# US 2025/0082926 A1 · Implantable stimulating assembly > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2025/0082926 A1 - Document ID: US20250082926A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/958,335 - Filed: 2024-11-25 - Published: 2025-03-13 - Earliest claimed: 2015-08-28 - Assignees: Cochlear Limited - Applicants: Cochlear Limited - Inventors: Peter Raymond Sibary; Nicholas Charles Pawsey - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20250082926A1 ## CPC - A61N 1/0541: {Cochlear electrodes} - A61N 1/36046: {of the eye} - A61N 1/3787: {from an external energy source} - 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 An elongate stimulation assembly of an implantable stimulation device, including a first portion including a plurality of electrodes, lead wires extending from the first portion in electrical communication with the plurality of electrodes, the lead wires being located in an elongate lead body and a cage component extending in an elongate manner at least partially along with the lead wires, wherein the lead wires extend within the cage component. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An elongate stimulation assembly of an implantable stimulation device, comprising: an intra-cavity portion including a plurality of electrodes; and an extra-cavity portion extending from the intra-cavity portion, wherein the extra-cavity portion includes a plurality of electrical lead wires in electrical communication with the plurality of electrodes and a malleable component extending in an elongate manner such that at least a portion of the malleable component is located further away from or the same distance from a longitudinal axis of the extra-cavity portion than a portion of least one of the electrical leads of the plurality of electrical leads. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein: the extra-cavity portion includes a lead body; the malleable component is a metal wire embedded in the lead body; the assembly is an elongate retinal implant stimulation assembly; and the cavity is a cavity in an eye of a human. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein: the extra-cavity portion includes a lead body; and the malleable component is a metal wire located completely outside the lead body. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein: the extra-cavity portion includes a lead body in which are located the plurality of lead wires; and the malleable component establishes electrical communication with at least one electrode of the array of electrodes. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein: the malleable component is a helical structure wrapped around at least some of the lead wires. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein: the extra-cavity portion includes a lead body; the lead wires are encapsulated in the lead body; and the malleable component is a helical structure extending about the lead body at least partially external to the lead body. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein: the malleable component is a helical structure wrapped around all of the lead wires. ### Claim 8 An elongate stimulation assembly of an implantable stimulation device, comprising: a first portion including a plurality of electrodes; lead wires extending from the first portion in electrical communication with the plurality of electrodes, the lead wires being located in an elongate lead body; and a cage component extending in an elongate manner at least partially along with the lead wires, wherein the lead wires extend within the cage component. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The assembly of claim 8, wherein: the cage component is located on an outside of the assembly. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The assembly of claim 8, wherein: the cage component is underneath silicone material. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The assembly of claim 8, wherein: the cage component is kink proofed. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The assembly of claim 8, further comprising: a malleable component that forms a helix. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The assembly of claim 8, wherein: the cage component includes portions configured to more easily plastically deform than other portions of the cage component. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The assembly of claim 8, wherein: an extrapolated volume of the cage component is made up of less than 20% of solid material. ### Claim 15 A device, comprising: a stimulating assembly of an implantable stimulating device, including a lead assembly made at least partially of a structure having portions that are more susceptible to plastic deformation than other portions of the structure, wherein the device is configured to resist movement of at least a portion of the lead assembly, the movement of the lead assembly being due to the plastic deformation. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The device of claim 15, wherein: the structure is configured to provide hinge points that undergo larger strains during bending of the structure than other portions adjacent the hinge points, which larger strains produced the plastic deformation. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The device of claim 15, wherein: the structure is a stent structure. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The device of claim 15, wherein: with respect to location along a longitudinal axis of the structure, the structure has at least five (5) first cross-sections normal to the longitudinal axis and at least five (5) second cross-sections normal to the longitudinal axis respectively located in an alternating manner along the longitudinal axis and equidistant from each other with respect to location along the longitudinal axis; and the first cross-sections have at least 75% less material of the structure than the second cross-sections by area. