Cochlear implant electrode array
First Claim
1. An implantable tissue-stimulating device comprising:
- an elongate carrier member having at least one electrode mounted thereon and having a first insertion configuration selected to allow said elongate carrier member to be inserted into an implantee'"'"'s body and at least a second implanted configuration, wherein said elongate carrier member is made of a resiliently flexible first material;
a bioresorbable stiffening element disposed in a lumen of the elongate carrier member and the bioresorbable stiffening element having a configuration selected for biasing said elongate carrier member into said first insertion configuration, said bioresorbable stiffening element being made of a second material relatively stiffer than said first material wherein said second material dissolves on exposure to a fluid to permit said elongate carrier member to substantially adopt said second implanted configuration while in the implantee'"'"'s body; and
an outer layer surrounding the bioresorbable stiffening element and the elongate carrier member, the outer layer being made of a material sufficiently resiliently flexible to allow said elongate carrier member to substantially adopt said second implanted configuration, and wherein the outer layer has at least one fluid ingress means formed therein.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A cochlear implant electrode assembly (10) comprising an elongate electrode carrier member (11), a bioresorbable stiffening element (15) and an outer layer (16) surrounding the stiffening element (15). The carrier member (11) is made of a resiliently flexible first material and has a plurality of electrodes (12) mounted thereon and has a first configuration selected to allow it to be inserted into an implantee'"'"'s cochlea, and at least a second configuration wherein it is curved to match a surface of the cochlea. The bioresorbable stiffening element (15) has a configuration selected for biassing the elongate member (11) into the first configuratin and is made of a second material relatively stiffer than the first material and which dissolves or softens on exposure to cochlear fluids to permit the elongate member (11) to at least approach or adopt the second configuration. The outer layer (16) surrounding the stiffening element (15) is made of a material sufficiently resiliently flexible to allow the elongate member (11) to at least approach or adopt the second configuration. The outer layer (16) has a first rate of cochlear fluid ingress therethrough and has at least one fluid ingress means (21) formed therein. The rate of cochlear fluid ingress through the fluid ingress means (21) is greater than the first rate of cochlear fluid ingress through the outer layer (16).
69 Citations
107 Claims
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1. An implantable tissue-stimulating device comprising:
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an elongate carrier member having at least one electrode mounted thereon and having a first insertion configuration selected to allow said elongate carrier member to be inserted into an implantee'"'"'s body and at least a second implanted configuration, wherein said elongate carrier member is made of a resiliently flexible first material; a bioresorbable stiffening element disposed in a lumen of the elongate carrier member and the bioresorbable stiffening element having a configuration selected for biasing said elongate carrier member into said first insertion configuration, said bioresorbable stiffening element being made of a second material relatively stiffer than said first material wherein said second material dissolves on exposure to a fluid to permit said elongate carrier member to substantially adopt said second implanted configuration while in the implantee'"'"'s body; and an outer layer surrounding the bioresorbable stiffening element and the elongate carrier member, the outer layer being made of a material sufficiently resiliently flexible to allow said elongate carrier member to substantially adopt said second implanted configuration, and wherein the outer layer has at least one fluid ingress means formed therein. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A cochlear implant electrode assembly comprising:
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an elongate carrier member having at least one electrode mounted thereon and having a first insertion configuration selected to allow said elongate carrier member to be inserted into an implantee'"'"'s cochlea and at least a second implanted configuration to allow said elongate carrier member to substantially approximate a curve of said cochlea, wherein said elongate carrier member is made of a resiliently flexible first material; a bioresorbable stiffening element disposed in a lumen of the elongate carrier member and the bioresorbable stiffening element having a configuration selected for biasing said elongate carrier member into said first insertion configuration, said bioresorbable stiffening element being made of a second material relatively stiffer than said first material, wherein said bioresorbable stiffening element dissolves on exposure to cochlear fluids to permit said elongate carrier member to substantially adopt said second implanted configuration; and an outer layer surrounding the bioresorbable stiffening element and the elongate carrier member, the outer layer is made of a material sufficiently resiliently flexible to allow said elongate carrier member to substantially adopt said second implanted configuration, and wherein the outer layer includes at least one fluid ingress means formed therein. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A cochlear implant electrode assembly comprising:
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an elongate carrier member having at least one electrode mounted thereon and having a first insertion configuration selected to allow said elongate carrier member to be inserted into an implantee'"'"'s cochlea and at least a second implanted configuration to allow said elongate carrier member to substantially approximate a curve of said cochlea, wherein said elongate carrier member is made of a resiliently flexible first material; a bioresorbable stiffening element disposed in a lumen of the carrier member and having a configuration selected for biasing said elongate carrier member into said first insertion configuration, said bioresorbable stiffening element being made of a second material relatively stiffer than said first material, wherein said bioresorbable stiffening element dissolves on exposure to cochlear fluids to permit said elongate carrier member to substantially adopt said second implanted configuration; and an outer layer surrounding the bioresorbable stiffening element and the elongate carrier member, the outer layer is made of a material sufficiently resiliently flexible to allow said elongate carrier member to substantially adopt said second implanted configuration, and wherein the outer layer includes plurality of fluid ingress means and each fluid ingress means comprise regions of silicone having a thickness less than that of the outer layer. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69)
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70. A cochlear implant electrode assembly comprising:
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an elongate carrier member having at least one electrode mounted thereon and having a first insertion configuration selected to allow said elongate carrier member to be inserted into an implantee'"'"'s cochlea and at least a second implanted configuration to allow said elongate carrier member to substantially approximate a curve of said cochlea, wherein said elongate carrier member is made of a resiliently flexible first material; a bioresorbable stiffening element stiffening element disposed in a lumen of the carrier member and having a configuration selected for biasing said elongate carrier member into said first insertion configuration, said bioresorbable stiffening element being made of a second material relatively stiffer than said first material, wherein said bioresorbable stiffening element dissolves on exposure to cochlear fluids to permit said elongate carrier member to substantially adopt said second implanted configuration; and an outer layer surrounding the bioresorbable stiffening element and the elongate carrier member, the outer layer is made of a material sufficiently resiliently flexible to allow said elongate carrier member to substantially adopt said second implanted configuration, and wherein the outer layer includes a plurality of slits formed therein so as to have substantially the same rate of ingress of the cochlear fluids through the outer layer. - View Dependent Claims (71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86)
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87. A cochlear implant electrode assembly comprising:
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an elongate carrier member having at least one electrode mounted thereon and having a first insertion configuration selected to allow said elongate carrier member to be inserted into an implantee'"'"'s cochlea and at least a second implanted configuration to allow said elongate carrier member to substantially approximate a curve of said cochlea, wherein said elongate carrier member is made of a resiliently flexible first material; a bioresorbable stiffening element having a configuration selected for biasing said elongate carrier member into said first insertion configuration, said bioresorbable stiffening element being made of a second material relatively stiffer than said first material, wherein said bioresorbable stiffening element dissolves on exposure to cochlear fluids to permit said elongate carrier member to substantially adopt said second implanted configuration; and an outer layer surrounding the bioresorbable stiffening element and the elongate carrier member, the outer layer is made of a material sufficiently resiliently flexible to allow said elongate carrier member to substantially adopt said second implanted configuration, and wherein the outer layer includes a plurality of slits formed therein so at least one slit of the plurality of slits has a different rate of progress of the cochlear fluids through the outer layer compared to the other slits in the outer layer. - View Dependent Claims (88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107)
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Specification