Calibration method for cochlear system and hearing system applying calibration mapping

1. A calibration method including establishing a calibration mapping for calibrating a hearing system comprising a cochlea implant having a lead including an electrode array and a plurality of sensors configured to sense vibrations of the basilar membrane while in an implanted state, the calibration method comprising:

providing acoustic stimulation in the ear canal with an acoustic test signal with known spectrum, where after the middle ear converts the acoustic test sound to mechanical excitation of the basilar membrane, which responds with motion that performs a frequency-to-place conversion,

measuring, via the sensor in the cochlea implant, the excitation pattern of the basilar membrane,

comparing the measured excitation pattern of the basilar membrane with an expected excitation pattern based on the acoustic test signal, and

establishing the calibration mapping by assigning characteristic frequencies to the excitated positions and the electrode array.

2. The calibration method according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a vibration sensor, an accelerometer, or an ultrasound sensor, the method comprising obtaining a frequency response from the sensor.

3. The calibration method according to claim 2 , wherein the sensor comprises a plurality of sub-sensors arranged along a length of the cochlea implant, the method comprises obtaining from each of the sub-sensors a signal in response to the acoustic signal, and the step of establishing the mapping includes mapping the response at each of the sub-sensor's position.

4. The calibration method according to claim 2 , wherein the hearing system comprises a processor for processing an input signal and the method includes calibrating the input signal using the processor before applying the processed signal to the electrode array.

5. The calibration method according to claim 2 , wherein the electrode array is distributed evenly over a length of the lead.

6. The calibration method according to claim 2 , wherein the plurality of sensors are distributed among the electrodes of the electrode array.

7. The calibration method according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a plurality of sub-sensors arranged along a length of the cochlea implant, the method comprises obtaining from each of the sub-sensors a signal in response to the acoustic signal, and the step of establishing the mapping includes mapping the response of at each of the sub-sensor's position.

8. The calibration method according to claim 7 , wherein the hearing system comprises a processor for processing an input signal and the method includes calibrating the input signal using the processor before applying the processed signal to the electrode array.

9. The calibration method according to claim 7 , wherein the electrode array is distributed evenly over a length of the lead.

10. The calibration method according to claim 7 , wherein the plurality of sensors are distributed among the electrodes of the electrode array.

11. The calibration method according to claim 1 , wherein the hearing system comprises a processor for processing an input signal and the method includes calibrating the input signal using the processor before applying the processed signal to the electrode array.

12. The calibration method according to claim 11 , wherein the electrode array is distributed evenly over a length of the lead.

13. The calibration method according to claim 11 , wherein the plurality of sensors are distributed among the electrodes of the electrode array.

14. The calibration method according to claim 1 , wherein the electrode array is distributed evenly over a length of the lead.

15. The calibration method according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors are distributed among the electrodes of the electrode array.

16. A hearing system including:

an implantable housing having a lead configured to be implanted into the cochlea of a user,

the lead including an electrode array and a plurality of sensors,

a processor configured to receive an input signal to be presented to the user via the electrode array, the processor storing a calibration mapping that assigns characteristic frequencies to the excitated positions of the electrode array relative to the cochlea when in an implanted state, the processor further configured to apply the calibration mapping cochlea so as to achieve stimulation of the cochlea according to the calibration mapping when presenting the input signal to the user, wherein the processor establishes the calibration mapping based on a calibration process comprising:

providing acoustic stimulation in the ear canal with an acoustic test signal with known spectrum, where after the middle ear converts the acoustic test sound to mechanical excitation of the basilar membrane, which responds with motion that performs a frequency-to-place conversion,

measuring, via the sensor in the cochlea implant, the excitation pattern of the basilar membrane,

comparing the measured excitation pattern of the basilar membrane with an expected excitation pattern based on the acoustic test signal, and

establishing the calibration mapping by assigning characteristic frequencies to the excitated positions and the electrode array.

17. The hearing system according to claim 16 , wherein the electrodes of the electrode array is distributed evenly over a length of the lead, or wherein the electrodes of the electrode array includes a one or more groups of two or more closely spaced electrodes.

18. The hearing system according to claim 16 , wherein the plurality of sensors are distributed among the electrodes of the electrode array, or wherein the plurality of sensors are interleaved with the electrodes of the electrode array.