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The device of claim 15, wherein: the structure is encapsulated in an overmoulded silicone body. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The device of claim 15, wherein: the structure has a first section extending along a longitudinal axis of the structure that extends about the longitudinal axis in a zig-zag manner with respect to axial direction. ### Claim 21 (depends on 15) The device of claim 15, wherein: the structure has a first section extending along a longitudinal axis of the structure that extends about the longitudinal axis in an arcuate manner with respect to radial direction. ### Claim 22 (depends on 8) The assembly of claim 8, wherein: the assembly includes a plurality of electrodes; and the cage component is in electrical communication with at least one of the electrodes of the plurality of electrodes. ### Claim 23 (depends on 8) The assembly of claim 8, wherein: the assembly includes a plurality of stimulating electrodes; and the cage establishes an electrical return for a circuit that includes the assembly. ### Claim 24 (depends on 8) The assembly of claim 8, wherein: the assembly includes a plurality of stimulating electrodes; the cage component is part of a cage apparatus that includes a non-cage portion; and the non-cage portion establishes an electrical return for a circuit that includes the assembly, the non-cage portion being an interface to an ambient environment of the assembly, and the cage being in electrical conductivity with the non-cage portion but more isolated from the ambient environment of the assembly than the non-cage portion, the cage component functioning as a return conductor from the non-cage portion. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The assembly of claim 24, wherein: all of the cage component is covered with an electrically insulative material; and at least a portion of the non-cage portion is not covered with an electrically insulative material. ### Claim 26 (depends on 24) The assembly of claim 24, wherein: the non-cage portion is a hollow cylindrical body; and the cage component extends away from at least one side of the hollow cylindrical body and is in contact with the hollow cylindrical body. ### Claim 27 (depends on 24) The assembly of claim 24, wherein: the non-cage portion is a hollow cylindrical body that envelopes a portion of the cage component and the interior of the hollow cylindrical body is in direct contact with an exterior of the cage component. ### Claim 28 (depends on 24) The assembly of claim 24, wherein: the non-cage portion is a body having an outer surface area of solid material that is at least three times that of an average outer surface area of solid material of the cage component. ### Claim 29 (depends on 23) The assembly of claim 23, wherein: a portion of the cage component is covered with an electrically insulative material; and a portion of the cage component is exposed to an ambient environment, thereby establishing the electrical return. ### Claim 30 (depends on 8) The assembly of claim 8, further comprising: a second cage component extending in an elongate manner partially along with the lead wires, wherein the lead wires extend within the second cage, wherein the cage component extends partially along with the lead wires and is spaced away from the second cage component in the longitudinal direction, and the cage component is electrically isolated from the second cage component. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The assembly of claim 30, wherein: the cage component establishes a first electrical return electrode; and the second cage component establishes a second electrical return electrode. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) The assembly of claim 31, wherein: the second cage component is electrically connected to electronics of a receiver-stimulator to which the assembly is electrically and physically attached. ### Claim 33 A method, comprising: obtaining an implantable cage apparatus; moulding silicone so that the cage apparatus is encapsulated in an overmoulded silicone tube, thus resulting in a silicone tube-cage assembly; and inserting the silicone tube-cage assembly over a plurality of lead wires of a cochlear implant electrode array and/or inserting the plurality of lead wires into the silicone tube-cage assembly. ### Claim 34 (depends on 33) The method of claim 33, further comprising: prior to inserting the silicone tube-cage assembly over the lead wires/inserting the lead wires into the silicone tube-cage assembly, expanding the silicone tube-cage assembly in a radial direction. ### Claim 35 (depends on 33) The method of claim 33, further comprising: after inserting the silicone tube-cage assembly over the lead wires/inserting the lead wires into the silicone tube-cage assembly, contracting the silicone tube-cage assembly in the radial direction. ### Claim 36 (depends on 33) The method of claim 33, wherein: the action of contracting the silicone tube-cage assembly is executed by at least one of inflation of an inflatable cuff or heatshrink. ### Claim 37 (depends on 35) The method of claim 35, wherein: the action of contracting the silicone tube-cage assembly plastically deforms the silicone tube-cage assembly. ### Claim 38 (depends on 35) The method of claim 35, wherein: the plurality of lead wires are arranged in a wavy lead configuration. ### Claim 39 (depends on 29) The method of claim 29, further comprising: attaching contracted silicone tube-cage assembly to a cochlear implant receiver-stimulator.