Making use of auditory models for better mimicking of normal hearing processes with cochlear implants: first results with the SAM coding strategy

Authors

  • Tamás Harczos Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology IDMT, Ilmenau, Germany Electronic Media Technology Lab, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, Ilmenau University of Technology, Ilmenau, Germany
  • Anja Chilian Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology IDMT, Ilmenau, Germany Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Informatics, Faculty of Computer Science and Automation, Ilmenau University of Technology, Ilmenau, Germany
  • András Kátai Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology IDMT, Ilmenau, Germany
  • Frank Klefenz Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology IDMT, Ilmenau, Germany
  • Izet Baljić HELIOS Hospital Erfurt, Department of Otolaryngology, Erfurt, Germany
  • Peter Voigt Cochlear-Implant Rehabilitationszentrum Thüringen, Erfurt, Germany
  • Peter Husar Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology IDMT, Ilmenau, Germany Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Informatics, Faculty of Computer Science and Automation, Ilmenau University of Technology, Ilmenau, Germany

Abstract

Stimulation based on auditory modeling, or SAM, is a new speech-processing strategy for cochlear implants that we developed recently at Fraunhofer IDMT. SAM incorporates active cochlear filtering along with the mechanoelectrical transduction of the inner hair cells, so that several psychoacoustic phenomena are accounted for inherently. SAM was tested with a group of five CI users: We investigated speech perception in quiet and in the presence of noise or reverberation, pitch discrimination abilities (for pure tones and sung vowels), and consonant discrimination. We also asked for subjective quality rating for speech and music snippets. Tests were repeated with the everyday strategy of the implantees and results were compared. This paper presents the test results in detail and compares outcomes with those of the previously published simulation studies. Results are encouraging, although more tests would be needed to increase statistical significance.

References

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Published

2013-12-15

How to Cite

Harczos, T., Chilian, A., Kátai, A., Klefenz, F., Baljić, I., Voigt, P., & Husar, P. (2013). Making use of auditory models for better mimicking of normal hearing processes with cochlear implants: first results with the SAM coding strategy. Proceedings of the International Symposium on Auditory and Audiological Research, 4, 317–324. Retrieved from https://proceedings.isaar.eu/index.php/isaarproc/article/view/2013-35

Issue

Vol. 4 (2013): Auditory Plasticity - Listening with the Brain

Section

2013/6. New processing and fitting strategies in cochlear implants

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