Hybrid cochlear/vestibular implant

• US 20050267549A1
• Filed: 05/20/2005
• Published: 12/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Advanced Bionics LLC (Sonova Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Faltys, Michael A., Della Santina, Charles C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,225,028 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/57
• 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 1/372 Arrangements in connection with the implantation of stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37211 Means for communicating with stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source

Abstract

A system for treating patients affected both by hearing loss and by balance disorders related to vestibular hypofunction and/or malfunction, which includes sensors of sound and head movement, processing circuitry, a power source, and an implantable electrical stimulator capable of stimulating areas of the cochlea and areas of the vestibular system.

Claims

1. An implantable stimulation system, comprising:

an implantable cochlear/vestibular stimulator (ICVS) module having at least one electrode array attached thereto, the electrode array having at least one electrode contact at or near a distal end thereof, wherein the at least one electrode contact has a respective electrical conductor attached thereto, all of the electrical conductors being electrically connected with stimulation circuitry housed within the ICVS module; and

an implantable speech and motion processor (ISMP) module having speech processing (SP) electronic circuitry, motion sensing and processing (MP) electronic circuitry, and a battery all hermetically sealed therein.

2. The implantable stimulation system of claim 1, wherein the ICVS has at least two stimulation leads attached thereto, with each stimulation lead having at least two spaced-apart electrode contacts at or near a distal end thereof, wherein one of the stimulation leads and associated electrode contacts are adapted for insertion into the cochlea of a patient, and the other of the stimulation leads and associated electrode contacts are adapted for insertion into the semicircular canals or vestibule of the patient, or otherwise in proximity to the patient'"'"'s vestibular nerve or its terminal branches.

3. The implantable stimulation system of claim 1 further comprising at least one motion sensor coupled with the ISMP, wherein the at least one motion sensor includes means for sensing motion of a patient'"'"'s head and means for generating an output signal indicative of sensed motion.

4. The implantable stimulation system of claim 3 wherein the at least one motion sensor is mounted within the ICVS module.

5. The implantable stimulation system of claim 3 wherein the at least one motion sensor comprises an implantable motion sensor that is mounted to an outside surface of a case of the ICVS module.

6. The implantable stimulation system of claim 3 wherein the at least one motion sensor is mounted to the patient'"'"'s skull apart from the ICVS module, and wherein the motion sensor further includes means for sending the output signal to the ICVS over a wireless communication link.

7. The implantable stimulation system of claim 1 wherein the ICVS module and the ISMP module are housed within a single implantable housing.

8. The implantable stimulation system of claim 1 wherein the ICVS module and the ISMP module comprise separate implantable modules that are connected together by a cable link.

9. The implantable stimulation system of claim 1 wherein the ICVS module and the ISMP module comprise separate implantable modules that are coupled together via a wireless link.

10. The implantable stimulation system of claim 9 wherein the wireless link comprises an inductive link that allows power and control signals to be transferred from the ISMP module to the ICVS module.

11. An implantable stimulation system, comprising:

an implantable cochlear/vestibular stimulator (ICVS) having a pulse generator that generates electrical stimulation pulses as defined by control signals, a first lead having a plurality of electrodes thereon adapted to be inserted into a patient'"'"'s cochlea, and a second lead having at least one electrode thereon adapted to be inserted the semicircular canals or vestibule of the patient, or otherwise in proximity to the patient'"'"'s vestibular nerve or its terminal branches, wherein electrical stimulation pulses are selectively provided to the cochlear or vestibular nerve as defined by the control signals;

at least one microphone configured to sense and provide audio information;

at least one motion sensor configured to sense and provide motion information; and

a speech and motion processor (SMP) configured to generate the control signals in response to the audio and motion information provided by the at least one microphone and at least one motion sensor, and to provide the control signals to the ICVS.

12. The implantable stimulation system of claim 11 wherein the at least one motion sensor is fixed relative to a patient'"'"'s skull and generates motion information indicative of movement associated with the patient'"'"'s skull.

13. The implantable stimulation system of claim 12 wherein both the ICVS the SMP are implantable.

14. The implantable stimulation system of claim 13 wherein the implantable ICVS and SMP further include an implantable coil, and wherein the system further includes:

an external headpiece having a coil adapted to be inductively coupled with the implantable coil, and

an external control device coupled with the external headpiece, the external control device including circuits that include means for transmitting power and control signals to the implantable system through the inductively coupled external and implantable coils.

15. The implantable stimulation system of claim 14 wherein the at least one motion sensor is an implantable motion sensor that is coupled directly to the SMP.

16. The implantable stimulation system of claim 14 wherein the at least one motion sensor is an external motion sensor adapted to be fixed to the patient'"'"'s skull and which is coupled to the SMP through a wireless link.

17. The implantable stimulation system of claim 14 wherein the at least one microphone comprises an external microphone coupled to the SMP through a wireless link.

18. The implantable stimulation system of claim 14 wherein the at least one microphone comprises an implantable microphone connected directly to the implantable SMP.

19. The implantable stimulation system of claim 11 wherein the SMP is dividable into a speech processing portion and a motion sensing portion, and wherein the speech processing portion of the SMP comprises an external portion, and wherein the motion sensing portion comprises an implantable portion, and further wherein the at least one motion sensor comprises an implantable motion sensor that is attached to the implantable portion of the SMP.

20. A method of stimulating the vestibular and cochlear nerves of a patient, comprising:

implanting a pulse generator in a patient'"'"'s head, the pulse generator having a first lead with at least one electrode thereon and a second lead with at least one electrode thereon, the pulse generator further having a return electrode, wherein the pulse generator selectively generates electrical stimulation pulses in response to control signals and applies those electrical stimulation pulses to the at least one electrode on the first lead or to the at least one electrode on the second lead;

inserting the first lead into the patient'"'"'s cochlea and the second lead into the patient'"'"'s semicircular canals, vestibule, or otherwise in proximity to the patient'"'"'s vestibular nerve or its terminal branches, whereby electrical stimulation pulses are selectively provided to the cochlear or vestibular nerve as defined by the control signals;

sensing sound waves through at least one microphone;

sensing motion of the patient'"'"'s head through at least one motion sensor mounted on or in the patient'"'"'s head; and

applying sensed sound and motion information to a speech and motion processor (SMP), wherein the SMP is configured to generate control signals responsive to sensed sound waves and sensed motion of the patient'"'"'s head; and

providing the control signals to the implanted pulse generator, whereby electrical stimulation is selectively provided to the patient'"'"'s cochlear nerve in response to information sensed through the at least one microphone and electrical simulation is selectively provided to the patient'"'"'s vestibular nerve in response to information sensed through the at least one motion sensor.