# US 12,599,768 B2 · Advanced electrode data analysis

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- Number: US 12,599,768 B2
- Document ID: US12599768B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/971,283
- Filed: 2019-02-20
- Published: 2020-12-03
- Granted: 2026-04-14
- Earliest claimed: 2018-02-20
- Assignees: Cochlear Limited
- Applicants: Cochlear Limited
- Inventors: Paul Michael Carter
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12599768B2

## CPC

- A61N 1/36038: {Cochlear stimulation}
- A61N 1/36039: {fitting procedures}
- A61N 1/0541: {Cochlear electrodes}
- H04R 25/603: {of mechanical or electronic switches or control elements}
- H04R 25/70: {Adaptation of deaf aid to hearing loss, e.g. initial electronic fitting}
- A61N: ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY (measurement of bioelectric currents A61B; surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body A61B18/00; anaesthetic apparatus in general A61M; incandescent lamps H01K; infrared radiators for heating H05B)
- H04R: LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS (producing sounds with frequency not determined by supply frequency G10K)

## Abstract

A method, including applying at first and second temporal locations respective electrical currents to an electrode located in a cochlea of a recipient, obtaining first and second data indicative of electrical properties at a plurality of locations away from the electrode, the first and second data corresponding to data obtained, respectively, at the first and second temporal locations, evaluating whether or not there is an existence of a temporal change in electrical conductivity between the electrode and the plurality of locations based on the obtained data, and determining whether or not a phenomenon exists inside the cochlea based on the evaluation.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method, comprising:
applying at first and second temporal locations respective electrical currents to an electrode located in a cochlea of a recipient;
obtaining first and second data indicative of electrical properties at a plurality of locations away from the electrode, the first and second data corresponding to data obtained, respectively, at the first and second temporal locations; and
evaluating whether or not there is an existence of a temporal change in electrical conductivity between the electrode and the plurality of locations based on the obtained data, wherein
the temporal change in electrical conductivity is a change in a spatial derivative of voltage between locations of the plurality of locations.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining whether or not a phenomenon exists inside the cochlea based on the evaluation.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
the temporal change in electrical conductivity is due to a change in resistivity of material in the scalae of the cochlea.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
the temporal change in electrical conductivity is due to a change in resistivity of perilymph in the cochlea.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining that the temporal change has occurred;
determining the temporal length from before a beginning of the change to a point during and/or after the change; and
determining that damage has occurred within the cochlea based on the determined temporal length.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining that the temporal change has occurred; and
providing the recipient with drugs based solely on the determination.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

Method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining whether or not a phenomenon exists inside the cochlea based on the evaluation;
plotting the data indicative of electrical properties for the locations of the plurality of locations away from the electrode to obtain respective curves; and
determining whether or not a change of a slope in one or more of the respective curves has occurred to determine whether or not the phenomenon exists.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
a first location of the plurality of locations is on a first side of the electrode and a second location of the plurality of locations is on a second side of the electrode opposite the first side of the electrode.

### Claim 9

A method, comprising:
applying an electrical current to an electrode located in a cochlea of a recipient;
obtaining data, based on measurements, indicative of electrical properties at a plurality of locations away from the electrode;
evaluating electrical conductivity between respective locations of the plurality of locations based on the obtained data to identify spatial derivatives between the respective locations of the plurality of locations; and
determining whether or not a phenomenon exists in the recipient based on the identified spatial derivatives between the respective locations of the plurality of locations.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein:
the action of determining whether or not a phenomenon exists in the recipient includes determining whether or not a phenomenon exists at boundarie(s) of the cochlea based on the evaluation.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein:
the phenomenon is one of:
a sealed cochlea at a location through which an electrode array assembly extends from outside the cochlea to inside the cochlea; or
a non-sealed cochlea or a partially sealed cochlea at the location through which the electrode array assembly extends from outside the cochlea to inside the cochlea.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein:
the action of applying electrical current and obtaining the data and evaluating is executed during a cochlear implant electrode array surgery; and
the method further includes adjusting a seal at a location through which the electrode array assembly of the cochlear implant extends from outside the cochlea to inside the cochlea based on the determination.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein:
the action of applying electrical current and obtaining the data and evaluating is executed during a cochlear implant electrode array surgery in real time during the surgery.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein:
the action of determining whether or not a phenomenon exists in the recipient includes determining that the phenomenon exists, and that the phenomenon is a localized phenomenon, wherein the method further includes determining a location of the localized phenomenon within the cochlea.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein:
the phenomenon is a completely sealed cochlea.

### Claim 16 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein:
the action of evaluating electrical conductivity results in determining values of the spatial derivatives between the respective locations of the plurality of locations; and
the action of determining whether or not the phenomenon exists in the recipient based on spatial derivatives between the respective locations of the plurality of locations includes determining that the phenomenon exists based on the values of the spatial derivatives between the respective locations of the plurality of locations.

### Claim 17 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein:
the spatial derivatives between the locations are spatial derivatives of voltage; and
the action of evaluating the electrical conductivity between the respective locations of the plurality of locations results in identification of the spatial derivatives of voltage.

### Claim 18 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein:
the electrical properties include voltage.

### Claim 19

A method, comprising:
applying an electrical current to an electrode located in a cochlea of a recipient;
obtaining data indicative of electrical properties at a plurality of locations away from the electrode; and
determining a spatial locational feature of the electrode within the cochlea relative to an anatomical structure of the cochlea based on a gradient of the obtained electrical properties, wherein
the electrode is an electrode of an electrode array of a cochlear implant, and
at least one of:
(i) the spatial locational feature is a classification of the electrode array positioning from a group consisting of modiolar positioning, central positioning and lateral positioning; or
(ii) the method further comprises:
comparing the gradient to a database of gradients; and
based on the comparison, determining a position of the electrode array relative to a modiolus of the cochlea based on a steepness of the gradient relative to gradients of the database of gradients.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein:
the spatial locational feature is an evaluation of a proximity of the electrode to the modiolus of the cochlea.

### Claim 21 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein:
the plurality of locations are locations of other electrodes of the electrode array than the electrode to which current is applied; and
the spatial locational feature is the classification of the electrode array positioning from the group consisting of modiolar positioning, central positioning and lateral positioning.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The method of claim 21, wherein:
the method further comprises comparing the gradient to a database of gradients; and
based on the comparison, determining that the electrode array is positioned in one of the three electrode array positioning classifications.

### Claim 23 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein:
the plurality of locations are locations of other electrodes of the electrode array other than that to which current is applied; and
the method further comprises:
comparing the gradient to the database of gradients; and
based on the comparison, determining the position of the electrode array relative to the modiolus of the cochlea based on the steepness of the gradient relative to gradients of the database of gradients.

### Claim 24 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein:
the plurality of locations are locations of other electrodes of the electrode array other than that to which current is applied; and
the action of applying electrical current and obtaining the data and determining the spatial locational feature is executed during a cochlear implant electrode array surgery in real time during the surgery.

### Claim 25 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein:
the plurality of locations are locations of other electrodes of the electrode array than the electrode to which current is applied.