Signal processing

Signal Processing

The acoustic signal picked up by the microphone (1) is amplified (2) and sent to a filter bank (3), which breaks it down into n frequency bands (n being the number of intracochlear electrodes). 

The output from the filter is sent to an envelope detector (4), which constantly determines the energy of the signal for each frequency band. A dynamic range modulator (5) is used to adapt every output to the patient perceptual thresholds. Finally, the processor (6) generates electrical stimuli proportional to the energy of the input signal. These are sent to the implanted electrodes (7), following the cochlear tonotopic organization.

Coding Strategy

To avoid interaction between neighboring electrodes, a sequential strategy is applied. A common strategy is called n-of- m, meaning that at each cycle, the electrodes that are activated correspond to the frequency bands that contain the most energy (n) among all available frequency bands (m).

Stimulation parameters

Sudden electrical stimulation of nerve fibers is more efficient than gradual increases in electrical energy, which is why rectangular pulses are generally used. To avoid electrolytic polarization, which can be toxic to the nerve and surrounding tissues, biphasic stimuli are applied. Stimulation level is adjusted by modifying the two parameters that account for the amount of the delivered energy: voltage and duration.