MAINTAINING LOW IMPEDANCE OF ELECTRODES

• US 20090204177A1
• Filed: 04/14/2009
• Published: 08/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Original Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Inventors: Parker, John, Milojevic, Dusan
• Granted Patent: US 8,175,722 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/55
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/10 Macromolecular materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0541 Cochlear electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36038 Cochlear stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 71/02 Polyalkylene oxides

Abstract

An implantable tissue-stimulating device for an implantee comprising: an elongate member, and at least one electrode disposed on the elongate member, wherein at least a portion of the device is coated, prior to implantation in the implantee, with a coating configured to at least partially inhibit adhesion of body tissue to the device following implantation, and wherein the coating is removable, after implantation, by an electrochemical cleaning process during which potential of one or more of the at least one electrode is increased and then decreased.

Claims

1-29. -29. (canceled)

30. An implantable tissue-stimulating device for an implantee comprising:

an elongate member; and

at least one electrode disposed on said elongate member,

wherein at least a portion of the device is coated, prior to implantation in the implantee, with a coating configured to at least partially inhibit adhesion of body tissue to said device following implantation, and wherein the coating is removable, after implantation, by an electrochemical cleaning process during which potential of one or more of said at least one electrode is increased and then decreased.

31. The device of claim 30, wherein the coating is polyethylene glycol (PEG).

32. The device of claim 30, wherein the coating has functional groups that enable functional bonding between the coating and said portion of the device.

33. The device of claim 32, wherein the functional groups enable functional bonding between the coating and an electrically active electrode surface.

34. The device of claim 33, wherein the electrically active electrode surface is gold or platinum.

35. The device of claim 30, wherein said one or more of said at least one electrode is coated with said coating.

36. The device of claim 30, wherein a portion of the elongate member is coated with the coating.

37. The device of claim 30, wherein each of said one or more electrodes is positioned in a recess formed in the elongate body.

38. The device of claim 37, wherein the coating is applied to each of said one or more electrodes in a liquid form which is configured to become a solid subsequent to application.

39. The device of claim 30, wherein the coating is bioresorbable following implantation.

40. The device of claim 30, wherein said coating comprises at least one solute.

41. The device of claim 30, wherein the coating is configured to be a self-assembled monolayer.

42. The device of claim 41, wherein where the elongate member is formed of a silicone, and a layer of a suitable metal is applied to the elongate member prior to coating with the monolayer.

43. The device of claim 30, wherein the tissue-stimulating device is a cochlear implant.

44. The device of claim 30, wherein said coating is configured as a surface pattern.

45. The device of claim 30, wherein the coating is a water soluble coating.

46. The device of claim 45, wherein said water soluble coating is configured to have a life-space of approximately three months or less.

47. The device of claim 46, wherein said water soluble coating is configured to have a life-space of approximately two months or less.

48. The device of claim 30, wherein said coating is disposed on only the electrode.

49. A method of modifying the surface of at least a portion of an implantable tissue stimulating device, the method comprising:

providing the tissue stimulating device having at least one electrode having a coating disposed thereon configured to at least partially inhibit adhesion of body tissue to said device following implantation; and

removing the coating by an electrochemical cleaning process by increasing and then decreasing the potential of the at least one electrode.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein the coating is a water soluble coating.

51. The method of claim 49, wherein the coating is configured as a surface pattern.

52. The method of claim 50, wherein said water soluble coating is configured to have a life-space of approximately three months or less.

53. The method of claim 50, wherein said water soluble coating is configured to have a life-space of approximately two months or less.

54. The method of claim 49, wherein said coating is disposed on only the electrode.

55. An implantable apparatus for delivering electrical stimulation to an implantee, the apparatus comprising:

an elongate member, having at least one electrode supported thereon configured to receive informative stimuli and an inhibitory stimulation signal and to deliver said informative stimuli and the inhibitory stimulation signal to the implantee, wherein said inhibitory stimulation signal is configured to inhibit adherence of body tissue on said implantable device; and

a stimulator device configured to generate said informative stimuli and said inhibitory stimulation signal, wherein said inhibitory stimulation signal is configured to have a magnitude below the auditory perception threshold of the implantee, wherein said inhibitory signal comprises at least one pair of anodic and cathodic phases and is configured to at least partially inhibit adhesion of body tissue to said elongate member in a region proximal the at least one electrode, and further wherein said stimulator device is configured to generate said inhibitory stimulation signal after implantation of said apparatus.

56. The implantable apparatus of claim 55, wherein said stimulator device is configured to generate said inhibitory stimulation signal at a rate of approximately equal to or less than one per minute.

57. The implantable apparatus of claim 55, wherein said stimulator device is controllably coupled to a clock, said stimulator device being configured to generate said inhibitory stimulation signal based on said clock.

58. The implantable apparatus of claim 57, wherein said stimulator device is configured to receive programming instructions from at least one of the recipient or a clinician for generating said inhibitory stimulation based on said clock.