System and method for fitting a cochlear implant sound processor using alternative signals

1. In a cochlear implant system having a sound processor with multiple parameter settings associated therewith, a method of adjusting the sound processor parameter settings in order to “fit” the cochlear implant system to a particular patient, comprising:

generating modulated pulse trains with selectable degrees of amplitude modulation;

delivering the modulated pulse trains to the sound processor of the cochlear implant system during a “fitting” session; and

using the modulated pulse trains to mimic the time varying nature of speech stimuli so as to allow the parameter settings of the cochlear implant system to be set using alternative stimuli, wherein the alternative stimuli is modulated stimuli without a constant amplitude, and wherein use of the alternative stimuli eliminates the need to first determine maximum threshold levels.

2. The method of claim 1 further including setting the parameter settings of the cochlear implant system in a single step that requires no further adjustment.

3. The method of claim 1 further including delivering the modulated pulse trains to the sound processor of the cochlear implant system through a microphone coupled to the cochlear implant system.

4. The method of claim 1 further including delivering the modulated pulse trains to the sound processor of the cochlear implant system through an auxiliary input of the cochlear implant system.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of generating modulated pulse trains with selectable degrees of amplitude modulation comprises generating speech-like stimuli selected from the group consisting of:

a. shaped bands of noise whose overall bandwidth is adjustable, wherein said bands of noise are externally inputted to an auxiliary input port of the sound processor at levels following a long-term spectrum of speech in each band;

b. modulated bands of noise whose center frequencies are adjustable;

c. complex tonal stimuli whose spectra and various amplitude components are adjustable; and

d. speech tokens whose spectra and amplitude envelopes are well described.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the cochlear implant system comprises a multi-channel cochlear implant system having a multiplicity of channels, and wherein the shaped bands of noise are selected to cover input center frequencies of 1, 3, 5 or more of said channels.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the speech-like stimuli used during the sound processor setting procedure are generated through a software module incorporated into the cochlear implant system.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising adjusting the level of the modulated pulse trains according to known perceptual loudness contours derived from normal hearing individuals.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising adjusting the level of the modulated pulse trains from known acoustic phenomena.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the known acoustic phenomena comprise the long-term spectrum of speech, and wherein the method further comprises using the delivered modulated pulse trains to represent an electrical equivalent of the long-term spectrum of speech.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the known acoustic phenomena comprise the long-term spectrum of speech, and wherein the method further comprises using the delivered modulated pulse trains to represent the detection abilities of normal hearing individuals.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the known acoustic phenomena comprise the long-term spectrum of speech, and wherein the method further comprises using the delivered modulated pulse trains to represent any point between an electrical equivalent of the long-term spectrum of speech and the detection abilities of normal hearing individuals.

13. A cochlear implant system including a sound processor wherein various parameters associated with the sound processor must be set in order to “fit” the cochlear implant system to a particular patient, the cochlear implant system comprising:

means for generating modulated pulse trains with selectable degrees of amplitude modulation;

means for delivering the modulated pulse trains to the sound processor of the cochlear implant system during a “fitting” session; and

means for using the modulated pulse trains to mimic the time varying nature of speech stimuli so as to allow the parameter settings of the cochlear implant system to be set using alternative stimuli, wherein the alternative stimuli is modulated stimuli without a constant amplitude, and wherein use of the alternative stimuli eliminates the need to first determine maximum threshold levels.

14. The cochlear implant system of claim 13 further including means for setting the parameter settings of the cochlear implant system in a single step that requires no further adjustment.

15. The cochlear implant system of claim 13 wherein the means for generating modulated pulse trains with selectable degrees of amplitude modulation comprises means for generating speech-like stimuli selected from the group consisting of:

a. shaped bands of noise whose overall bandwidth is adjustable, wherein said bands of noise are externally inputted to an auxiliary input port of the sound processor at levels following a long-term spectrum of speech in each band;

b. modulated bands of noise whose center frequencies are adjustable;

c. complex tonal stimuli whose spectra and various amplitude components are adjustable; and

d. speech tokens whose spectra and amplitude envelopes are well described.

16. The cochlear implant system of claim 15 wherein the cochlear implant system comprises a multi-channel cochlear implant system having a multiplicity of channels, and wherein the shaped bands of noise are selected to include input center frequencies of a plurality of said channels.

17. The cochlear implant system of claim 15 further including a software module having means for generating the speech-like stimuli used during the sound processor setting procedure.

18. The cochlear implant system of claim 13 further comprising means for adjusting the level of the modulated pulse trains according to known perceptual loudness contours derived from normal hearing individuals.

19. The cochlear implant system of claim 13 further comprising means for adjusting the level of the modulated pulse trains from known acoustic phenomena.

20. In a cochlear implant system having a speech processor, a fitting method for adjusting the parameters of the speech processor comprising:

generating alternative modulated stimuli without a constant amplitude;

inputting the alternative modulated stimuli into the speech processor, wherein the alternative stimuli eliminates the need to first determine maximum threshold levels;

adjusting the gain of the speech processor while the alternative modulated stimuli are being processed by the speech processor in order to achieve a desired sound perception threshold; and

using the adjusted gain of the speech processor as a setting of the speech processor to be used by the sound processor thereafter for processing incoming sound.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein generating alternative modulated stimuli without a constant amplitude comprises generating white noise.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein generating white noise comprises internally generating white noise within the speech processor.

23. In a multichannel cochlear implant system having a speech processor and a multiplicity of electrodes through which electrical stimuli may be applied, a fitting method for adjusting the parameters of the speech processor comprising:

generating white noise;

processing the white noise through a selected first group of channels so as to cause electrical stimuli to be generated and applied through a corresponding first group of electrodes of the multiplicity of electrodes using alternative stimuli, wherein the alternative stimuli is modulated stimuli without a constant amplitude, and wherein use of the alternative stimuli eliminates the need to first determine maximum threshold levels;

adjusting the amplitude associated with the stimuli applied through the first group of electrodes until a desired stimulation intensity is perceived; and

repeating the process for a second group of channels and corresponding second group of electrodes, a third group of channels and corresponding third group of electrodes, and so on, until a desired stimulation intensity has been determined for each group of channels and electrodes; and

setting the stimulation amplitude for each channel to be the amplitude determined when the desired stimulation intensity was perceived for the channel group.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein generating white noise comprises internally generating white noise within the speech processor of the cochlear implant system.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the first group of channels and electrodes does not contain any overlap with the channels and corresponding electrodes contained within the second, third, or subsequent groups of channels and corresponding electrodes.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein the first group of channels and corresponding electrodes does contain an overlap of at least one channel and corresponding electrode included within the second group of channels and corresponding electrodes.