采用高密度人工耳蜗电极阵列的电流转向和电流聚焦
Current steering and current focusing with a high-density intracochlear electrode array.
作者信息
Falcone Jessica D, Bhatti Pamela T
机构信息
School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0250, USA.
出版信息
Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. 2011;2011:1049-52. doi: 10.1109/IEMBS.2011.6090244.
Creating high-resolution or high-density, intra-cochlear electrode arrays may significantly improve quality of hearing for cochlear implant recipients. Through focused activation of neural populations such arrays may better exploit the cochlea's frequency-to-place mapping, thereby improving sound perception. Contemporary electrode arrays approach high-density stimulation by employing multi-polar stimulation techniques such as current steering and current focusing. In our procedure we compared an advanced high-density array with contemporary arrays employing these strategies. We examined focused stimulation of auditory neurons using an activating function and a neural firing probability model that together enable a first-order estimation of an auditory nerve fiber's response to electrical stimulation. The results revealed that simple monopolar stimulation with a high-density array is more localized than current steering with a contemporary array and requires 25-30% less current. Current focusing with high-density electrodes is more localized than current focusing with a contemporary array; however, a greater amount of current is required. This work illustrates that advanced high-density electrode arrays may provide a low-power, high-resolution alternative to current steering with contemporary cochlear arrays.
创建高分辨率或高密度的耳蜗内电极阵列可能会显著提高人工耳蜗植入者的听力质量。通过对神经群体的聚焦激活,这样的阵列可以更好地利用耳蜗的频率-位置映射,从而改善声音感知。当代电极阵列通过采用诸如电流转向和电流聚焦等多极刺激技术来实现高密度刺激。在我们的实验过程中,我们将一种先进的高密度阵列与采用这些策略的当代阵列进行了比较。我们使用激活函数和神经放电概率模型来研究对听觉神经元的聚焦刺激,这两者共同实现了对听神经纤维对电刺激反应的一阶估计。结果显示,使用高密度阵列的简单单极刺激比使用当代阵列的电流转向更具局限性,并且所需电流减少25% - 30%。使用高密度电极的电流聚焦比使用当代阵列的电流聚焦更具局限性;然而,需要更大的电流量。这项工作表明,先进的高密度电极阵列可能为当代耳蜗阵列的电流转向提供一种低功耗、高分辨率的替代方案。