A multiple-channel cochlear implant: a summary of results for two patients

Abstract

This report summarizes the results of the psychophysical and speech studies conducted on two patients with multiple-channel cochlear implants over an 18 month period at the University of Melbourne. The psychophysical results indicated that a suitable speech-processing strategy would be to convert the second formant frequency of speech to electrode position, the voicing frequency to pulse rate of electrical stimulation, and the acoustic intensity to current level. An evaluation of this strategy by means of a laboratory-based speech processor showed encouraging results, and a wearable speech processor was subsequently developed so that the patients could be benefited in their everyday life.