• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.9-17
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• 2015

In the present study, we investigated ability of recognition of auditory perception with regards to the quality of voice in postlingual CI adults and proposed a training program to improve within subject reliability. A prospective case-control study was conducted in adults with 7 postlingual deaf who received a CI surgery and 10 normal hearing controls. The pre and post test and training program included parameters of consensus auditory-perceptual evaluation of voice(CAPE-V) with pathological voice sample by using Alvin. In results of pre-post test for monitoring improvements of internal reliability for listeners via the training program, there was statistically significant difference in both test and group. There was statistically significant difference in internal reliability between pre-post test in the normal hearing group, the result was no significant in the CI group. The present study found that CI adults showed less ability in awareness of voice quality compared to normal hearing group. Also the training program improved pitch and loudness in CI adults.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.89-96
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• 2014

This study measured speech intelligibility in relation to the vowel space area and the perception of the listener through acoustic analysis of children who had received cochlear implants. It also provided basic data in the evaluation of speech intelligibility by analyzing the correlation between the vowel space area and speech intelligibility. As a research method, the vowel space area was analyzed by obtaining the value of $F_1$, $F_2$ in children three years after receiving cochlear implants, and compared them to normal children by measuring speech intelligibility through interval scaling. A product-moment correlation analysis was conducted to investigate the correlation. Results showed that the vowel space area of the children who had received cochlear implants was significantly different from that of the normal children, though their speech intelligibility showed similar points to those of the normal children. The results of the correlation analysis on the vowel space area and speech intelligibility showed no significant correlation. Therefore, the period of improving intelligibility after receiving cochlear implants and the objective standards of the vowel space area could be established. In addition, the acoustic rating was required to increase the accuracy of the objective measurement in the evaluation of speech intelligibility.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 1993.07a
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• pp.284-286
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• 1993

Software and hardware for cochlear implant system have been developed to create a speech signal processing system which, in real-time, extracts model parameter including formants, pitch, amplitude information. The system is based on the Texas Instruments TMS320 family. In hardware, computer interface has been desisted and implemented that allows presentation of biphasic pulse stimuli to patients with the hearing handicapped. The host computer sends a stream of bytes to the parallel port. Upon receipt of the data the interface generates the appropriate burst sequence that is delivered to the patient's external transmitter coil. The coded information is interpreted by the Nucleus-22 internal receiver that delivers the pulse to the specified electrodes at the specified amplitude and pulse width.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.1 no.4
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• pp.203-207
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• 2009

Electrically evoked compound action potentials (ECAP) have originated from the distal end of the auditory nerve. ECAP are characterized as the difference between the clearly large trough (N) and the following positive peak (P). N-wave occurs around $200-400\;{\mu}s$ after stimulus onset and P-wave at around $400-800\;{\mu}s$. Contrary to expectations, positive peaked ECAP (pp-ECAP) was dominated by a relatively large-amplitude positive following negative peak. pp-ECAP can be recorded from the sites on or near the surgically exposed nerve trunk in animal models and/or in cases of monophasic stimulation. This study will provide the causes of the appearance of pp-ECAP in cases of cochlear implant recipients using imaging studies and medical records and statistically analysis between N-P and P-N on the amplitude input-output function (amp-I/O) for the prediction of the possibilities of clinical tools. Thirteen children participated in the study and received a Cochlear CI-24RE (CA). ECAP was recorded using auto-NRT (Cochlear Ltd., Australia) at four to five weeks post surgery. pp-ECAP was measured from 36 electrodes and typical ECAP from 220 electrodes. There was no abnormality in the imaging study and operation finding in patients with typical ECAP. pp-ECAP was found at the inner ear anormaly and ossification in imaging study and gel-state inner ear fluid was observed in the operation finding. The amplitude of pp-ECAP increased depending on current intensities, but amp-I/O increase more gradually than in the case of typical ECAP (p=0.003). pp-ECAP is antidromic potential which can record from the inner ear anormaly and ossified cochlear. Amp-I/O also depends on current intensity as well typical ECAP. These results provide a useful tool for audiological evaluation for the spiral ganglion cell status to the value of pp-ECAP.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.27-32
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• 1999

Cochlear implant poses a contraindication to the magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) process, because MRI generates artifacts, inducing an electrical current and causing device magnetization. CT is relatively expensive and the metal electrodes scatter the image. Post-implantation radiological studies using anterior-posterior transorbital, submental-vertex and lateral views, the intracochlear electrodes are not well displayed. Therefore, the authors developed a special view, which we call the cochlear view. The patient is sitting in front of a vertical device. Then the midsagittal plane is adjusted to form an angle of $15^{\circ},\;30^{\circ}$, and $45^{\circ}$ with the film. The flexion of the neck is adjusted to make the infraorbitomeatal line(IOML) is parallel with the transverse axis of the film. The central ray is directed to exit from the skull at point which is 3.0 cm anterior and 2.0 cm superior to the EAM(external auditory meatus). Results have shown that single radiography of the cochlear view provides sufficient information to demonstrate the position of the electrodes array and the depth of insertion in cochlear. Radiography of the cochlear view in angle of $45^{\circ}$ is an excellent image. The cochlear view gives the greatest amount of medical information with the least radiation and lowest medical cost. It can be widely used in all cochlear implant clinics.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SC
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• v.44 no.2 s.314
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• pp.18-23
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• 2007

