Systems and Methods for Inducing Intelligible Hearing

An auditory prosthesis system comprising:

• a microphone,
• a sound processor comprising an encoder and a transmitter,
• a current stimulator that is implanted in a mammal and that comprises a receiver, and at least one stimulating electrode disposed in the inferior colliculus of the mammal, the electrode comprised of at least two shanks, each shank comprised of one or more stimulation sites,
• wherein the microphone senses sound vibrations and transmits a sound waveform to the sound processor,
• the sound processor decomposes the sound waveform into a stimulation sequence signal that is transmitted to the current stimulator,
• the current stimulator receives the stimulation sequence signal transmitted by the processor, decodes the signal into a differential stimulation sequence, and transmits the sequence to one or more stimulation sites on the stimulating electrode.

A method of inducing auditory sensation in a mammal, comprising the steps of:

• providing a microphone, a sound processor, and a current stimulator;
• providing one or more stimulating electrodes each comprised of two or more shanks, each shank comprised of one or more stimulation sites;
• disposing at least one stimulating electrode in the inferior colliculus of a mammal;
• and
• stimulating at least one isofrequency lamina of the inferior colliculus by applying an electrical signal through at least one of the stimulation sites.

A method of inducing auditory sensation in a mammal, comprising the steps of:

• providing a microphone, a sound processor comprising an encoder and a transmitter a sound processor, and a current stimulator that is implanted in a mammal and that comprises a receiver,
• providing at least one stimulating electrode, the electrode comprised of at least two shanks, each shank comprised of one or more stimulation sites,
• disposing at least one stimulating electrode in the inferior colliculus of a mammal;
• and
• differentially stimulating at least one isofrequency lamina of the inferior colliculus by applying an electrical signal through at least one of the stimulation sites,
• wherein the microphone senses sound vibrations and transmits a sound waveform to the sound processor,
• the sound processor decomposes the sound waveform into a stimulation sequence signal that is transmitted to the current stimulator,
• the current stimulator receives the stimulation sequence signal transmitted by the processor, decodes the signal into a differential stimulation sequence, and transmits the sequence to one or more stimulation sites on the stimulating electrode.

An auditory prosthesis system comprising:

• a microphone,
• a sound processor,
• a current stimulator, and
• at least one stimulating electrode disposed in the inferior colliculus of a mammal, the at least one stimulating electrode comprised of at least one shank having one or more stimulation sites.

A method of inducing auditory sensation in a mammal, comprising the steps of:

• providing a microphone, a sound processor, and a current stimulator;
• providing one or more stimulating electrodes comprised of one or more shanks, each shank comprised of one or more stimulation sites;
• disposing at least one stimulating electrode in the inferior colliculus of a mammal;
• and
• stimulating at least one isofrequency lamina of the inferior colliculus by applying an electrical signal through at least one of the stimulation sites.