Bilateral Matching of Frequencies and Delays for Hearing Implant Stimulation

A bilateral hearing implant system having a left side and a right side, the system comprising:

• a plurality of audio processing stages on each side configured to process input audio signals to generate corresponding neural tissue stimulation signals using a plurality of stimulation channels each having an assigned band of audio frequencies;
• wherein the audio processing stages on each side include an interaural time delay (ITD) processing module configured for adjusting ITD characteristics of the stimulation signals based on defined groups of stimulation channels including:
• i. an apical channel group on each side corresponding to a lowest range of audio frequencies up to a common apical channel group upper frequency limit, wherein a common number of one or more stimulation channels is assigned to each apical channel group, and wherein corresponding apical channel group stimulation channels on each side have matching bands of audio frequencies;
• and
• ii. one or more basal channel groups on each side corresponding to higher range audio frequencies above the apical channel group upper frequency limit, wherein a common number of basal channel groups are defined on each side, and wherein one or more stimulation channels are assigned to each basal channel group;
• wherein the ITD processing modules adjust the ITD characteristics of the stimulation channels so that:
• i. each stimulation channel within a given channel group has matching ITD characteristics, and
• ii. corresponding channel groups on each side have matching ITD characteristics.