Vibrating insertion tool

A vibrating insertion tool comprising:

• an insertion tool controllable by a user to support and guide movement of an object, the insertion tool comprising an elongate arm having a proximal end region and a distal end region, the distal end region having a receiving region;
• a user-controllable vibration source for generating vibrations in accordance with a selected vibration profile;
• and
• an elongate rigid spine, connected to the vibration source, configured to deliver the vibrations to the receiving region,
• wherein the insertion tool is a tweezers, and
• wherein the elongate rigid spine extends between two arms of the tweezers from a tip of the elongate arm, the elongate arm being one of the two arms of the tweezers, the tip being at one of two pincers of the tweezers, and wherein the elongate rigid spine also includes a portion that dog legs outward away from between the two arms to a side of the two arms, after which the elongate rigid spine extends along a side of the arms to the vibration source.

A cochlear electrode array insertion tool, comprising:

• an apparatus configured to releasably grip and support and move the cochlear electrode array during insertion of the cochlear electrode array into a cochlea;
• and
• a vibrator, wherein
• the cochlear electrode array insertion tool includes a handle comprising a first handle region and a second handle region,
• the apparatus includes a first surface and a second surface at a distal portion of the tool, wherein the cochlear electrode array insertion tool is configured to move the first surface and the second surface relative to each other from human hand input from the handle regions as a result of the handle being extensions of the apparatus configured to releasably grip and support and move the cochlear electrode array,
• wherein the first handle region and the second handle region articulate relative to one another so as to respectively move the first surface and the second surface towards each other to grip and hold the electrode array for insertion into a cochlear,
• wherein the insertion tool includes an elongate rigid spine, connected to the vibrator configured to deliver the vibrations to the distal portion of the tool, and
• wherein open space is present between the first handle region and the elongate rigid spine at all locations away from a respective tip section of the insertion tool, and wherein open space is present everywhere between the elongate rigid spine and the second handle region.