Patent ID: 7340308

Claim:
A method of stimulating neurons in a patient's cochlea, comprising: (a) providing a plurality of cochlear electrodes, substantially arranged in a linear array within said cochlea; (b) providing a relatively distant electrode; (c) injecting a charge through a first one of said cochlear electrodes; (d) injecting an opposite charge on either: (i) said relatively distant electrode; or (ii) a set of adjacent cochlear electrodes, being adjacent to said first one of said cochlear electrodes; or (iii) on a combination of said relatively distant electrode and said set of adjacent electrodes; and (e) choosing said electrode or electrodes on which to inject charge in dependency on sound volume to be represented, lower volume sound causing more of said opposite charge to be injected through said relatively distant electrode and louder volume sounds causing more of said opposite charge to be injected through said adjacent electrodes.