MULTI-ELECTRODE COCHLEAR IMPLANT SYSTEM WITH DISTRIBUTED ELECTRONICS

• US 20090118795A1
• Filed: 01/06/2009
• Published: 05/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Original Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Inventors: Ibrahim, Ibrahim Hanna, Parker, John L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,082,040 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/57
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0541 Cochlear electrodes

Abstract

An implantable tissue-stimulating device comprising a carrier member having a plurality of electrodes mounted thereon, and at least one signal transmitting wire extending through at least a portion of the carrier member and adapted to transmit signals through the carrier member to and/or from the electrodes. The number of wires within the carrier member is less than the number of electrodes mounted thereon.

Claims

1. An implantable tissue-stimulating component of an implantable auditory prosthesis comprising:

a carrier member;

a plurality of stimulation sites disposed in an array along at least a portion of the carrier member; and

a plurality of signal transmitting means extending through the carrier member, wherein the number of the signal transmitting means within the carrier member is less than the number of the stimulation sites, and

wherein the plurality of the stimulation sites are arranged at individual locations along the plurality of signal transmitting means and each of the stimulation sites comprises a stimulating electrode element and associated electronic circuitry that controls a stimulation output by the stimulating electrode element in response to signals delivered to the stimulation site by the signal transmitting means.

2. The implantable tissue-stimulating component of claim 1 wherein the component of the implantable auditory prosthesis is in a cochlear implant system.

3. The implantable tissue-stimulating component of claim 1 wherein each said stimulating electrode element has a respective contact face exposed along a first side of the carrier member.

4. The implantable tissue-stimulating component of claim 3 wherein each said contact face is equally spaced from another said contact face along the carrier member.

5. The implantable tissue-stimulating component of claim 1 wherein the signal transmitting means comprises at least one electrically conducting wire.

6. The implantable tissue-stimulating component of claim 1 wherein the component comprises at least five said signal transmitting means.

7. The implantable tissue-stimulating component of claim 6 wherein the five signal transmitting means comprise a clock line, a data line, a first stimulation line, a second stimulation line, and a common ground line.

8. The implantable tissue-stimulating component of claim 1 wherein the stimulating electrode element and the associated circuitry are integrated on a common substrate to form an integrated circuit.

9. The implantable tissue-stimulating component of claim 7 wherein the electronic circuitry comprises a power rectifier, a data decoder, a control circuit, and an output switch.

10. The implantable tissue-stimulating component of claim 9 wherein DC power for the stimulating electrode element is produced by the power rectifier by rectifying an AC power source provided to the power rectifier.

11. The implantable tissue-stimulating component of claim 10 wherein the AC power is provided on two signal transmitting means extending through the carrier member from a receiver/stimulator circuit.

12. The implantable tissue-stimulating component of claim 11 wherein the two signal transmitting means comprise the data line and the clock line.

13. The implantable tissue-stimulating component of claim 12 wherein the data line and clock line are capacitively coupled to the associated electronic circuitry of each of the electrodes in the carrier member using respective input pads.

14. The implantable tissue-stimulating component of claim 9 wherein the data decoder demodulates data and power signals transmitted from a receiver/stimulator circuit, extracts the data and decodes it to obtain the stimulation and telemetry control parameters for the stimulating electrode element.

15. The implantable tissue-stimulating component of claim 14 wherein each electrode data decoder determines whether the stimulating electrode element is required to output an electrical stimulation.

16. The implantable tissue-stimulating component of claim 9 wherein the control circuit configures output of the stimulating electrode element in accordance with stimulus and telemetry data decoded by the data decoder.

17. The implantable tissue-stimulating component of claim 9 wherein the output switch directs a stimulation current to a selected said stimulating electrode element or connects a selected stimulating electrode element to a telemetry measurement circuit.

18. The implantable tissue-stimulating component of claim 17 wherein each said output switch also controls the shorting of the stimulating electrode element during an inter-frame period.

19. The implantable tissue-stimulating component of claim 17 wherein each said output switch also opens output of the stimulating electrode element during voltage and neural response telemetry.

20. The implantable tissue-stimulating component of claim 7 wherein the signal transmitting means is gap welded to the input pads.

21. The implantable tissue-stimulating component of claim 7 wherein the input pads are insertion displacement connectors.

