A multiple-channel cochlear implant. An evaluation using closed-set spondaic words

Abstract

Two post-lingually deaf patients with total hearing losses have had help in communicating, using a multiple-channel cochlear implant(Tong et al., in press; Tong and Clark, 1980). Single-channel implants have also been shown to be of value (House et al., 1976; Fourcin et al., 1979). As the multiple-channel device, however, requires an intra-cochlear electrode array it was considered worthwhile comparing the closed-set spondaic word test results obtained from our patients with those from intra-cochlear single-channel implants (Bilger et al., 1977). Using the multiple-channel device speech was processed by extracting the voicing frequency and energy, and the frequency and energy of the dominant spectral peak in the mid-frequency range. The parameters for voicing determined the rate of stimulation for all electrodes, and the parameters for the dominant spectral peak in the mid-frequency range determined the site of electrode stimulation and current level. On the other hand, with the single-channel implant (House et al., 1976) the speech wave amplitude modulated a 16 kHz carrier frequency, and this in tum stimulated the auditory nerve.