目前对刺激速率是否影响电子耳蜗纯音频率分辨尚不清楚。分别开启基部和顶部4个电极,测试了刺激速率分别为250、720、900、1 200和2 400pps/ch(pulses per second per channel,pps/ch)的频率分辨率。共有11位佩戴Nucleus的ESPrit 3G言语处理器、并采用ACE(advanced combined encoder,ACE)处理策略的语后聋电子耳蜗植入者参与了实验。结果表明:1kHz以下纯音的频率分辨率要显著高于1kHz以上;刺激速率对纯音频率分辨率无显著影响。另外,与正常耳蜗对声刺激的响应不同,开启基部电极时高频段频率分辨率较低。进一步验证了刺激速率对无调语音识别无影响的相关研究结果。
Directional speech enhancement of signals from microphone arrays is an effective way to improve speech recognition for cochlear implant users. The strict implant size limitation results in a short distance between microphones. The fractional delay problem due to the short distance between microphones is solved by a maximal flat (Maxflat) finite impulse response (FIR) filter, using the Maxflat error criteria at a low frequency containing most of the speech information and energy. The fractional Maxfiat FIR filter approximates the ideal digital fractional filter at the magnitude response, phase response, and phase delay characteristics, and is also very low order. The results demonstrate that the Maxflat FIR filter accurately and effectively solves the fractional digital delay and is very suitable for real-time speech processing in practical cochlear implant products.