Treatment of the ear

• US 10,406,334 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2017
• Issued: 09/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Original Assignee: Cochler Limited
• Inventors: Verhoeven, Kristien Johanna Maria, Smyth, Daniel, Kirk, Jonathon, Treaba, Claudiu G., Andersson, Marcus
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilbert, Andrew M
• Application Number:
  US15/450,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20170173315A1
• Time in Patent Office: 918 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/00 Methods or devices for treatment of the ears or hearing sense implantable prostheses that substitute or replace internal ear parts, e.g. ear-drums, A61F2/18; methods or devices to cause a change in the state of auditory consciousness A61M21/00; electrotherapy applying electrical stimulation of the auditory system, or circuits therefor A61N1/36; radiotherapy using optical stimulation of the auditory system A61N5/06; electro-acoustic hearing aids H04R25/00; Non-electric hearing aids; Methods or devices for enabling ear patients to achieve auditory perception through physiological senses other than hearing sense; Protective devices for the ears, carried on the body or in the hand headwear, e.g. caps or helmets, with means for protecting the ears A42B1/0188, A42B3/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/1403 Flushing or purging
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/075 Bulb type
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/0662 Ears
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/0668 Middle ear
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/0687 Skull, cranium
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 31/002 Devices for releasing a drug at a continuous and controlled rate for a prolonged period of time artificial gland structures or devices A61F2/022; intra-uterine contraceptive devices A61F6/14; tampons for introducing into the vagina A61F13/20, A61L15/00; suppositories or bougies for intra-vaginal or intra-uterine application A61K9/02; physical forms of medicinal preparations for sustained or differential drug release A61K9/20, A61K9/50
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14276 specially adapted for implantation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1428 with manual pumping action
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/145 using pressurised reservoirs, e.g. pressurised by means of pistons
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/148 flexible, e.g. independent bagsA61M5/155 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/16804 Flow controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/67 Implantable hearing aids or parts thereof not covered by H04R25/606

Abstract

Presented herein are implantable systems and methods for long-term delivery of treatment substance to the ear of a recipient of an implantable auditory prosthesis.

Claims

1. An implantable medical device, comprising:

a reservoir configured to have a treatment substance disposed therein;

a delivery tube fluidically coupled to the reservoir and configured to deliver the treatment substance to the inner ear of a recipient of the implantable medical device; and

at least one resiliently flexible portion configured to deform in response to application of a user applied external force applied through the skin of the recipient so as to advance a portion of the treatment substance through the implantable medical device.

2. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the at least one resiliently flexible portion comprises a portion of the reservoir.

3. The implantable medical device of claim 1, further comprising:

a check valve fluidically coupling the reservoir to the delivery tube.

4. The implantable medical device of claim 3, wherein the check valve comprises:

a magnetically activated check valve fluidically coupling the reservoir to the delivery tube, wherein the magnetically activated check valve is configured to open in response to an externally applied magnetic field.

5. The implantable medical device of claim 1, further comprising an expansion tube disposed between the reservoir and the delivery tube, and wherein the at least one resiliently flexible portion comprises a portion of the expansion tube.

6. The implantable medical device of claim 1, further comprising:

a secondary reservoir connected between the reservoir and the delivery tube.

7. The implantable medical device of claim 1, further comprising:

an implanted magnetic positioning member located adjacent the least one resiliently flexible portion.

8. The implantable medical device of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more fixation mechanisms configured to retain various components of the implantable medical device at a selected implanted location to ensure that the treatment substance is delivered to the inner ear.

9. The implantable medical device of claim 8, wherein at least one fixation mechanism comprises an elongate wire extending through a section of the delivery tube.

10. The implantable medical device of claim 8, wherein at least one fixation mechanism comprises an elongate wire mesh disposed around a section of the delivery tube.

11. The implantable medical device of claim 8, wherein at least one of the one or more fixation mechanisms comprises:

an implantable delivery tube positioning mechanism comprising a first extension arm configured to be secured to tissue of the recipient and a second extension arm configured to retain a portion of the delivery tube, wherein the first and second extension arms are connected by a joint that permits adjustment of the second extension arm relative to the first extension arm.

12. The implantable medical device of claim 1, further comprising a delivery device disposed at a distal end of the delivery tube configured to transfer the treatment substance from the delivery tube to the inner ear.

13. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the at least one resiliently flexible portion forms part of the implantable medical device that is configured to have the treatment substance disposed therein.

14. A method for delivering a treatment substance to the inner ear of a recipient of an implantable medical device, comprising:

receiving, through the skin of the recipient, a user applied external force delivered to at least one resiliently flexible portion of the implantable medical device, wherein the at least one resiliently flexible portion forms part of a portion of the implantable medical device that is configured to have the treatment substance disposed therein, and wherein the user applied external force causes the at least one resiliently flexible portion of the implantable medical device to deform; and

in response to the deformation of the at least one resiliently flexible portion of the implantable medical device, administering a portion of a treatment substance to the inner ear of the recipient.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the implantable medical device comprises an implantable reservoir, and wherein receiving the user applied external force delivered to the at least one resiliently flexible portion of the implantable medical device, comprises:

receiving a user applied external force delivered to a resiliently flexible portion of the implantable reservoir.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the implantable reservoir is fluidically coupled to a delivery tube via a check valve, and wherein administering a portion of the treatment substance to the inner ear of the recipient of the implantable medical device comprises:

propelling a portion of the treatment substance through the check valve into the delivery tube for delivery to the inner ear of the recipient.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the implantable medical device comprises an implantable reservoir, a delivery tube, and an expansion tube disposed between the reservoir and the delivery tube, and wherein receiving the user applied external force delivered to the at least one resiliently flexible portion of the implantable medical device, comprises:

receiving a user applied external force delivered to a resiliently flexible portion of the expansion tube.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the implantable medical device comprises an implantable reservoir fluidically coupled to a delivery tube via a magnetically activated check valve, and wherein the method further comprises:

in response to the positioning an external magnet in a proximity to the magnetically activated check valve, opening the magnetically activated check valve.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the implantable medical device comprises an implantable reservoir and an implantable flushing reservoir each configured to be selectively fluidically coupled to a delivery tube, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, through the skin of the recipient, a user applied external force delivered to at least one resiliently flexible portion of the implantable flushing reservoir, wherein the user applied external force causes the at least one resiliently flexible portion of the implantable medical device to deform; and

in response to the user applied external force, transferring a portion of a flushing solution disposed in the implantable flushing reservoir to the delivery tube.

20. An implantable medical device, comprising:

a reservoir configured to have a treatment substance disposed therein;

a delivery tube configured to deliver the treatment substance to the inner ear of a recipient of the implantable medical device; and

an expansion tube disposed between the reservoir and the delivery tube,

wherein at least one of the reservoir and the expansion tube comprises a resiliently flexible portion that is configured to deform in response to application of a user applied external force applied through the skin of the recipient so as to advance a portion of the treatment substance through the medical device.

21. The implantable medical device of claim 20, wherein the resiliently flexible portion forms part of the reservoir.

22. The implantable medical device of claim 20, wherein the resiliently flexible portion forms part of the expansion tube.

23. The implantable medical device of claim 20, wherein the resiliently flexible portion is configured to propel a portion of the treatment substance into the expansion tube.