# US 11,445,312 B2 · Hybrid electrically- and mechanically-stimulating cochlear implant > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,445,312 B2 - Document ID: US11445312B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/745,942 - Filed: 2020-01-17 - Published: 2020-08-13 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2016-01-29 - Assignees: Cochlear Limited - Applicants: Cochlear Limited - Inventors: Jan Vermeiren; Kristof Buytaert; Rishubh Verma - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11445312B2 ## CPC - H04R 25/606: {acting directly on the eardrum, the ossicles or the skull, e.g. mastoid, tooth, maxillary or mandibular bone, or mechanically stimulating the cochlea, e.g. at the oval window} - A61N 1/0541: {Cochlear electrodes} - A61N 1/36038: {Cochlear stimulation} - H04R 2225/67: Implantable hearing aids or parts thereof not covered by H04R25/606 - H04R 2460/13: Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers - H04R: LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS (producing sounds with frequency not determined by supply frequency G10K) - A61N: ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY (measurement of bioelectric currents A61B; surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body A61B18/00; anaesthetic apparatus in general A61M; incandescent lamps H01K; infrared radiators for heating H05B) ## Abstract Wires and coils within an electrode assembly electromagnetically interact and cause mechanical motion of the assembly. This mechanical motion can be used to supplement or replace the electrical stimulation provided by a standard cochlear implant and provides targeted acoustic stimulation to the cochlea. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus comprising: an elongate carrier having an intra-cochlear region; an electrical stimulator disposed at the intra-cochlear region of the elongate carrier and being configured to deliver an electrical stimulus to a cochlea of a recipient; and a mechanical stimulator comprising at least two induction coils encapsulated in the intra-cochlear region of the elongate carrier, wherein the at least two induction coils are configured to deliver mechanical stimulation to the cochlea of the recipient, wherein the mechanical stimulator is disposed at the intra-cochlear region such that the mechanical stimulator is located at a basal region of a recipient's cochlea when the elongate carrier is implanted. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mechanical stimulator further includes a magnet encapsulated in the elongate carrier. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least two induction coils are aligned along an axis of the elongate carrier. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the elongate carrier includes a distal end that terminates at a tip of the elongate carrier; wherein the electrical stimulator is disposed at a location between the tip and the mechanical stimulator. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electrical stimulator comprises a plurality of electrical contacts. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein an electrical signal directed to the mechanical stimulator causes an expansion of the elongate carrier. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mechanical stimulator is configured to deliver stimuli associated with lower frequency signals than the electrical stimulator. ### Claim 8 An apparatus comprising: an elongate carrier having an intra-cochlear region, wherein the intra-cochlear region comprises a proximal intra-cochlear region and a distal intra-cochlear region; a mechanical stimulator comprising a first coil and a second coil each encapsulated in the elongate carrier, wherein the first coil and the second coil are disposed within the proximal intra-cochlear region; and a plurality of electrodes exposed on a surface of the intra-cochlear region. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the elongate carrier comprises a flexible body that defines an elongate axis; and wherein the first coil is substantially axially aligned with the second coil along the elongate axis. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the elongate carrier comprises a flexible body that defines an elongate axis, and wherein each of the first coil and the second coil are embedded within the flexible body along a coil axis substantially transverse to the elongate axis. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the elongate carrier comprises a flexible body that includes an elongate axis; wherein each of the first coil and the second coil is configured to receive an electrical current that is out of phase with the electrical current in the other coil; and wherein receipt of the respective currents causes the elongate carrier to stretch along the elongate axis. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the mechanical stimulator further comprises a magnet disposed within the elongate carrier. ### Claim 13 A method comprising: using a mechanical stimulator that includes two induction coils encapsulated in an elongate carrier to deliver a first stimulus as acoustic waves generated from an intra-cochlear region of a recipient's cochlea toward an apical end of the recipient's cochlea; and delivering a second stimulus via that is different than the first stimulus. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the second stimulus is an electrical stimulus. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the intra-cochlear region does not extend past a basal turn of the recipient's cochlea. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the first stimulus delivers signals corresponding to sounds less than 2 kHz. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the first stimulus delivers signals corresponding to sounds less than 1.5 kHz. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the first stimulus delivers signals corresponding to sounds less than 1 kHz.