Phase lock speech (PLS) processing in cochlear implants: a new opportunity for the rehabilitation of deafness (07460)

Cochlear implantation is the primary therapy of choice for deaf patients. The implant is an electronic hearing device, which partially restores hearing by direct electrical stimulation of the auditory nerve. Current implant technology results in a spectacular improvement of the hearing skills of deaf patients. Most patients can have a 1-on-1 conversation fairly easily. However, most patients have significant difficulty to understand speech in noisy environments. Also, the "machine-like" and monotonous sound of the implant commonly leads to complaints. Most implant users are unable to hear melody in music; rather only rhythm is perceived. The monotonous sound presumably contributes to the difficulty in understanding in multi-speaker situations: when all speakers sound alike, it is hard to distinguish them.

The algorithm that transforms sound into electrical pulses for the nerve is called the speech processing strategy. The proposed project aims to develop and implement a fundamentally new speech coding strategy. The new strategy is referred to as PLS, Phase-Lock Strategy, and is based on the normal physiology of hearing. The strategy may significantly improve the pitch perception of implant users. Therefore, the new strategy presumably provides a more natural sound, which is expected to be specifically useful in difficult listening situations and for the perception of music. Consequently, the PLS strategy may play an important role in the rehabilitation of deaf patients.