Systems and methods for fitting an electro-acoustic stimulation system to a patient

A system comprising:

• an electro-acoustic stimulation (“EAS”) device configured to be located external to a patient;
• a cochlear implant communicatively coupled to the EAS device and configured to be implanted within the patient;
• an electrode array communicatively coupled to the cochlear implant and configured to be located within a cochlea of the patient;
• and
• a loudspeaker communicatively coupled to the EAS device and configured to be in communication with an ear of the patient;
• wherein the EAS device
• concurrently directs, during a fitting session, the cochlear implant to apply electrical stimulation to the patient by way of an electrode included in the electrode array and the loudspeaker to apply acoustic stimulation to the patient,
• determines an interactive effect that the electrical stimulation has on the acoustic stimulation,
• uses, during a stimulation session subsequent to the fitting session and if the EAS device determines that the interactive effect is suppressive, a first stimulation strategy that steers a current field produced by stimulation of the electrode away from intracochlear acoustic responders within the patient that are associated with the acoustic stimulation, and
• uses, during the stimulation session and if the EAS device does not determine that the interactive effect is suppressive, a second stimulation strategy that steers the current field produced by the stimulation of the electrode towards the intracochlear acoustic responders.

A method comprising:

• directing, by a fitting system during a fitting session, an electro-acoustic stimulation (“EAS”) system to concurrently apply acoustic stimulation to a patient by way of a loudspeaker and electrical stimulation to the patient by way of an electrode located within a cochlea of the patient;
• determining, by the fitting system, an interactive effect that the electrical stimulation has on the acoustic stimulation;
• directing, by the fitting system if the fitting facility determines that the interactive effect is suppressive, the EAS system to use, during a stimulation session subsequent to the fitting session, a first stimulation strategy that steers a current field produced by stimulation of the electrode away from intracochlear acoustic responders within the patient that are associated with the acoustic stimulation;
• and
• directing, by the fitting system if the fitting facility does not determine that the interactive effect is suppressive, the EAS system to use, during the stimulation session subsequent to the fitting session, a second stimulation strategy that steers the current field produced by the stimulation of the electrode towards the intracochlear acoustic responders.