Medical implant drug delivery device

• US 8,515,560 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2003
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Original Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Inventors: Debruyne, Kristine, Fiedler, Dirk, Kaiser, Thomas, Kloeck, Ben, Milojevic, Dusan, Parker, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Stoklosa, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US10/536,714
• Publication Number:
  US 20060287689A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,553 Days
• Field of Search: 607/57, 607/120, 607/137
• US Class Current: 607/137
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/0046 Ear
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2300/00 Biologically active materials used in bandages, wound dressings, absorbent pads or medical devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2430/14 for ear reconstruction or ear implants, e.g. implantable hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 27/54 Biologically active materials, e.g. therapeutic substances A61L27/227 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/16 Biologically active materials, e.g. therapeutic substances A61L31/047 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/0668 Middle ear
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 31/00 Devices for introducing or retaining media, e.g. remedies, in cavities of the body A61M25/00 takes precedence ; introducing or retaining ophthalmic products into the ocular cavities A61F9/0008
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/05 for implantation or insertion into the body, e.g. heart electrode A61N1/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0541 Cochlear electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 41/00 Drugs used in surgical methods, e.g. surgery adjuvants for preventing adhesion or for vitreum substitution

Abstract

Devices for the delivery of a bioactive substance to a cochlea and methods of delivery thereof. The devices include means to allow the release of the bioactive substance within a cochlea.

Claims

1. An implantable tissue stimulating device comprising:

an electrode assembly comprising a lead and an elongate member having its proximal end contiguous with a distal end of the lead, and having one or more electrodes disposed on or in the elongate member; and

a slider means for delivery of a bioactive substance slidably mounted on the lead such the lead extends through the slider means, the slider means configured to receive a bioactive substance and deliver the bioactive substance to a target site in the recipient.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a stop member, disposed on the electrode assembly, configured to prevent the slider means from sliding beyond the stop member toward a distal end of the elongate member.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein a portion of the lead is configured to be implanted in a middle ear of the recipient, and wherein the slider means is dimensioned to slide along a portion of the lead implanted in the middle ear.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the slider means has a plurality of different diameters along the length of the slider means.

5. The cochlear implant of claim 1, wherein the slider means includes a chamber configured to receive a bioactive substance and configured to retain the bioactive substance therein for a period of time.

6. The cochlear implant of claim 5, wherein the chamber is annular and surrounds a lumen of the slider means through which the electrical lead passes.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the slider means further comprises:

an outlet in fluid communication with the chamber; and

a semi-permeable membrane disposed in the outlet and configured to leach the bioactive substance from the chamber to the target site.

8. The device of claim 5, wherein the slider means further comprises:

an inlet in fluid communication with the chamber.

9. The cochlear implant of claim 8, wherein the slider means further comprises:

an outlet in fluid communication with the chamber,

wherein the chamber is configured to pass the bioactive substance from the inlet to the outlet.

10. The cochlear implant of claim 8, wherein the inlet is disposed in a proximal end of the slider means, and the outlet is disposed in a distal end of the slider means.

11. The cochlear implant of claim 10, wherein the chamber is a pipe extending through the slider means from the inlet to the outlet.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the device is a cochlear implant.

13. A cochlear implant comprising:

a stimulator unit configured to generate electrical stimulation signals;

an electrode assembly comprising a lead extending from the stimulator unit, and a contiguous elongate member implantable in a recipient'"'"'s cochlea;

one or more electrodes disposed on or in the elongate member each configured to deliver the electrical stimulation signals to the cochlea; and

an annular collar slidably mounted around the lead such that the lead extends through a lumen in the collar, the collar having a non-porous cavity therein configured to receive a bioactive substance and an outlet located on an exterior face of the collar through which the bioactive substance can pass from the cavity to a target site in the recipient,

wherein the outlet faces the electrode assembly and forms a boundary of the cavity.