A Wearable Research System for Combined Cochleo-Vestibular Stimulation
Cochlear implants (CI) are a well-established treatment option for patients with severe to profound hearing loss, while vestibular implant (VI) trials give a promising outlook for patients with severely impaired vestibular function. In a number of subjects these two conditions may also present toget...
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IEEE
2025-01-01
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| Series: | IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering |
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| Online Access: | https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10979432/ |
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| author | David Lanthaler Patrick P. Huebner Matthew D. Parker Andreas Griessner Viktor Steixner Clemens M. Zierhofer |
| author_facet | David Lanthaler Patrick P. Huebner Matthew D. Parker Andreas Griessner Viktor Steixner Clemens M. Zierhofer |
| author_sort | David Lanthaler |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Cochlear implants (CI) are a well-established treatment option for patients with severe to profound hearing loss, while vestibular implant (VI) trials give a promising outlook for patients with severely impaired vestibular function. In a number of subjects these two conditions may also present together, necessitating treatment with a cochleo-vestibular implant (CVI). While the feasibility of CVIs has been demonstrated, no wearable processor has existed to provide target-specific, modulated stimulation for both systems over extended periods. We introduce a first wearable audio-motion processor (AMP) system designed to be used in conjunction with a CVI. We first present the architecture of the AMP, along with the possible modes of operation. We then use a testbench to show the functionality and limits of the presented device. Important performance characteristics of such a system are the latency between head movements and resulting vestibular stimulation pulses, and the deviations of stimulation amplitudes and pulse rates from a programmed transfer function (TF). The device was tested using amplitude- and rate-modulated vestibular pulses in response to predefined single-axis rotations performed on a rotary platform, while providing simultaneous auditory stimulation to cochlear electrodes. We were able to achieve a recorded latency comparable to the physiological response time of normal vestibular organs. The results for the TF showed that the measured values for the pulse rates and the amplitudes followed the reference values very accurately. This audio-motion processor is the world’s first wearable processor capable of delivering combined, specifically modulated cochlear and vestibular stimulation. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b88e828dafd7480b83dbc87466813d53 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1534-4320 1558-0210 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | IEEE |
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| series | IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering |
| spelling | doaj-art-b88e828dafd7480b83dbc87466813d532025-08-20T03:53:17ZengIEEEIEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering1534-43201558-02102025-01-01331740175010.1109/TNSRE.2025.356513610979432A Wearable Research System for Combined Cochleo-Vestibular StimulationDavid Lanthaler0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2074-9065Patrick P. Huebner1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2789-2462Matthew D. Parker2https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4319-4696Andreas Griessner3https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4628-3854Viktor Steixner4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5914-7037Clemens M. Zierhofer5https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0899-8023Department of Mechatronics, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, AustriaMED-EL GmbH, Innsbruck, AustriaMED-EL GmbH, Innsbruck, AustriaDepartment of Mechatronics, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, AustriaDepartment of Mechatronics, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, AustriaDepartment of Mechatronics, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, AustriaCochlear implants (CI) are a well-established treatment option for patients with severe to profound hearing loss, while vestibular implant (VI) trials give a promising outlook for patients with severely impaired vestibular function. In a number of subjects these two conditions may also present together, necessitating treatment with a cochleo-vestibular implant (CVI). While the feasibility of CVIs has been demonstrated, no wearable processor has existed to provide target-specific, modulated stimulation for both systems over extended periods. We introduce a first wearable audio-motion processor (AMP) system designed to be used in conjunction with a CVI. We first present the architecture of the AMP, along with the possible modes of operation. We then use a testbench to show the functionality and limits of the presented device. Important performance characteristics of such a system are the latency between head movements and resulting vestibular stimulation pulses, and the deviations of stimulation amplitudes and pulse rates from a programmed transfer function (TF). The device was tested using amplitude- and rate-modulated vestibular pulses in response to predefined single-axis rotations performed on a rotary platform, while providing simultaneous auditory stimulation to cochlear electrodes. We were able to achieve a recorded latency comparable to the physiological response time of normal vestibular organs. The results for the TF showed that the measured values for the pulse rates and the amplitudes followed the reference values very accurately. This audio-motion processor is the world’s first wearable processor capable of delivering combined, specifically modulated cochlear and vestibular stimulation.https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10979432/Amplitude modulationrate modulationvestibular-cochlear combined stimulation |
| spellingShingle | David Lanthaler Patrick P. Huebner Matthew D. Parker Andreas Griessner Viktor Steixner Clemens M. Zierhofer A Wearable Research System for Combined Cochleo-Vestibular Stimulation IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering Amplitude modulation rate modulation vestibular-cochlear combined stimulation |
| title | A Wearable Research System for Combined Cochleo-Vestibular Stimulation |
| title_full | A Wearable Research System for Combined Cochleo-Vestibular Stimulation |
| title_fullStr | A Wearable Research System for Combined Cochleo-Vestibular Stimulation |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Wearable Research System for Combined Cochleo-Vestibular Stimulation |
| title_short | A Wearable Research System for Combined Cochleo-Vestibular Stimulation |
| title_sort | wearable research system for combined cochleo vestibular stimulation |
| topic | Amplitude modulation rate modulation vestibular-cochlear combined stimulation |
| url | https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10979432/ |
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