Fixation devices for cochlear implant speech processors

• US 8,177,112 B1
• Filed: 02/27/2009
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Bionics AG (Sonova Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Advanced Bionics LLC (Sonova Holding AG)
• Inventors: Crawford, Scott A., Hartley, Lee F., Kruger, Tracey L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Larson, Justin
• Assistant Examiner(s): WAGGENSPACK, ADAM J
• Application Number:
  US12/394,549
• Time in Patent Office: 1,173 Days
• Field of Search: 224666-676, 224/930, 24/46, 243/51
• US Class Current: 224/666
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 5/02 Fastening articles to the garment
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 5/021 to the belt
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 224/93 Attached to animate bearer

Abstract

A kit of fixation devices for cochlear implant speech processors comprising a spring loaded alligator clip including front and rear pivotally connected legs, a top portion of the front leg forming a support latch with an upper portion of one of several vertically extending cradles shaped to receive and support speech processors of different size while (i) allowing for replacement of the battery pack of the processor, (ii) protecting the control panel thereof against accidental actuation and (iii) supporting the processor cable, the front and rear legs of the alligator clip including hooks for engaging and capturing a safety pin that may have been already attached to the clothing of a user of the processor.

Claims

1. A fixation device for a cochlear implant speech processor comprising:

a spring loaded clip including vertically extending front and rear pivotally connected legs, the front leg having an upper portion and arms extending forward from opposite vertically extending sides thereof to embrace a speech processor,

a vertically extending cradle including a back having an upper portion for support between the forwardly extending arms of the clip and a base shaped to releasably receive and support a speech processor, and

a top of the front leg of the clip and the upper portion of the cradle forming a support latch for releasably securing the cradle to the front leg of the clip wherein when the cradle is attached to the clip, the arms engage the speech processor.

2. The fixation device of claim 1 wherein the support latch comprises:

a vertically extending channel on a back of the front leg,

a laterally extending horizontal tongue in a top surface of the front leg of the clip open to the vertically extending channel on the back of the front leg and

a laterally extending inverted U-shaped hook extending rearward from a top of the cradle onto the horizontal tongue of the front leg of the clip with vertical edges of the hook engaging sides of the vertically extending channel.

3. The fixation device of claim 1 wherein the front and rear legs of the clip include hook members for engaging and receiving a safety pin when the clip is in an open condition and for capturing the safety pin when the clip is in a closed condition to secure the clip to clothing to which the safety pin may already be attached.

4. The fixation device of claim 3 wherein the hook members for engaging and capturing a safety pin include vertically spaced hook members on one of the front and back legs of the clip and facing the other of the front and back legs for receiving a vertical leg of a safety pin when the clip is in an open condition and a central hook member on the other of the front and back legs of the clip between the hooks on the one of the front and back legs for engaging the vertical leg of the safety pin when the clip is in a closed position.

5. The fixation device of claim 1 wherein the base of the support cradle includes an open side for passing a battery pack of the speech processor as it is separated from the supported speech processor for replacement or recharging.

6. The fixation device of claim 1 wherein an upper portion of the support cradle includes a forwardly extending cover for protecting a control panel of the speech processor from accidental actuation.

7. The fixation device of claim 1 wherein the support cradle includes support surfaces for routing and protecting a cable of the processor supported by the cradle.

8. A kit of fixation devices for supporting different size speech processors of cochlear implant systems, comprising:

a spring loaded clip including vertically extending front and rear pivotally connected legs, the front leg having an upper portion and arms extending forward from opposite vertically extending sides thereof to embrace speech processors of different sizes,

a plurality of differently sized vertically extending cradles each including an back having an upper portion for support between the forwardly extending arms of the clip and each having a base shaped to releasably receive and support a speech processor of a different size, and

a top of the front leg of the clip and the upper portion of each of the cradles forming a releasable support latch for each of the cradles to the front leg of the clip wherein when the cradle is attached to the clip, the arms engage the speech processor.

9. The kit of claim 8 wherein each support latch comprises:

a vertically extending channel on a back of the front leg of the clip,

a laterally extending horizontal tongue in a top surface of the front leg of the clip open to the vertically extending channel on the back of the front leg and

a laterally extending inverted U-shaped hook extending rearward from a top of each of the cradles onto the horizontal tongue of the front leg of the clip with vertical edges of the hook engaging sides of the vertically extending channel.

10. The kit of claim 8 wherein the front and rear legs of the belt clip include hook members for engaging and receiving a safety pin when the clip is in an open condition and for capturing the safety pin when the clip is in a closed condition to secure the clip to clothing to which the safety pin may already be attached.

11. The kit of claim 10 wherein the hook members for engaging and capturing a safety pin include vertically spaced hook members on one of the front and back legs of the clip and facing the other of the front and back legs for receiving a vertical leg of a safety pin when the clip is in an open condition and a central hook member on the other of the front and back legs of the clip between the hooks on the one of the front and back legs for engaging the vertical leg of the safety pin when the clip is in a closed position.

12. The kit of claim 8 wherein the base of the support cradles include open sides for passing speech processor battery packs as they separate from the supported speech processors for replacement or recharging.

13. The kit of claim 8 wherein backs of the support cradles include forwardly extending cover arms for protecting control panels of the speech processors supported by the cradles from accidental actuation.

14. The kit of claim 8 wherein each of the processor support cradles includes support surfaces for routing and protecting cables of the processor supported by the cradle.