Protection structure for implantable connector and apparatus for manipulating same
AssigneeCochlear Limited
InventorsAnthony Powell, C. Roger Leigh, James Dalton
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An implantable connector includes: first and second detachable mating parts configured to be implantable in living tissue, to terminate first and second segments of a cable, and have first and second interfacing surfaces, respectively; and a protection structure configured to protect against contaminant intrusion between the first and second interfacing surfaces. And a device for decoupling and re-coupling the detachable mating parts in an environmentally controllable volume is provided.
Claims29
An implantable connector comprising:
- first and second detachable mating parts configured:
- to be implantable in living tissue;
- to terminate first and second segments of a cable;
- and
- have first and second interfacing surfaces, respectively;
- and
- a protection structure configured to protect against contaminant intrusion between the first and second interfacing surfaces.
A system for protecting an implantable connector having first and second detachable mating parts configured to be implantable in living tissue and terminate first and second segments of a cable, each mating part having an interfacing surface bounded by one or more sidewalls, the system comprising:
- a protection structure configured to enclose the one or more sidewalls of at least one of the first and second mating parts.
A system for protecting a mating part of an implantable connector comprising:
- a first detachable mating part configured to:
- be implantable in living tissue;
- terminate a segment of a cable:
- have an interfacing surface;
- and
- engage with a corresponding second detachable, implantable mating part;
- and
- a protection structure configured to protect the interfacing surface against contamination.
An implantable connector comprising:
- first and second detachable mating parts configured:
- to be implantable in living tissue;
- and
- to terminate first and second segments of a cable;
- and
- have first and second interfacing surfaces, respectively;
- and
- the first mating part includes:
- at least one alignment projection extending substantially perpendicularly from the first interfacing surface;
- and
- the second mating part includes at least one alignment hole corresponding to the at least one alignment projection, respectively, each alignment hole being complementarily shaped to receive the corresponding alignment projection.
A machine for manipulating first and second detachable mating parts of an implantable connector that terminate first and second segments of a cable, the machine comprising:
- an enclosure configured to releasably enclose at least the second mating part and a portion of the first mating part in an environmentally controllable volume;
- and
- a coupling device configured to at least one of decouple and re-couple the first and second mating parts, respectively, while the second mating part and the portion of the first mating part are disposed in the environmentally controllable volume.
The machine of claim 30, wherein:
- there is a rotational axis about which the motion along the arcuate path occurs;
- and
- decoupling and re-coupling is associated with motions along a coupling axis, the coupling axis being one of substantially orthogonal or substantially parallel to the rotational axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.