External speech processor unit for an auditory prosthesis

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9700720-B2
Application number	US-201414188045-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 24, 2014
Priority date	Oct 13, 2003
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

A cochlear implant system comprising an external component having an external speech processor unit, and an internal component. The speech processor unit monitors one or more parameters, and the speech processor unit is configured to reduce the power consumption of the cochlear implant system in the absence of one or more parameters.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A speech processor unit for a cochlear implant system, the speech processor unit comprising:
a signal processor for processing incoming auditory signals and for forwarding processed signals to an implanted component of the system;
a monitor configured to monitor a predetermined parameter of the speech processor unit; and
a controller, controlled by the signal processor, for placing the speech processor unit in an idle state in the absence of the parameter.

2. The speech processor unit of claim 1 , wherein a microphone is connected to a pre-amplifier and an analogue-to-digital converter (ADC), and wherein the pre-amplifier and ADC are implemented as a single module which normally draws power supplied by a bias circuit, the bias circuit having a power down control operable under the control of the signal processor.

3. The speech processor unit of claim 1 , further comprising a data encoder/formatter which sends stimulation commands to the implanted component of the cochlear implant.

4. The speech processor unit of claim 1 , further comprising a memory and a battery supply for supplying power to the speech processor unit.

5. The speech processor unit of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined parameter monitored by the monitor is the presence of the implanted component.

6. The speech processor unit of claim 1 , wherein the signal processor is a digital signal processor and the monitor is implemented as a part of the signal processor.

7. The speech processor unit of claim 1 , wherein the signal processor is configured to periodically send an interrogation signal to determine if the implanted component is present.

8. The speech processor unit of claim 7 , wherein the speech processor unit is configured such that, on failing to determine if the implanted component is present, the signal processor disables a bias circuit causing a preamplifier and ADC module to enter a low power state.

9. The speech processor unit of claim 7 , wherein the speech processor unit is configured such that, on failing to determine if the implanted component is present, the signal processor also stops accessing a memory, the latter step causing the memory to stop drawing power.

10. The speech processor unit of claim 7 , wherein the speech processor unit is configured such that, on failing to determine if the implanted component is present, the signal processor also sends a pause signal to the controller which interrupts a clock signal from an oscillator to the signal processor.

11. The speech processor unit of claim 1 , wherein the controller is a pause-and-gate circuit.

12. The speech processor unit of claim 1 , wherein the parameter monitored by the speech processor unit is motion of a recipient of the cochlear implant system and the monitor comprises a motion-detector.

13. The speech processor unit of claim 12 , wherein the motion-detector is a mercury switch.

14. The speech processor unit of claim 1 , wherein the signal processor is configured to measure reflected impedance, and wherein the parameter monitored by the speech processor unit is a value of reflected impedance as measured by the signal processor.

15. The speech processor unit of claim 1 , wherein:
the controller is configured to place the speech processor unit in the idle state irrespective of a sound environment of the signal processor.

16. The speech processor unit of claim 1 , further comprising a monitor system including the monitor, wherein the monitor system is configured to monitor a plurality of predetermined parameters of the speech processor unit, and wherein the controller is configured to place the speech processor unit in an idle state in the absence of the plurality of predetermined parameters.

17. The speech processor unit of claim 1 , further comprising:
a motion detector configured to detect movement of the speech processor unit, wherein the motion detector is the monitor, wherein
the speech processor unit is configured to activate at least some functions of the speech processor unit upon the detection of movement by the motion detector,
the controller is further configured to remove the speech processor unit from the idle state in the presence of the parameter,
the action of monitoring entails periodically polling the implanted component, and
the predetermined parameter monitored by the monitor is the presence of the implanted component.

18. The speech processor unit of claim 1 , wherein:
the predetermined parameter is a parameter unrelated to sound.

19. The speech processor unit of claim 1 , wherein:
the speech processor unit includes a microphone; and
the predetermined parameter is a parameter that is different from a parameter based on output of the microphone.

20. The speech processor unit of claim 1 , wherein:
the speech processor unit includes a microphone; and
the predetermined parameter is a parameter that can be absent in the presence of output from the microphone.

21. An auditory prosthesis comprising:
an internal component comprising:
a receiver configured to receive signals,
a stimulator configured to output stimulation signals based on the signals received by the receiver,

an external component comprising:
an acoustic transducer configured to convert a received acoustic signal into an electrical signal,
a signal processor configured to convert the electrical signal into a coded signal, and
a transmitter configured to transmit the coded signal to the receiver, wherein
the auditory prosthesis is configured to determine a predetermined parameter, and wherein the auditory prosthesis is configured to place the external component in an idle state in the absence of the predetermined parameter.

22. The audio prosthesis of claim 21 , wherein:
the predetermined parameter is a parameter of the electromagnetic spectrum.

23. The audio prosthesis of claim 21 , wherein:
the audio prosthesis is configured to place the speech processor unit in the idle state in a presence of sound.

24. The prosthesis of claim 21 , wherein the external component includes a monitor configured to determine the predetermined parameter.

25. The prosthesis of claim 21 , wherein the external component includes a monitor configured to determine the predetermined parameter, and wherein the signal processor is configured to place the external component in an idle state in the absence of the predetermined parameter.

26. The prosthesis of claim 25 , wherein the predetermined parameter is a predetermined parameter of the external component.

27. A method of managing power consumption in a speech processor unit for a cochlear implant system, the speech processor unit comprising a signal processor for processing incoming auditory signals and for forwarding processed signals to an implanted component of the system, the method comprising:
monitoring a predetermined parameter, and
placing the speech processor unit into an idle state in the absence of the predetermined parameter, wherein
the actions of monitoring a predetermined parameter and placing the speech processor unit into an idle mode are executed by the speech processor unit.

28. The method of claim 27 , wherein the predetermined parameter is the presence of the implanted component.

29. The method of claim 27 , wherein the action of causing the controller to place the speech processor unit into the idle

Assignees

• Cochlear Ltd

Inventors

• Single Peter Scott

Classifications

• A61N1/36038 Primary

  Cochlear stimulation · CPC title

• H04R25/505

  using digital signal processing · CPC title

• A61N1/08

  Arrangements or circuits for monitoring, protecting, controlling or indicating {(for external stimulators A61N1/3603; for implantable neurostimulators A61N1/36128; for heart stimulators A61N1/37; for defibrillators A61N1/3925)} · CPC title

• A61N1/36032 Primary

  Human Necessities · mapped topic