Patent ID: 7885714

Claim:
A method of identifying which of several speech processing strategies are likely to produce the best results in fitting of a cochlear implant in a patient comprising: a) applying a first and then a different second stimulation pattern to an auditory nerve of the patient via the cochlear implant, each stimulation pattern having pulses with a frequency sufficient to prevent phase-locking of auditory nerve activity in the patient, the pulses of at least one of the stimulation patterns being repeatedly interrupted at a rate which is greater than the rate associated with rate pitch sensation but less than the rate limit for phase-locking of the auditory nerve activity; b) receiving from the patient information in response to the applied stimulation patterns, wherein the information indicates the sound percepts that the patient has experienced by the applied stimulation patterns; and c) identifying which of several speech processing strategies are likely to produce the best results in fitting the cochlear implant in the patient based on the patient information.