# US 11,992,674 B2 · Graphene oxide cochlear implant electrode and manufacturing method thereof

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- Number: US 11,992,674 B2
- Document ID: US11992674B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/616,572
- Filed: 2019-08-23
- Published: 2022-07-28
- Granted: 2024-05-28
- Earliest claimed: 2019-06-03
- Assignees: Zhejiang Nurotron Biotechnology Co., Ltd.; Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital
- Applicants: Zhejiang Nurotron Biotechnology Co., Ltd.; Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital
- Inventors: Xiaoyun Qian; Shuqi Qi; Xia Gao; Xiaoan Sun; Renjie Chai
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11992674B2

## CPC

- A61N 1/0541: {Cochlear electrodes}
- A61N 1/36038: {Cochlear stimulation}
- 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

Disclosed are a graphene oxide cochlear implant electrode and a manufacturing method thereof. The graphene oxide cochlear implant electrode includes an electrode tip, an electrode carrier, electrode contacts, a first positioning ring, a second positioning ring, a boosting portion, an electrode wire, a loop electrode, a loop electrode wire and a wire array, herein the electrode tip is arranged at a foremost portion of the cochlear implant electrode, the electrode carrier is silica gel grafted with a graphene oxide, the electrode carrier wraps the electrode wire and semi-wraps the electrode contacts connected to the electrode wire one by one, and the electrode carrier is slightly curved as a whole; and the electrode wire is connected to the electrode contacts one by one and forms a spiral shape through the first positioning ring, the second positioning ring and the boosting portion. Methyl vinyl silica gel is adopted, and after activation treatment, the graphene oxide is grafted to the silica gel through a silane coupling agent trimethoxysilane, as to form a hydrophilic antibacterial polymer, not only the hydrophilicity of the silica gel is improved, but also the silica gel is endowed with an antibacterial property, and the cytotoxicity thereof is reduced at the same time.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A graphene oxide cochlear implant electrode, comprising an electrode tip, an electrode carrier, electrode contacts, a first positioning ring, a second positioning ring, a boosting portion, an electrode wire, a loop electrode, a loop electrode wire and a wire array, wherein,
the electrode tip is arranged at a foremost portion of the cochlear implant electrode, the electrode carrier is silica gel grafted with a graphene oxide, the electrode carrier wraps the electrode wire and semi-wraps the electrode contacts connected to the electrode wire one by one, and the electrode carrier is slightly curved as a whole; the first positioning ring, the second positioning ring and the boosting portion are arranged sequentially behind all of the electrode contacts, and are used for insertion depth positioning and implantation assistance during implantation; the electrode wire is connected to the electrode contacts one by one and forms a spiral shape through the first positioning ring, the second positioning ring and the boosting portion, the loop electrode is arranged behind the spiral electrode wire and is ring-shaped; and the loop electrode wire is connected to the loop electrode, the wire array is composed of the electrode wire, and one end of the wire array and one end of the loop electrode wire are exposed out of the electrode carrier.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The graphene oxide cochlear implant electrode according to claim 1, wherein the electrode contacts are hook-shaped electrodes each having hooking positions provided with a first lateral hole and a second lateral hole, and a bottom inner side connected to the electrode wire by means of a welding spot.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The graphene oxide cochlear implant electrode according to claim 1, wherein the electrode contacts are inner-U-shaped.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A manufacturing method for the graphene oxide cochlear implant electrode according to claim 1, comprising the following steps:
S10, manufacturing electrode contacts: annealing a platinum-iridium alloy blank, and rolling same into a platinum-iridium alloy sheet; and after laser-cutting the platinum-iridium alloy sheet, punch-forming;
S20, manufacturing an electrode wire: annealing, cold-drawing and straightening the platinum-iridium alloy blank into a platinum-iridium alloy wire; performing wave-shaped treatment on the platinum-iridium alloy wire, namely the electrode wire; and welding the electrode contacts with the electrode wire, ultrasonic-cleaning and plasma-treating;
S30, manufacturing a loop electrode: annealing, cold-drawing, straightening, and grinding the platinum-iridium alloy blank into a ring-shaped platinum-iridium alloy sheet; and laser-cutting and deburring;
S40, manufacturing a loop electrode wire: annealing, cold-drawing and straightening the platinum-iridium alloy blank into a platinum-iridium alloy wire, namely the loop electrode wire;
S50, arranging the electrode contacts, the electrode wire, the loop electrode and the loop electrode wire, bundling and spiraling the electrode wire, and injection-molding by using graphene oxide silica gel; and
S60, laser-cutting exposed surfaces of the electrode contacts, and cutting a ring surface of the loop electrode; and cleaning and electrical-inspecting;
wherein, the manufacture of the graphene oxide silica gel comprises the following steps:
S51, putting a silica gel sheet in deionized water, acetone and ethanol and ultrasonic-cleaning for 15-20 min, as to remove impurities such as an oil stain on the surface of silicone rubber, rinsing with the deionized water, and air-drying for later use;
S52, suspending the cleaned silica gel sheet in an ultraviolet lamp box with a wavelength of 272 nm and irradiating for 2 hours, as to activate the surface thereof, and generating an active group;
S53, under a condition of 50° C. of a constant temperature, putting the ultraviolet-irradiated silica gel sheet in silane coupling agent solution and soaking for 1-1.5 hours, rinsing with absolute ethanol after being taken out, as to remove a silane coupling agent physically adsorbed on the surface, and air-drying for later use; and
S54, putting the silica gel sheet in graphene oxide aqueous dispersion and soaking for 1-4 hours, as to obtain the silica gel sheet grafted with the graphene oxide.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The manufacturing method for the graphene oxide cochlear implant electrode according to claim 4, wherein the manufacturing of the electrode contacts further comprises laser-punching both sides of the platinum-iridium alloy sheet.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The manufacturing method for the graphene oxide cochlear implant electrode according to claim 4, wherein the silane coupling agent is trimethoxysilane.