Bimodal hearing stimulation system and method of fitting the same

Abstract

A system includes a first stimulation device for neural stimulation of an ipsilateral ear of a user, a second stimulation device for stimulation of a contralateral ear of the user or the ipsilateral ear of the user, and a fitting device. The fitting device is configured to calculate a first set of aided levels by taking into account a stimulation model of the first stimulation device and using a first set of stimulation parameters as read from the first stimulation device. The fitting device is further configured to calculate a second set of aided levels by taking into account a stimulation model of the second stimulation device and using a second set of stimulation parameters as read from the second stimulation device. The fitting device is further configured to present an acoustic level audiogram representation of the first and second sets of aided levels.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a first stimulation device for neural stimulation of an ipsilateral ear of a user;   a second stimulation device for stimulation of a contralateral ear of the user or the ipsilateral ear of the user, wherein a stimulation mode of the second stimulation device is different from a stimulation mode of the first stimulation device; and   a fitting device configured to be communicatively connected to the first and second stimulation devices and
 calculate, for at least some audiometric frequencies, a first set of aided levels including one or more of a first aided hearing threshold level, a first aided most comfortable level, or a first aided uncomfortable level by taking into account a stimulation model of the first stimulation device and using a first set of stimulation parameters as read from the first stimulation device; 
 calculate, for the at least some audiometric frequencies, a second set of aided levels including one or more of a second aided hearing threshold level, a second aided most comfortable level, or a second aided uncomfortable level by taking into account a stimulation model of the second stimulation device and using a second set of stimulation parameters as read from the second stimulation device; and 
 present, by way of a graphical user interface, an acoustic level audiogram representation of the first and second sets of aided levels as a function of the audiometric frequencies both for the neural stimulation by the first stimulation device and for the stimulation by the second stimulation device. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first stimulation device comprises:
 an implantable neural stimulation arrangement comprising a plurality of stimulation channels for neural stimulation of the ipsilateral ear at various stimulation sites according to a neural stimulation signal; and   a sound processor for generating the neural stimulation signal for each stimulation channel from an input audio signal according to the stimulation model of the first stimulation device.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the implantable neural stimulation arrangement comprises an electrode array, and wherein the neural stimulation signal is an electrode stimulation current. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first stimulation device comprises a cochlear implant for electrical stimulation, a cochlear implant for optical stimulation, or an auditory brainstem implant. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second stimulation devices are included in a hybrid device configured provide both electric and acoustic stimulation of the ipsilateral ear. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the second stimulation device comprises:
 an audio signal processing unit for generating a stimulation signal from the input audio signal according to the stimulation model of the second stimulation device; and   an output transducer for stimulation of the contralateral ear or the ipsilateral ear according to the stimulation signal.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the second stimulation device is for acoustic stimulation within an acoustic stimulation frequency range;   the stimulation signal is an acoustic stimulation signal; and   the output transducer is for generating a vibration output according to the acoustic stimulation signal.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the fitting device is configured to store, for at least some frequency bands of an input audio signal, a first set of unaided hearing levels including one or more of an unaided hearing threshold level, an unaided most comfortable level, or an unaided uncomfortable level; and   the calculating of the first set of aided levels is further based on the first set of unaided hearing levels.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the fitting device is configured to cause the first or second stimulation device to present test stimulation signals to the user, and wherein the fitting device is configured to record a perceptual behavioral response of the patient to the test stimulation signals in order to determine the at least one of the unaided hearing threshold level, the unaided most comfortable level and the unaided uncomfortable level as a function of the frequency of the test stimulation signals. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the graphical user interface is configured to enable selection of a crossover frequency by the user, the crossover frequency separating acoustic and neural stimulation in that at frequencies below the crossover frequency stimulation is to take place by the second stimulation device only and that at frequencies above the crossover frequency stimulation is to take place by the first stimulation device only. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the graphical user interface is configured to enable user adjustment of the values of the first and second sets of aided levels, wherein the fitting device is further configured to adjust the first and second sets of stimulation parameters in conformity with the adjustment. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the fitting device is further configured to initially set at least part of the values of the first and second sets of stimulation parameters according to default values specific to a type of the first stimulation device and a type of the second stimulation device, with the initially set values of the first and second sets of stimulation parameters being adjustable via the user adjustment. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the graphical user interface is configured to present the first and second sets of aided levels in a common audiogram representation. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the graphical user interface is configured to allow the user to change, by user input, between the common audiogram representation and separate audiogram representations for the first stimulation device and the second stimulation device. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the fitting device is configured to calculate the first and second aided levels by taking into account measured microphone sensitivity data of microphones of the first and second stimulation devices. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the graphical user interface is further configured to present spectrum analyzer bars representative of signal levels of signals detected by at least one of a microphone of the first stimulation device and a microphone of the second stimulation device. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the graphical user interface is further configured to present one or more target acoustic behavioral curves based on at least one of a fitting formula or a fitting rationale. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the fitting device is further configured to calculate first and second sets of aided levels based on estimated non-aided levels for the first and second stimulation devices. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the fitting device is further configured to estimate the non-aided levels based on one or more fitting parameters associated with one or more of the first stimulation device or the second stimulation device. 
     
     
         20 . A method comprising:
 calculating, by a fitting device communicatively connected to a first stimulation device for neural stimulation of an ipsilateral ear of a user and a second stimulation device for stimulation of a contralateral ear of the user or the ipsilateral ear of the user, a first set of aided levels including one or more of a first aided hearing threshold level, a first aided most comfortable level, or a first aided uncomfortable level by taking into account a stimulation model of the first stimulation device and using a first set of stimulation parameters as read from the first stimulation device;   calculating, by the fitting device, a second set of aided levels including one or more of a second aided hearing threshold level, a second aided most comfortable level, or a second aided uncomfortable level by taking into account a stimulation model of the second stimulation device and using a second set of stimulation parameters as read from the second stimulation device; and   presenting, by the fitting device by way of a graphical user interface, an acoustic level audiogram representation of the first and second sets of aided levels as a function of the audiometric frequencies both for the neural stimulation by the first stimulation device and for the stimulation by the second stimulation device.