The CherISH network

Project 9:  Enhancing binaural cues in bilatetal cochlear implants: Sound coding for better spatial perception and auditory experience

Host Institution: Cochlear’s Advanced Algorithms lab in Cochlear’s European innovation hub in Mechelen, Belgium.
The project will be conducted in close collaboration with the Research group Experimental OtoRhinoLaryngology (ExpORL) lab at the nearby University of Leuven (Prof. Jan Wouters and Prof. Tom Francart).

Cochlear implants (CIs) restore hearing for individuals with severe to profound hearing loss, yet they struggle to recreate natural sound. A key limitation in bilateral CI recipients is the limited encoding of binaural cues, partially caused by poor coordination between left and right implants. Such cues are crucial for sound localization and speech intelligibility. This project aims to overcome these challenges by developing and validating innovative binaural strategies that better encode binaural cues namely ILDs and ITDs. Benefits from current encoding methods will be combined to better enhance spatial awareness and speech understanding, especially in noisy environments, ultimately improving listening experience and quality of life.

Our Partners in this project:

• UT, University of Tübingen, Germany [Secondment 1]
• Nemo Lab (Former 4DSOund)/Spatial Sound Institute, Hungary [Secondment 2]
• University of Leuven, Belgium [PhD degree]
• RNCS, TTK Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungary
• BME, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Hungary