Audio Processing for Cochlear Implants

描述(由申请人提供)：本研究的长期目标是通过最大化声学模式的传输和接收来提高人工耳蜗术后患者的表现。我们假设，由于丢失了精细的频谱细节，人工耳蜗患者在挑战听力条件(例如，噪声、竞争语音、混响、不熟悉的说话者等)时会有很大的困难。我们建议根据声学环境或不同的说话人特征来优化输入的声学信号，从而改善语音模式的传输。我们进一步假设，患者表现不佳的部分原因可能是重要的语音处理器参数(例如，刺激模式、频率分配、刺激率等)的次优设置。我们建议根据患者个体的心理物理能力来优化这些参数，从而改善语音模式的接收。将这两种方法相结合--对输入信号进行预处理和优化处理器参数--将为患者在各种收听条件下的表现提供最大的好处。这项研究有三个具体目标。具体目标1是改善声学模式的传输。我们将评估新的语音增强算法，这些算法根据声学环境或不同的说话人特征优化输入声学模式。具体目标2是改善声学模式的接收。我们将探索重要语音处理器参数的感知空间，并根据患者的心理物理能力对这些参数进行优化。具体目标3是评估语音处理变化的长期影响。虽然我们通常会在每个实验中独立研究每种优化技术的效果，但一旦定义了参数空间，这些技术可以很容易地组合在一起，进一步优化人工耳蜗的音频处理。每一种拟议的策略都寻求优化语音处理的某个方面，当组合在一起时，一种策略的好处可能会直接被另一种策略的好处所增强。这种协同作用可能会进一步改善患者在各种听力条件下的表现。这项拟议的研究对于最大限度地提高患者在各种听力条件下的表现具有重要的临床意义。这对于理解模式识别中涉及的神经和知觉机制也具有很大的理论意义。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The long-term goal of this research is to improve cochlear implant patient performance by maximizing both the transmission and reception of acoustic patterns. We hypothesize that, due to the loss of fine spectral details, cochlear implant patients have great difficulty in challenging listening conditions (e.g., noise, competing speech, reverberation, unfamiliar talkers, etc.). We propose to optimize the input acoustic signal in response to the acoustic environment, or to different speaker characteristics, thereby improving the transmission of speech patterns. We further hypothesize that poor patient performance may be partly due to sub-optimal settings of important speech processor parameters (e.g., stimulation mode, frequency allocation, stimulation rate, etc.). We propose to optimize these parameters according to individual patients' psychophysical capabilities, thereby improving the reception of speech patterns. Combining these two approaches - pre-processing the input signal and optimizing processor parameters - will provide the greatest benefit to patient performance for a variety of listening conditions. There are three specific aims in the proposed research. Specific aim 1 is to improve the transmission of acoustic patterns. We will evaluate novel speech enhancement algorithms that optimize the input acustic patterns in response to the acoustic environment, or to different speaker characteristics. Specific aim 2 is to improve the reception of acoustic patterns. We will explore the perceptual space for important speech processor parameters and optimize these parameters according to individual patients' psychophysical capabilities. Specific aim 3 is to evaluate the long-term effects of changes to speech processing. While we will generally study the effects of each optimization technique independently in each experiment, the techniques can be easily combined to further optimize audio processing for cochlear implants, once the parameter space is defined. Each of the proposed strategies seeks to optimize some aspect of speech processing and, when combined, the benefit from one strategy may be directly enhanced by the benefit from another. This synergy may further improve patient performance for a wide variety of listening conditions. The proposed research is of great clinical importance in terms of maximizing patient performance under a variety of listening conditions. It is also of great theoretical interest in terms of understanding the neural and perceptual mechanisms involved in pattern recognition.