DEVELOPMENT OF PHYSIOLOGICALLY INSPIRED SIGNAL PROCESSING STRATEGIES FOR COCHLEAR

描述（由申请人提供）：人工耳蜗（Cochlear implant， CI）是一种神经义肢，为全球20多万失聪患者提供有意义的听觉体验。尽管在安静的听力条件下取得了巨大的成功，但目前在嘈杂的现实世界中，ci的作用有限。当前ci采用的信号处理策略的一个关键限制是，它们只提供了健康内耳中发生的处理的粗略近似。特别是，目前的策略只提供带通滤波语音的包络线索；与载体相关的快速变化的时间精细结构线索根本没有被传递。对正常听力听者的研究表明，这些时间精细结构线索通过外周听觉系统转化为振幅包络线索。第一阶段研究的目的是开发一种模拟精细结构到包膜转换的处理方法。处理策略将通过使用实验接口与CI用户进行测试，该接口允许直接控制调制到CI电极的脉冲流的信号。实验处理算法将与用户个人处理器在安静和噪声环境下的语音接收测试进行比较。如果第一阶段的结果表明新的信号处理策略提供了可理解性优势，那么第二阶段的工作将旨在：为个体听众定制信号处理策略；混响中新信号处理策略的效益评价新型信号处理策略在可穿戴处理器上的实现并在人工耳蜗植入者的现场测试中使用了包含新信号处理策略的原型设备。该项目的成功将提高CI用户在日常嘈杂背景下的语音接收能力。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Cochlear implants (CI) are neural prostheses that provide meaningful auditory experience to more than 200,000 deaf patients worldwide. Despite significant success in quiet listening conditions, CIs currently provide only limited benefit in nosy real world situations. A critical limitation of the signal processing strategies employed by curren CIs is that they provide only a crude approximation of the processing that occurs in a healthy inner ear. In particular, current strategies only provide the envelope cues of band-pass filtered speech; the rapidly varying temporal fine structure cues associated with the carriers are simply not conveyed. Studies with normal-hearing listeners have shown that these temporal fine structure cues are converted into amplitude envelope cues by the peripheral auditory system. The aim of the study in Phase I is to develop processing that mimics that fine-structure -to-envelope conversion for CIs. Processing strategies will be tested with CI users through use of an experimental interface that allows direct control of signals modulating the pulse streams to the CI electrodes. Experimental processing algorithms will be compared to users' personal processors on tests of speech reception in quiet and noise. If the results of Phase I show that the new signal processing strategies provide intelligibility benefits, work in Phase II will be aimd at: customizing the signal processing strategies for individual listeners; evaluating the benefits f the new signal processing strategies in reverberation; implementation of the new signal processing strategies on wearable processors; and field testing of cochlear implantees with prototype devices that incorporate the new signal processing strategies. Success in this project will result in enhanced speech reception by CI users in everyday noisy backgrounds.