Patent ID: 7292891

Claim:
A bilateral cochlear implant system comprising: a local bionic ear system having a local BTE unit associated therewith, and a remote bionic ear system having a remote BTE unit associated therewith, each BTE unit comprising a processor, a battery module and a cochlear array; two interposer modules, one adapted to be inserted between the processor and battery module of the local BTE unit, and the other adapted to be inserted between the processor and battery module of the remote BTE unit; communication channel means for allowing signal communications to take place between the local BTE unit and the remote BTE unit; synchronization means for synchronizing the signal communications that occur over the communication channel means; and a bilateral fitting paradigm for cooperatively programming the local BTE unit and the remote BTE unit, wherein the bilateral fitting paradigm uses trans-cochlear pitch discrimination, wherein pitch discrimination reduces channel interaction and optimally interleaves channel information across available electrode contacts.