Event Detection In An Implantable Auditory Prosthesis

Abstract

Presented herein are techniques for monitoring the physical state of a stimulating assembly to, for example, detect the occurrence of an adverse event. More specifically, an elongate stimulating assembly comprising a plurality of longitudinally spaced contacts is at least partially implanted into a recipient. Electrical measurements are performed at one or more of the plurality of contacts and the electrical measurements are evaluated relative to one another to determine the physical state of the stimulating assembly.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system, comprising:
 an elongate stimulating assembly configured to be implanted in a recipient, wherein the stimulating assembly comprises a plurality of longitudinally spaced contacts; and   an event detection processor configured to utilize variations in electrical measurements between two or more contacts to determine a physical state of the stimulating assembly.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the event detection processor is configured to:
 deliver electrical stimulation between two or more of the contacts;   perform electrical measurements at a selected number of the plurality of contacts in response to the delivered electrical stimulation; and   evaluate the electrical measurements relative to one another to determine a relative proximity of a first contact to one or more other contacts.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein to evaluate the electrical measurements relative to one another to determine a relative proximity of a first contact to one or more other contacts the event detection processor is configured to:
 determine the proximity of a contact positioned at the distal end of the stimulating assembly to one or more other contacts.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein to deliver electrical stimulation between two or more of the contacts, the event detection processor is configured to:
 deliver localized stimulation between two or more substantially adjacent contacts.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein to deliver electrical stimulation between two or more of the contacts, the event detection processor is configured to:
 sequentially deliver stimulation between a first contact and a plurality of other contacts in a bipolar manner.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the event detection processor is configured to perform at least one of a voltage or impedance measurement at each of a selected number of the plurality of contacts and is configured to use the voltage or impedance measurement to determine the physical state of the stimulating assembly 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the event detection processor is configured to generate feedback to a user that indicates the physical state of the stimulating assembly. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the stimulating assembly is an intra-cochlear stimulating assembly configured to be implanted in the recipient's cochlea, and wherein the event detection processor is part of a cochlear implant. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the stimulating assembly is an auditory brainstem stimulating assembly configured to be implanted in the recipient's brainstem, and wherein the event detection processor is part of an auditory brainstem implant. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the event detection processor is part of an external computing device. 
     
     
         11 . A method for monitoring an implantable stimulating assembly comprising a plurality of longitudinally spaced contacts, comprising:
 delivering electrical stimulation between two or more of the contacts;   measuring electrical parameters at a selected number of the plurality of contacts in response to the delivered electrical stimulation; and   evaluating the measured electrical parameters relative to one another to determine a physical state of the stimulating assembly.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein evaluating measured electrical parameters relative to one another to determine a physical state of the stimulating assembly comprises:
 using variations in the measured electrical parameters taken from various locations along the stimulating assembly to determine the relative proximity of a first contact to one or more other contacts.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein evaluating the electrical measurements relative to one another to determine a physical state of the stimulating assembly comprises:
 determining the proximity of a contact positioned at the distal end of the stimulating assembly to one or more other contacts.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein measuring electrical parameters at a selected number of the plurality of contacts in response to the delivered electrical stimulation comprises:
 performing at least one of a voltage or impedance measurement at each of the selected number of the plurality of contacts.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 generating feedback to a user that indicates the physical state of the stimulating assembly.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein delivering electrical stimulation between two or more of the contacts comprises:
 delivering localized stimulation between two or more substantially contacts located at a distal end of the stimulating assembly.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein delivering electrical stimulation between two or more of the contacts comprises:
 sequentially delivering stimulation between a first contact and a plurality of other contacts in a bipolar manner.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 implanting the stimulating assembly in a cochlea of the recipient.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 implanting the stimulating assembly in a brainstem of the recipient.   
     
     
         20 . One or more non-transitory computer readable storage devices encoded with software comprising computer executable instructions for monitoring an implantable stimulating assembly comprising a plurality of longitudinally spaced contacts and when the software is executed operable to:
 instruct an implantable stimulator unit to deliver electrical stimulation between two or more of the contacts;   instruct the implantable stimulator unit to measure electrical parameters at a selected number of the plurality of contacts in response to the delivered electrical stimulation; and   evaluate the measured electrical parameters relative to one another to determine a physical state of the stimulating assembly.   
     
     
         21 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage devices of  claim 20 , wherein the instructions operable to evaluate measured electrical parameters relative to one another to determine a physical state of the stimulating assembly comprise instructions operable to:
 use variations in the measured electrical parameters taken from various locations along the stimulating assembly to determine the relative proximity of a first contact to one or more other contacts.   
     
     
         22 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage devices of  claim 20 , wherein the instructions operable to evaluate measured electrical parameters relative to one another to determine a physical state of the stimulating assembly comprise instructions operable to:
 determine the proximity of a contact positioned at the distal end of the stimulating assembly to one or more other contacts.   
     
     
         23 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage devices of  claim 20 , wherein the instructions operable to instruct the implantable stimulator unit to measure electrical parameters at a selected number of the plurality of contacts in response to the delivered electrical stimulation comprise instructions operable to:
 instruct the implantable stimulator unit to perform at least one of a voltage or impedance measurement at each of the selected number of the plurality of contacts.   
     
     
         24 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage devices of  claim 20 , further comprising instructions operable to:
 generate feedback to a user that indicates the physical state of the stimulating assembly.   
     
     
         25 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage devices of  claim 20 , wherein the instructions operable to instruct the implantable stimulator unit to deliver electrical stimulation between two or more of the contacts comprise instructions operable to:
 instruct the implantable stimulator unit to deliver localized stimulation between two or more substantially adjacent contacts located at a distal end of the stimulating assembly.   
     
     
         26 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage devices of  claim 20 , wherein the instructions operable to instruct the implantable stimulator unit to deliver electrical stimulation between two or more of the contacts comprise instructions operable to:
 instruct the implantable stimulator unit to sequentially deliver stimulation between a first contact and a plurality of other contacts in a bipolar manner.   
     
     
         27 . A cochlear implant system, comprising:
 an intra-cochlear stimulating assembly comprising a plurality of contacts and configured to deliver electrical stimulation between two or more of contacts;   an implantable stimulator unit; and   a processor configured to:
 measure, via the implantable stimulator unit, electrical parameters at a selected number of the plurality of contacts in response to the delivered electrical stimulation, and 
 evaluate the measured electrical parameters relative to one another to determine a physical state of the stimulating assembly. 
   
     
     
         28 . The cochlear implant system of  claim 27 , wherein to evaluate the measured electrical parameters relative to one another to determine a physical state of the stimulating assembly, the processor is configured to:
 use variations in the measured electrical parameters taken from various locations along the stimulating assembly to determine the relative proximity of a first contact to one or more other contacts.   
     
     
         29 . The cochlear implant system of  claim 27 , wherein to measure electrical parameters at a selected number of the plurality of contacts in response to the delivered electrical stimulation, the processor is configured to:
 perform, via the implantable stimulator unit, at least one of a voltage or impedance measurement at each of the selected number of the plurality of contacts.   
     
     
         30 . The cochlear implant system of  claim 27 , wherein the processor is configured to:
 generate feedback to a user that indicates the physical state of the stimulating assembly.