Speech based optimization of cochlear implants

Abstract

Objective: This study describes an innovative method to optimize cochlear implant (CI) devices for individual patients using speech stimuli. Design: Baseline performance of clinically created CI settings was evaluated objectively (CNC and BKB-SIN) and subjectively (listening situation questionnaire). Participants underwent the Clarujust optimization procedure during two sessions, each two weeks apart, allowing for acclimatization and experience with each group of programs. Outcome testing was completed on both optimization settings during the two week follow-up session. CNC and BKB-SIN scores were compared within participants across test sessions. Study sample: Twenty adult experienced CI users were reprogrammed using the Clarujust™ fitting procedure. Results: Significant improvements (p < 0.05) on CNC words and BKB-SIN sentences were observed with optimized maps compared to maps programmed using standard methods. Subjective performance also showed increased satisfaction with the optimized maps. The maps for individual users varied significantly and no single fitting applied for all patients. Conclusions: The Clarujust optimization method of programming CIs shows promise to improve patient performance and increase patient satisfaction in a shorter clinical test time.

Key Words::

• Cochlear implant
• optimization

Acknowledgements

We wish to thank Cochlear Corporation, especially Colin Irwin, for supplying the fitting software platform and for their extensive and timely technical support. We also want to thank Bonny Banerjee, and Mel Ayala at Audigence for their theoretic and technical contributions to the development of Clarujust. Finally, we want to thank our participants for their willingness to participate in the trial, as well as Katherine Gray and Kristin Letlow, CI audiologists in the Department of Communicative Disorders at the University of Florida, for their support with this trial. Portions of this paper were presented at: (1) CIs programming using speech based optimization. Presentation at 11th International Conference on CIs and Other Implantable Auditory Technologies, Stockholm, Sweden, July 2010; (2) Speech based optimization of CIs. Invited presentation at the Convergence of CI and HA Technology Workshop Miami, USA, January 2009; and (3) Speech based optimization of CIs. Presentation at the 2008 Institute for American Academy of Rehabilitative Audiology, Portland, USA, September 2008.

Declaration of interest: Lee Krause, Alice E Holmes, and Rahul Shrivastav are the inventors on the patent United States Patent Number 7206416, Speech-based optimization of digital hearing devices (April 17, 2007), held by the University of Florida. All three also have holdings in Audigence Corporation.

This project was funded by Audigence, Inc. and the Florida High Tech Corridor Council.