22. The implantable tissue-stimulating component of claim 21 wherein the connectors each comprises a cavity having a plurality of sharp tines formed in the surface thereof, the tines being adapted to pierce insulation of the insulated signal transmitting means positioned therein and so make an electrical connection thereto.

23. An implantable tissue-stimulating component of an implantable auditory prosthesis comprising:

a carrier member;

a plurality of stimulation sites disposed in an array along at least a portion of the carrier member; and

a plurality of signal transmitting means extending through the carrier member, wherein the number of the signal transmitting means within the carrier member is less than the number of the stimulation sites; and

wherein the plurality of the stimulation sites are arranged at individual locations along the plurality of signal transmitting means and each of the stimulation sites comprises a stimulating electrode element and associated electronic circuitry that controls a stimulation output by the stimulating electrode element in response to signals delivered to the stimulation site by the signal transmitting means;

wherein the plurality of signal transmitting means at least comprise a clock line, a date line, a first stimulation line, a second stimulation line, and a common ground line;

wherein the electronic circuitry comprises at least a power rectifier, a data decoder, a control circuit, and an output switch;

wherein DC power for the stimulating electrode element is produced by the power rectifier by rectifying an AC power source provided to the power rectifier; and

wherein the AC power is provided on two signal transmitting means extending through the carrier member from a receiver/stimulator circuit.

24. An implantable tissue-stimulating component of an implantable auditory prosthesis comprising:

a carrier member;

a plurality of stimulation sites disposed in an array along at least a portion of the carrier member; and

a plurality of signal transmitting means extending through the carrier member, wherein the number of the signal transmitting means within the carrier member is less than the number of the stimulation sites; and

wherein the plurality of the stimulation sites are arranged at individual locations along the plurality of signal transmitting means and each of the stimulation sites comprises a stimulating electrode element and associated with electronic circuitry that controls a stimulation output by the stimulating electrode element in response to signals delivered to the stimulation site by the signal transmitting means;

wherein the plurality of signal transmitting means at least comprise a clock line, a data line, a first stimulation line, a second stimulation line, and a common ground line;

wherein the electronic circuitry comprises at least a power rectifier, a data decoder, a control circuit, and an output switch;

wherein the output switch directs a stimulation current to a selected said stimulating electrode element or connects a selected stimulating electrode element to a telemetry measurement circuit; and

wherein each said output switch also opens output of the stimulating electrode element during voltage and neural response telemetry.

25. An implantable tissue-stimulating component of an implantable auditory prosthesis comprising:

a carrier member;

a plurality of stimulation sites disposed in an array along at least a portion of the carrier member; and

a plurality of signal transmitting means extending through the carrier member, wherein the number of the signal transmitting means within the carrier is less than the number of the stimulation sites; and

wherein the plurality of the stimulation sites are arranged at individual locations along the plurality of signal transmitting means and each of the stimulation sites comprises a stimulating electrode element and associated electronic circuitry that controls a stimulation output by the stimulating electrode element in response to signals delivered to the stimulation site by the signal transmitting means;

wherein the plurality of signal transmitting means at least comprise a clock line, a data line, a first stimulation line, a second stimulation line, and a common ground line; and

wherein the signal transmitting means is electronically insulated, the electrical insulation being absent at a side of the electrical connection to input pads of the associated circuitry.

26. An implantable tissue-stimulating component of an implantable auditory prosthesis comprising:

a carrier member;

a plurality of stimulation sites disposed in an array along at least a portion of the carrier member; and

a plurality of signal transmitting means extending through the carrier member, wherein the number of the signal transmitting means within the carrier member is less than the number of the stimulation sites,

wherein the plurality of the stimulation sites are arranged at individual locations along the plurality of signal transmitting means and each of the stimulation sites comprises a stimulating electrode element and associated electronic circuitry that controls a stimulation output by the stimulating electrode element in response to signals delivered to the stimulation site by the signal transmitting means, wherein

the component comprises at least five said signal transmitting means comprising a clock line, a data line, a first stimulation line, a second stimulation line, and a common ground line, and

wherein the signal transmitting means is electrically insulated, the electrical insulation being absent at a side of electrical connection to input pads of the associated circuitry.