MALLEABLE IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE

• US 20090216324A1
• Filed: 02/22/2008
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Original Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Inventors: Abela, Andrew Leonard, Medina-Taylor, Evelia Ysabel, Kennedy, Steven J., Huben, Mark A. von, Leigh, Charles R. A., Cryer, Adrian R.
• Application Number:
  US12/036,110
• Publication Number:
  US 20090216324A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/10
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/20 Ear surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30583 filled with hardenable fluid, e.g. curable in-situ
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0085 hardenable in situ, e.g. epoxy resins
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0541 Cochlear electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36036 of the outer, middle or inner ear
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36038 Cochlear stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37223 Circuits for electromagnetic coupling
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/375 Constructional arrangements, e.g. casings
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/67 Implantable hearing aids or parts thereof not covered by H04R25/606

Abstract

A malleable implantable medical device for implanting in a recipient comprising a flexible region of the medical device, one or more structures proximate to the flexible region, wherein the one or more structures is configured to provide a bending force to the flexible region, and one or more hermetically sealed medical components coupled to the flexible region, wherein the one or more medical components is configured to provide a therapeutic effect on the recipient.

Claims

1. A malleable implantable medical device for implanting in a recipient comprising:

a flexible region of the medical device;

one or more structures proximate to said flexible region, wherein said one or more structures is configured to provide a bending force to said flexible region; and

one or more hermetically sealed medical components coupled to said flexible region, wherein said one or more medical components is configured to provide a therapeutic effect on the recipient.

2. The malleable implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein said one or more structures comprises:

one or more chambers disposed within said flexible region; and

one or more curable materials disposed within each of said one or more chambers, wherein said one or more curable materials is configured to be cured while said flexible region is bent such that said cured materials adopts said bent angle thereby providing a bending force to said flexible region after being cured.

3. The malleable implantable medical device of claim 2, further comprising at least one dividing membrane configured to be deformed by manual pressure thereby permitting intermixing of said two or more curable materials prior to becoming cured.

4. The malleable implantable medical device of claim 2, wherein said two or more curable materials are configured to become cured by a chemical reaction between said two or more curable materials.

5. The malleable implantable medical device of claim 2, wherein said two or more curable materials are configured to become cured upon subjection to external energy.

6. The malleable implantable medical device of claim 5, wherein said external energy comprises heat.

7. The malleable implantable medical device of claim 5, wherein said external energy comprises UV light.

8. The malleable implantable medical device of claim 2, wherein said one or more chambers further comprise:

a first and a second chamber disposed substantially in concentric fashion with respect to one another.

9. The malleable implantable medical device of claim 2, wherein said one or more chambers further comprise:

a first and a second chamber configured to contain unequal volumes of said curable materials.

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

a punch tool contained within one of said one or more chambers, said punch tool comprising a pushing surface and a tip, wherein said tip is positioned adjacent to said dividing membrane and configured to provide a punch into a second of said one or more chambers through said dividing membrane upon receiving an external pressure.

11. The malleable implantable medical device of claim 10, wherein said tip is configured with a sharp point configured to provide said punch into said second chamber.

12. The malleable implantable medical device of claim 2, wherein said one or more curable materials disposed within each of said one or more chambers is configured to be provided by an injection device prior to curing and implanting said medical device in said recipient.

13. The malleable implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein said one or more structures comprises:

one or more bendable spine, wherein said bendable spine is configured to retain a bend upon being bent to a desired shape.

14. The malleable implantable medical device of claim 3, wherein said curable materials is selected and arranged to have a softness on a durometer scale (Shore A) of approximately 30-60 upon being cured.

15. A method for using a malleable implantable medical device for implanting in a recipient comprising:

providing one or more structures proximately to a flexible region of the medical device, wherein the one or more structures is configured to provide a bending force to the flexible region; and

fixing said one or more structures proximate to the flexible region.

16. The method for using a malleable implantable medical device of claim 15, wherein said providing one or more structures comprises providing one or more curable materials and further wherein said fixing said one or more structures further comprises subjecting said provided one or more curable materials to external energy.

17. The method for using a malleable implantable medical device of claim 16, wherein said providing one or more structures further comprises:

intermixing said provided one or more curable materials prior to said subjecting said provided one or more materials to external energy.

18. The method for using a malleable implantable medical device of claim 16, wherein said external energy comprises heat.

19. The method for using a malleable implantable medical device of claim 16, wherein said external energy comprises UV light.

20. A malleable implantable medical device for implanting in a recipient comprising:

means for providing one or more structures proximately to a flexible region of the medical device, wherein the one or more structures is configured to provide a bending force to the flexible region; and

means for fixing said one or more structures proximate to the flexible region.