Patent Document ID: 7574265
Application ID: 11428322
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. A method of fitting a bionic ear cochlear implant to a patient, the bionic ear cochlear implant having an electrode array with multiple electrode contacts through which a pulsitile stimulation waveform having a pulse rate and a pulse width may be applied to the cochlea of the patient; and wherein the fitting method determines T and M levels for each channel of the implant; wherein a T level represents a minimum stimulation threshold at which a sensed perception of sound is first perceived, and wherein a M level represents a stimulation level which produces a sensed perception of sound that is comfortably loud, the method comprising: determining the M levels; and assigning a T-level for each channel using live speech, wherein the assigned T level is a fixed value that is less than the M levels; and wherein assigning a T-level for each channel using live speech comprises: sweeping tones at a center frequency of each channel while the bionic ear implant is set to a comfortable volume in live speech mode; and assessing whether the tones are detected in each channel without a T setting, and if so not using a T-setting on that channel, and if not increasing a T-setting on that channel during live speech to give desired detectability.