# US 9,750,937 B2 · Rate and place of stimulation matched to instantaneous frequency > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,750,937 B2 - Document ID: US9750937B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/079,131 - Filed: 2016-03-24 - Published: 2016-09-29 - Granted: 2017-09-05 - Earliest claimed: 2015-03-26 - Assignees: MED-EL Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbH - Applicants: MED-EL Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbH - Inventors: Peter Schleich; Reinhold Schatzer - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9750937B2 ## CPC - A61N 1/36038: {Cochlear stimulation} - A61N 1/025: {Digital circuitry features of electrotherapy devices, e.g. memory, clocks, processors} - A61N 1/0541: {Cochlear electrodes} - A61N 1/36039: {fitting procedures} - H04R 25/48: {using constructional means for obtaining a desired frequency response (H04R25/652 takes precedence)} - H04R 25/502: {using analog signal processing} - 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 signal processing arrangement generates electrical stimulation signals to stimulation contacts in an implanted cochlear implant array. An input sound signal is decomposed into dominant psychophysically relevant frequency components, with each frequency component changing over time in frequency and level. Each frequency component is coded as a patient-specific, frequency-specific function of stimulation location, rate, and level to produce a sequence of requested stimulation events having an instantaneous frequency and level. And the electrical stimulation signals are generated from the requested stimulation events for delivery by the stimulation contacts to adjacent auditory neural tissue. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for generating electrical stimulation signals to stimulation contacts in an implanted cochlear implant electrode array, the method comprising: decomposing an input sound signal into a plurality of dominant psychophysically relevant frequency components, with each frequency component changing over time in frequency and level; coding each frequency component as a patient-specific, frequency-specific function of stimulation location, rate, and level to produce a sequence of requested stimulation events having an instantaneous frequency and level with an electrode pitch match via level-dependent combined rate-location matching; and generating the electrical stimulation signals from the requested stimulation events for delivery by the stimulation contacts to adjacent auditory neural tissue. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein decomposing the input sound signal includes using a psychophysical spectral masking model to select frequency components not masked by neighboring frequency components. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein using the psychophysical spectral masking model includes establishing a maximum number of maximally spread frequency components based on one or both of spectral masking spread and/or temporal masking spread. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein coding each frequency component includes assigning each frequency component a patient-specific stimulation rate based on stimulation location. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein coding each frequency component includes assigning a subclass of low frequency components to a stimulation rate equal to the instantaneous frequency of the requested stimulation events. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the electrical stimulation signals are configured for simultaneous stimulation of two or more stimulation contacts. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the electrical stimulation signals are configured for sequential stimulation of the stimulation contacts. ### Claim 8 A system for generating electrical stimulation signals to stimulation contacts in an implanted cochlear implant electrode array, the arrangement comprising: a signal filter bank configured to decompose an input sound signal into a plurality of dominant psychophysically relevant frequency components, with each frequency component changing over time in frequency and level; a signal processing module configured to code each frequency component as a patient-specific, frequency-specific function of stimulation location, rate, and level to produce a sequence of requested stimulation events having an instantaneous frequency and level with an electrode pitch match via level-dependent combined rate-location matching; and a pulse generator configured to generate the electrical stimulation signals from the requested stimulation events for delivery by the stimulation contacts to adjacent auditory neural tissue. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system according to claim 8, wherein the signal filter bank is configured to decompose the input sound signal based on using a psychophysical spectral masking model to select frequency components not masked by neighboring frequency components. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system according to claim 9, wherein the signal filter bank is configured to use the psychophysical spectral masking model by establishing a maximum number of maximally spread frequency components based on one or both of spectral masking spread and/or temporal masking spread. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The system according to claim 8, wherein the signal processing module is configured to code each frequency component based on assigning each frequency component a patient-specific stimulation rate based on stimulation location. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The system according to claim 8, wherein the signal processing module is configured to code each frequency component based on assigning a subclass of low frequency components to a stimulation rate equal to the instantaneous frequency of the requested stimulation events. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The system according to claim 8, wherein the pulse generator is configured to generate simultaneous electrical stimulation signals for two or more stimulation contacts. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The system according to claim 8, wherein the pulse generator is configured to generate sequential electrical stimulation signals for the stimulation contacts. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium having instructions thereon for generating electrical stimulation signals to stimulation contacts in an implanted cochlear implant electrode array, the instructions comprising: decomposing an input sound signal into a plurality of dominant psychophysically relevant frequency components, with each frequency component changing over time in frequency and level; coding each frequency component as a patient-specific, frequency-specific function of stimulation location, rate, and level to produce a sequence of requested stimulation events having an instantaneous frequency and level with an electrode pitch match via level-dependent combined rate-location matching; and generating the electrical stimulation signals from the requested stimulation events for delivery by the stimulation contacts to adjacent auditory neural tissue. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The computer-readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the instructions for decomposing the input sound signal include instructions for using a psychophysical spectral masking model to select frequency components not masked by neighboring frequency components. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The computer-readable medium according to claim 16, wherein the instructions for using the psychophysical spectral masking model include instructions for establishing a maximum number of maximally spread frequency components based on one or both of spectral masking spread and/or temporal masking spread. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The computer-readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the instructions for coding each frequency component include instructions for assigning each frequency component a patient-specific stimulation rate based on stimulation location. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The computer-readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the instructions for coding each frequency component include instructions for assigning a subclass of low frequency components to a stimulation rate equal to the instantaneous frequency of the requested stimulation events. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The computer-readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the electrical stimulation signals are configured for simultaneous stimulation of two or more stimulation contacts. ### Claim 21 (depends on 15) The computer-readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the electrical stimulation signals are configured for sequential stimulation of the stimulation contacts.