Preliminary results with a six spectral maxima speech processor for The University of Melbourne/Nucleus multiple electrode cochlear implant

Abstract

An improved sound processor for a multiple-channel cochlear implant hearing prosthesis has been developed. The spectral maxima sound processor (SMSP) extracts the six largest frequency components of speech and presents stimuli at a rate of 250 Hz to electrodes at positions selected on the basis of the spectral frequencies. It was designed for use initially with the advanced cochlear implant recently developed at the University of Melbourne, which is capable of high rate and quasi-simultaneous stimulation. The present study, however, was carried out with two subjects who have the more widely used 22-electrode implant produced commercially by Cochlear Pty Limited (formerly Nucleus Limited). Preliminary results comparing the performance of the SMSP with that of previous speech processing techniques (F0/F1/F2 strategy) are presented. The results indicate that the SMSP is capable of providing implanters with significantly greater information about speech.