Methods and systems of compensating for a disabled electrode
View Patent ↗An exemplary method includes 1) identifying, by a cochlear implant system, an electrode included within an array of electrodes as being a disabled electrode, 2) selecting, by the cochlear implant system, at least two non-adjacent electrodes surrounding the disabled electrode, and 3) simultaneously applying, by the cochlear implant system, stimulation current to the at least two non-adjacent electrodes to compensate for a loss of stimulation resulting from the disabled electrode. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.
1. A method comprising:
identifying, by a cochlear implant system, an electrode included within an array of electrodes as being a disabled electrode;
selecting, by the cochlear implant system, at least two non-adjacent electrodes surrounding the disabled electrode; and
generating, by the cochlear implant system, a pitch associated with the disabled electrode by simultaneously applying stimulation current to the at least two non-adjacent electrodes.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the stimulation current is configured to generate the pitch by providing an electric field at a stimulation site associated with the disabled electrode.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the array of electrodes is disposed on a lead configured to be inserted within a duct of cochlea of a patient.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating the stimulation current with an implantable cochlear stimulator.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the simultaneously applying the stimulation current to the at least two non-adjacent electrodes comprises:
applying a first weighted portion of the stimulation current to one of the at least two non-adjacent electrodes; and
applying a second weighted portion of the stimulation current to another of the at least two non-adjacent electrodes.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least two non-adjacent electrodes are within a predefined separation distance of each other.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the predefined separation distance is substantially equal to or less than four millimeters.
8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising determining the predefined separation distance using one or more equal loudness contours.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least two non-adjacent electrodes further surround at least one additional disabled electrode, and wherein the stimulation current is further configured to compensate for a loss of stimulation resulting from the at least one additional disabled electrode.
10. A method comprising:
identifying, by a sound processor, an electrode included within an array of electrodes as being a disabled electrode;
selecting, by the sound processor, at least two non-adjacent electrodes surrounding the disabled electrode; and
directing, by the sound processor, an implantable cochlear stimulator to generate a pitch associated with the disabled electrode by simultaneously applying stimulation current to the at least two non-adjacent electrodes to compensate for a loss of stimulation resulting from the disabled electrode.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the directing comprises:
directing the implantable cochlear stimulator to apply a first weighted portion of the stimulation current to one of the at least two non-adjacent electrodes; and
directing the implantable cochlear stimulator to apply a second weighted portion of the stimulation current to another of the at least two non-adjacent electrodes.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the at least two non-adjacent electrodes are within a predefined separation distance of each other.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the predefined separation distance is substantially equal to or less than four millimeters.
14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising determining, by the sound processor, the predefined separation distance using one or more equal loudness contours.
15. A system comprising:
an implantable cochlear stimulator; and
a sound processor communicatively coupled to the implantable cochlear stimulator, wherein the sound processor
identifies an electrode included within an array of electrodes as being a disabled electrode,
selects at least two non-adjacent electrodes surrounding the disabled electrode, and
directs the implantable cochlear stimulator to generate a pitch associated with the disabled electrode by simultaneously applying stimulation current to the at least two non-adjacent electrodes to compensate for a loss of stimulation resulting from the disabled electrode.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the stimulation current is configured to compensate for the loss of the stimulation resulting from the disabled electrode by generating a pitch associated with the disabled electrode.
17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the sound processor directs the implantable cochlear stimulator to simultaneously apply the stimulation current to the at least two non-adjacent electrodes by:
directing the implantable cochlear stimulator to apply a first weighted portion of the stimulation current to one of the at least two non-adjacent electrodes; and
directing the implantable cochlear stimulator to apply a second weighted portion of the stimulation current to another of the at least two non-adjacent electrodes.
18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the at least two non-adjacent electrodes are within a predefined separation distance of each other.