title: An improved speech processing strategy for cochlear implants based on an active nonlinear filterbank model of the biological cochlea.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to improve the speech processing strategy for cochlear implants (CIs) based on a nonlinear time-varying filter model of a biological cochlea. The level-dependent frequency response characteristic of the basilar membrane is known to produce robust formant representation and speech perception in noise. A dual resonance nonlinear (DRNL) model was adopted because it is simpler than other adaptive nonlinear models of the basilar membrane and can be readily incorporated into the CI speech processor. Spectral analysis showed that formant information is more saliently represented at the output of the proposed CI speech processor compared to the conventional strategy in noisy conditions. Acoustic simulation and hearing experiments showed that the DRNL-based nonlinear strategy improves speech performance in a speech-spectrum-shaped noise.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Health Science, Yonsei University, Wonju 220-710, Korea. khkim0604@yonsei.ac.kr
authors.forename: Kyung Hwan
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sung Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Jin Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Doo Hee
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001489:Basilar Membrane / Q000502:physiology*; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D017711:Nonlinear Dynamics; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D013061:Speech Acoustics; D013067:Speech Perception