. A similar space constant is also obtained by simulation, if a simple model of a cochlea composed of exclusively ohmic resistors is assumed, as described by Kral A., Hartmann R., Mortazavi D., and Klinke R., �Spatial resolution of cochlear implants: the electrical field and excitation of auditory afferents,� Hearing Research 121, pp. 11-28, (1998), which is incorporated herein by reference. This model allows a rough quantitative computation of the electrical potentials within the scala tympani, as well as at the position of excitable neurons.
If amplitudes Ii,CSSS (i=1-6) are computed by means of (4) for a distribution of Ii (i=1-6) as in FIG. 6, one of the current amplitude, I5,CSSS, is negative. This is in contradiction to the concept of sign-correlated pulses, which requires the same sign for all simultaneously activated channels. In this case, e.g., the 5th row and 5th column of Matrix H are deleted, resulting in a modified 5�5-Matrix Hmod. A distribution Ii,CSSS,mod with only 5 simultaneous currents is obtained by (1) computing the inverse matrix H−1 mod, and (2) multiplying H−1 mod with vector Ii (i=1, 2, 3, 4, and 6). The resulting potential distribution is shown in FIG. 6( b), (circles). As demanded, the potentials coincide at the positions 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6. Obviously, the peaks obtained by taking the contour of the non-simultaneous potential distributions CIS are more pronounced than with CSSS.
The number of lines (and rows) of matrix QL is L (L>1). Note that amplitudes x′k are fully determined by the �neighboring� amplitudes xk0−1 and xk0+L. In particular, amplitudes x′k0 and x′k0+L−1 can be calculated with
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No. 11/101,149, 10 pages.44Wilson et al., "Better Speech Recognition With Cochlear Implants", Nature 352, pp. 236-238 (Jul. 1991).45Wilson et al., "Speech Processors For Auditory Prostheses", 7th Quarterly Progress Report, NIH Contract N01-DC-2-24-1 (Feb. 1, 1994-Apr. 30, 1994).Referenced byCiting PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS8165686Sep 11, 2008Apr 24, 2012Med-El Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbhSimultaneous intracochlear stimulationUS8798758Mar 24, 2011Aug 5, 2014Med-El Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbhElectrical nerve stimulation based on channel specific sampling sequencesClassifications U.S. Classification607/57International ClassificationA61N1/08, A61N1/36, A61F11/00Cooperative ClassificationA61N1/0541, A61N1/36032, H04R2225/67European ClassificationA61N1/36FLegal EventsDateCodeEventDescriptionOct 28, 2014FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 4Jan 1, 2013CCCertificate of correctionSep 25, 2007ASAssignmentOwner name: MED-EL ELEKTROMEDIZINISCHE GERAETE GMBH, AUSTRIAFree format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:ZIERHOFER, CLEMENS M.;REEL/FRAME:019875/0323Effective date: 20040608RotateOriginal ImageGoogle Home - Sitemap - USPTO Bulk Downloads - Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - About Google Patents - Send FeedbackData provided by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services