CCi-MOBILE: A Portable Real Time Speech Processing Platform for Cochlear Implant and Hearing Research

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Auditory Neuroscience
• Signal Processing

Background:

• Experimental hardware-research interfaces are vital for developing and optimizing medical signal-monitoring systems, particularly for devices like cochlear implants (CIs) and hearing aids (HAs).
• Current commercial CI and HA processors have rigid design constraints, limiting research into novel algorithms and longitudinal studies for hearing impairment solutions.
• Advancements in signal processing strategies are crucial for improving speech intelligibility in hearing-impaired individuals using CIs and HAs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present the design, development, and clinical evaluation of CCi-MOBILE, a novel, portable signal processing testing platform for researchers in the hearing-impaired field.
• To provide a computationally powerful tool enabling offline and real-time assessment of complex speech processing algorithms for CIs and HAs.
• To validate the platform's compatibility with existing cochlear implant systems and its effectiveness in research settings.

Main Methods:

• Designed and developed CCi-MOBILE, a custom-made, portable research platform with user-friendly, open-source software.
• Integrated a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) design and hardware processing pipeline for CI stimulation.
• Conducted an acute study evaluating speech intelligibility in quiet and noisy conditions using the CCi-MOBILE platform with CI users.

Main Results:

• The CCi-MOBILE platform demonstrated consistent performance in speech intelligibility tests compared to a CI user's clinical processor.
• The platform successfully facilitated real-time assessment of novel signal processing algorithms.
• Results confirmed the platform's viability for both acute and chronic studies involving cochlear implant users.

Conclusions:

• CCi-MOBILE offers a flexible and powerful solution for researchers investigating advanced signal processing in hearing loss.
• The platform's compatibility and performance validate its use in clinical evaluations and the development of next-generation hearing devices.
• This research interface accelerates the advancement of signal processing strategies for cochlear implants and hearing aids, improving outcomes for individuals with hearing impairment.