DEVELOPMENT OF PHYSIOLOGICALLY INSPIRED SIGNAL PROCESSING STRATEGIES FOR COCHLEAR

描述（由申请人提供）：耳蜗植入体（CI）是一种神经假体，可为全球20多万名耳聋患者提供有意义的听觉体验。尽管在安静的收听条件下取得了显著的成功，但CI目前在嘈杂的真实的世界情况下仅提供有限的益处。当前CI采用的信号处理策略的一个关键限制是，它们仅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;与载波相关联的快速变化的时间精细结构线索根本没有传达。对听力正常者的研究表明，这些时间精细结构线索被外周听觉系统转换为幅度包络线索。第一阶段研究的目的是开发模拟CI的精细结构到包络转换的处理。将通过使用实验界面对CI用户的处理策略进行测试，该实验界面允许直接控制调制CI电极脉冲流的信号。实验处理算法将比较用户的个人处理器在安静和噪音的语音接收测试。如果第一阶段的结果表明，新的信号处理策略提供可懂度的好处，第二阶段的工作将针对：为个人听众定制信号处理策略;评估新的信号处理策略在混响中的好处;在可穿戴处理器上实施新的信号处理策略;以及使用包含新的信号处理策略的原型设备对耳蜗植入体进行现场测试。该项目的成功将增强CI用户在日常嘈杂背景下的语音接收。

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.