A system for minimizing an effect of channel interaction among a plurality of channels in a multi-channel cochlear implant system, the system comprising: an implantable cochlear stimulator configured to be implanted within a patient; a sound processor communicatively coupled to the implantable cochlear stimulator and configured to direct the implantable cochlear stimulator to generate and apply stimulation current to a plurality of stimulation sites within a cochlea of the patient by way of a plurality of electrodes disposed within the cochlea; and an interface device selectively and communicatively coupled to the sound processor and configured to empirically generate an electrical spread matrix that is specific to the patient and representative of a channel interaction among a plurality of channels defined by the plurality of electrodes, generate a model electrical spread matrix that approximates the empirically generated electrical spread matrix and that has a tridiagonal inverse matrix, the model electrical spread matrix based on values of a plurality of longitudinal and transversal resistors representative of current spread through tissue of the cochlea and included in a ladder network model of the cochlea, and direct the sound processor to use the tridiagonal inverse matrix to determine a set of stimulation current levels to be applied by way of a corresponding set of electrodes included in the plurality of electrodes in order to produce desired stimulation current levels at at least one or more of the stimulation sites in the presence of the channel interaction; wherein the interface device is configured to direct the sound processor to use the tridiagonal inverse matrix to determine the set of stimulation current levels to be applied by way of the corresponding set of electrodes in accordance with the equation I r = Z m -1 * (D * I d), wherein I r represents a matrix of the set of required stimulation current levels, Z m -1 represents the tridiagonal inverse matrix, I d represents a matrix of the desired stimulation current levels, and D represents a diagonal matrix with diagonal values of the empirically generated electrical spread matrix. an implantable cochlear stimulator configured to be implanted within a patient; a sound processor communicatively coupled to the implantable cochlear stimulator and configured to direct the implantable cochlear stimulator to generate and apply stimulation current to a plurality of stimulation sites within a cochlea of the patient by way of a plurality of electrodes disposed within the cochlea; and an interface device selectively and communicatively coupled to the sound processor and configured to empirically generate an electrical spread matrix that is specific to the patient and representative of a channel interaction among a plurality of channels defined by the plurality of electrodes, generate a model electrical spread matrix that approximates the empirically generated electrical spread matrix and that has a tridiagonal inverse matrix, the model electrical spread matrix based on values of a plurality of longitudinal and transversal resistors representative of current spread through tissue of the cochlea and included in a ladder network model of the cochlea, and direct the sound processor to use the tridiagonal inverse matrix to determine a set of stimulation current levels to be applied by way of a corresponding set of electrodes included in the plurality of electrodes in order to produce desired stimulation current levels at at least one or more of the stimulation sites in the presence of the channel interaction; empirically generate an electrical spread matrix that is specific to the patient and representative of a channel interaction among a plurality of channels defined by the plurality of electrodes, generate a model electrical spread matrix that approximates the empirically generated electrical spread matrix and that has a tridiagonal inverse matrix, the model electrical spread matrix based on values of a plurality of longitudinal and transversal resistors representative of current spread through tissue of the cochlea and included in a ladder network model of the cochlea, and direct the sound processor to use the tridiagonal inverse matrix to determine a set of stimulation current levels to be applied by way of a corresponding set of electrodes included in the plurality of electrodes in order to produce desired stimulation current levels at at least one or more of the stimulation sites in the presence of the channel interaction;