Cochlear Electrode With Apical Lateral Wall Section and Basal Modiolar Hugging Section

An implantable electrode array for a cochlear implant patient, the electrode array comprising:

• an array trunk configured to extend along a center axis from an insertion opening in an outer surface of a patient cochlea into a scala tympani of the patient cochlea:
• an apical section configured to extend along the center axis from a distal end of the array trunk and having an outer surface along which are distributed a plurality of stimulation contacts for delivering electrical stimulation tissues to adjacent neural tissue, wherein the apical section has stiffness and geometry characteristics configured for the apical section to follow along an outer lateral wall of the scala tympani during surgical insertion to attain a final insertion position towards the outer lateral wall in an apical portion of the scala tympani beyond a first basal turn of the cochlea;
• and
• a basal branch separate from the array trunk and extending back from the distal end of the array trunk towards the insertion opening and having an outer surface along which are distributed a plurality of stimulation contacts for delivering electrical stimulation tissues to adjacent neural tissue, wherein the basal branch has stiffness and geometry characteristics configured for the basal branch to attain a final insertion position towards an inner modiolar wall in a basal portion of the scala tympani comprising a first basal turn of the cochlea, with the basal branch stimulation contacts facing the inner modiolar wall.