Intra-body communication' is a wireless communication technology that uses a body as a transmission medium for electrical signals. Generally, an 'earth ground' is used to create an electric field for operating the system; however this operating method could not apply to telemetry for implanted neural prosthetic devices. So this paper suggests a newly designed intra-body communication for neural prosthetic devices. A floating system which has a couple of electrodes with body was studied to remove an influence of the 'earth ground'. We found that 10MHz is the most suitable carrier frequency in skin experiments and over 3MHz in subcutaneous experiments. The system has been applied to a current stimulator circuit for cochlear implant that uses pulse width modulation (PWM) method at 480kbps rate successfully.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.353-358
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• 2004

Objective : To determine the quality of life and cost consequences for deaf adults who received a cochlear implant. Methods : The data from 11 patients, post-lingual deaf adults who received cochlear implants from 1990 to 2002, underwent cost-utility analysis. The average age of the participants was 49.6 years. The main outcomes were direct cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) using the visual analog scale (VAS), health utility index (HUI), EuroQol (EQ-5D), and quality well-being (QWB), with costs and utilities being discounted 3% annually. Results : Recipients had an average of 5.6 years of implant use. Mean VAS scores increased by 0.33, from 0.27 before implantation to 0.60 at survey. HUI scores increased by 0.36, from 0.29 to 0.65, EQ-5D scores increased by 0.26, from 0.52 to 0.78, and QWB scores increased by 0.16, from 0.45 to 0.61. Discounted direct costs were $22,320, yielding $19,223/QALY using VAS, $17,387/QALY using HUI, $24,604/QALY using EQ-5D, and $40,474/QALY using QWB. Cost-utility ratios using VAS, HUI, and EQ-5D were all below $25,000 per QALY, except using QWB. Conclusion : Cochlear implants in post-lingual deaf adult have a positive effect on quality of life at reasonable direct costs and appear to produce a net saving to society.

• Korean Journal of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
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• v.61 no.12
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• pp.650-657
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• 2018

Background and Objectives The present study aimed to compare receptive and expressive language development in children who have undergone simultaneous bilateral cochlear implantation (SCI) and those who have undergone bimodal stimulation (unilateral CI+ hearing aid). Subjects and Method In a retrospective analysis of clinical data, 15 pediatric patients who have received SCI and nine patients who have received bimodal stimulation (BM group) were enrolled. CI was performed for all patients at 24 months of age. Category of Auditory Performance (CAP) scores, Infant-Toddler Meaningful Auditory Integration Scale (IT-MAIS) scores, and developmental quotients (DQ) for expressive and receptive language were compared between the groups at 12 month of follow-up. The Percentage of Consonants Correct (PCC) of children evaluated at 4 years old was also compared. Results At 12 months of follow-up, significantly greater improvements in CAP scores (${\Delta}4.25{\pm}0.5$) were noted in the SCI group compared to the BM group (${\Delta}3.56{\pm}0.88$, p=0.041). Significantly greater improvements in IT-MAIS scores were also noted in the SCI group (${\Delta}36.17{\pm}4.09$) than in the BM group (${\Delta}30.17{\pm}2.91$, p=0.004). The DQ of receptive language was higher in the SCI group than in the BM group ($87.6{\pm}15.4%$ vs. $75.5{\pm}12.0%$, p=0.023) at 12 months of follow-up. Moreover, early SCI was associated with better receptive language skills. PCC index of children at 4 years old was higher in the SCI group than in the BM group ($88.5{\pm}13.2%$ vs. $62{\pm}15.8%$, p=0.014). Earlier SCI was associated with even greater improvements. Conclusion Bilateral SCI is associated with significant improvements in language development when compared with bimodal stimulation. Earlier SCI was associated with better outcomes.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.99-107
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• 2022

This study attempted to analyze the consonant perception ability and errors and to verify compatibility items for hearing impaired children wearing hearing aids and cochlear implants using the Phoneme Perception Test for School-Aged children (PPT-S). As a result of the study, it was found that children with hearing impairments have more difficulty in perceiving final consonants than initial consonants. The hard type of PPT-S, in which the articulation method and articulation place of the target and foil words are similar, felt more difficult than the easy type. Among the initial consonants, the incorrect response rate for aspiration sound was higher. In the case of final consonants, the incorrect answer rate for 'ㄷ' and 'ㅁ' was relatively higher. There was no significant difference in the percentage of correct response rate according to the gender of the speaker. The above results can be usefully used as basic data for standardizing of PPT-S and evaluating the intervention effects before and after hearing rehabilitation with hearing impaired children.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.125-134
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• 2011

The current study investigated the effects of experience of deaf speech, severity of speaker's articulation, and linguistic cues on speech intelligibility of congenitally deafened adults with cochlear implants. Speech intelligibility was judged by 28 experienced listeners and 40 inexperienced listeners using a word transcription task. A three-way (2 $\times$ 2 $\times$ 4) mixed design was used with the experience of deaf speech (experienced/inexperienced listener) as a between-subject factor, the severity of speaker's articulation (mild to moderate/moderate to severe), and linguistic cues (no/phonetic/semantic/combined) as within-subject factors. The dependent measure was the number of correctly transcribed words. Results revealed that three main effects were statistically significant. Experienced listeners showed better performance on the transcription than inexperienced listeners, and listeners were better in transcribing speakers who were mild to moderate than moderate to severe. There were significant differences in speech intelligibility among the four different types of cues, showing that the combined cues provided the greatest enhancement of the intelligibility scores (combined > semantic > phonological > no). Three two-way interactions were statistically significant, indicating that the type of cues and severity of speakers differentiated experienced listeners from inexperienced listeners. The current results suggested that the use of a combination of linguistic cues increased the speech intelligibility of congenitally deafened adults with cochlear implants, and the experience of deaf speech was critical especially in evaluating speech intelligibility of severe speakers compared to that of mild speakers.