Device and method for electrical stimulation of neural or muscular tissue

摘要

A device for electrical stimulation of neural and/or muscular tissue. The device includes a cochlear implant being equipped with a power source, a speech processor, a microphone adapted to deliver sound signals to said speech processor, a current stimulator, at least an array of electrodes attached to the stimulator, and at least a signal sensor other than the microphone. The device further includes a signal transformation unit, said signal sensors being adapted to capture relevant input information and to deliver a corresponding input signal to the transformation unit, the latter allowing to transform said input signal received from the signal sensors into a modulated electrical output signal adapted to be treated by the speech processor of the cochlear implant.

主权项

1. A device for electrical stimulation of neural and/or muscular tissue, the device comprising a cochlear implant being equipped with a power source, a speech processor, a microphone adapted to deliver sound signals to said speech processor, a current stimulator, at least an array of electrodes attached to the stimulator, and at least a signal sensor other than said microphone, and a signal transformation unit;
wherein said signal sensors are adapted to capture relevant input information and to deliver a corresponding input signal to the transformation unit, the latter allowing to transform said input signal received from the signal sensors into a modulated electrical output signal adapted to be treated by the speech processor of the cochlear implant; and wherein the transformation unit comprises a waveform generator adapted to generate an acoustic carrier waveform of a given frequency, at least an input allowing for introduction of an input signal from a corresponding signal sensor connected to said input, a first amplifier allowing to amplify the signal of the acoustic carrier waveform, a third amplifier allowing to amplify the input signal, and a signal modulation component allowing to modulate in amplitude the acoustic carrier waveform generated by the waveform generator by the input signal as well as an output allowing to deliver an amplitude modulated output signal to the speech processor of the cochlear implant; and wherein the transformation unit further comprises a signal delay component and a second amplifier allowing to amplify the input signal after application of a delay interval by the signal delay component and/or an offset generator as well as a signal addition component allowing to add an offset signal of a chosen height to the input signal, such that said input signal may be delayed and/or offset before being amplified by the third amplifier and used by the signal modulation component to modulate in amplitude the acoustic carrier waveform to produce the amplitude modulated output signal of the transformation unit.