Objective measurements for determining channel interaction of a cochlear implant

A computer program product implemented in a tangible computer readable storage medium for adjusting a cochlear implant system having an electrode array with a plurality of electrode contacts implanted in a patient, the product comprising:

• program code for calculating for selected individual electrode contacts a corresponding channel-specific program code for monoaural interaction component (MIC) score representing a channel interaction factor based on a ratio of:
• i. an electrically evoked auditory brainstem response (eABR) measurement of an electrical stimulation signal applied to the individual electrode contact, and
• ii. a sum of individual eABR measurements from simultaneous electrical stimulation of a selected plurality of electrode contacts nearest to the individual electrode contact;
• and
• program code for deactivating each electrode contact having a channel-specific MIC score below a MIC score threshold value, whereby electrical stimulation signals are not delivered to deactivated electrode contacts.

A computer based method implemented using at least one hardware implemented processor for adjusting a cochlear implant system having an electrode array with a plurality of electrode contacts implanted in a patient, the method comprising:

• using the at least one hardware implemented processor to perform the steps of:
• calculating for selected individual electrode contacts a corresponding channel-specific monoaural interaction component (MIC) score representing a channel interaction factor based on a ratio of:
• i. an electrically evoked auditory brainstem response (eABR) measurement of an electrical stimulation signal applied to the individual electrode contact, and
• ii. a sum of individual eABR measurements from simultaneous electrical stimulation of a selected plurality of electrode contacts nearest to the individual electrode contact;
• and
• deactivating each electrode contact having a channel-specific MIC score below a MIC score threshold value, whereby electrical stimulation signals are not delivered to deactivated electrode contacts.