MID-SCALAR ELECTRODE ARRAY

• US 20160317801A1
• Filed: 07/07/2016
• Published: 11/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Bionics AG (Sonova Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Advanced Bionics AG (Sonova Holding AG)
• Inventors: Thenuwara, Chuladatta, Gallegos, Rosa, Vasquez, Lidia, Downing, Mark B.
• Granted Patent: US 10,016,589 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0541 Cochlear electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49224 with coating

Abstract

In one example, a cochlear lead includes a flexible body, an array of electrodes in the flexible body, and a plurality of wires passing along the array of electrodes. The plurality of wires includes a flexural geometry between each pair of adjacent electrodes and a substantially straight geometry over the electrodes. A method for forming an electrode array with a reduced apical cross section is also provided.

Claims

1. A cochlear lead comprising:

a flexible body;

an array of electrodes in the flexible body, each electrode comprising an exposed surface; and

a plurality of wires passing along the array of electrodes, in which the plurality of wires comprise a plurality of flexural elements with a single flexural element between each pair of adjacent electrodes.

2. The lead of claim 1, wherein the plurality of flexural elements is oriented to reduce a stiffness of the wires in a plane orthogonal to the exposed surface of an adjacent electrode.

3. The lead of claim 1, wherein the single flexural element comprises a loop.

4. The lead of claim 1, wherein the single flexural element comprises an arch.

5. The lead of claim 1, wherein electrodes of the array have uniform thickness.

6. The lead of claim 1, wherein the plurality of flexural elements contain only curvatures.

7. The lead of claim 1, wherein the plurality of the flexural elements reduce a prevalence of shorts in the lead.

8. The lead of claim 1, wherein the flexural element is in a plane substantially parallel to a plane of curvature of the electrode array.

17. The lead of claim 8, wherein a ratio at a most distal electrode of a cross sectional area of the flexible body to a cross sectional area of the wires is between 90 and 120.

9. A cochlear lead comprising:

a flexible body;

an array of electrodes in the flexible body;

a wire between each electrode and the proximal end of the flexible body, wherein each wire is oriented in a straight line along a length of the lead over each electrode and each wire has a flexural element between each pair of electrodes such that the wire over the electrode is static relative to the electrode and the wire between the electrodes flexes at the flexural body to accommodate bending of the flexible body.

10. The lead of claim 9, wherein each flexural element is an arch.

11. The lead of claim 9, wherein each flexural element is a semicircle.

12. The lead of claim 9, wherein the flexural element located in the wire between the pair of electrodes reduces a rate of shorts.

13. The lead of claim 9, wherein each flexural element extends beyond a neutral bending axis of the elastic body.

14. The lead of claim 9, further comprising a lumen in the flexible body, wherein a plane in which an entire flexural element lies intersects the lumen.

15. The lead of claim 9, further comprising a lumen in the flexible body and a stiffening element in the lumen, wherein a flexural element opposes straightening of the flexible body by the stiffening element.

16. The lead of claim 9, wherein an electrode comprises a wing folded parallel to an exposed surface of the same electrode.

18. A method of forming a cochlear lead with a reduced apical cross section, the method comprising:

connecting a wire to a first electrode;

forming in the wire, a single arch having a radius of curvature between the first electrode and a second electrode adjacent to the first electrode, the wire passing straight over the surface of the second electrode such that the wire occupies a minimum area over the second electrode; and

overmolding the wire and electrodes with encapsulation material in a single molding operation to form a completed silicone body, wherein each electrode has an exposed surface.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein a plane comprising all of the arch is perpendicular to the exposed surface of the first electrode.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising folding a wing on an electrode such that a surface of the wing is parallel to the exposed surface of the electrode.