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US 2026/0027353 A1Published application
Implantable stimulating assembly
AssigneeCochlear Limited
InventorNicholas Charles PAWSEY
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Abstract
An electrode array, including a plurality of electrodes, and an electrode carrier carrying the plurality of electrodes, wherein the electrode carrier is made of a viscoelastic material, such as by way of example, a viscoelastic silicone, wherein in some embodiments, the electrode carrier is devoid of non-viscoelastic silicone. In an exemplary embodiment, the electrode carrier is configured to recover to a curved, unrestrained and relaxed state, from a substantially straight state in no less than thirty seconds.
Claims20
A method, comprising:
- obtaining an implantable component;
- and
- inserting the implantable component into a recipient, wherein
- subsequent to the full insertion of the implantable component, the implantable component transforms from a first geometry to a second geometry without:
- external force relief, external pressure relief, reaction force, mass transfer and net energy transfer inducing the transformation.
2 more elements
A method, comprising:
- obtaining a curved electrode array assembly;
- inserting a first portion of the electrode array assembly into a cochlea of a human in a deformed state that is deformed from a relaxed, unrestrained state of the electrode array assembly such that:
- the first portion corresponds to a portion of the electrode array assembly extending a first distance of the electrode array assembly starting from a tip of the electrode array to a location proximal of the tip that is located in the cochlea;
- and
- the portion of the electrode array making up the first distance is inserted at a first angular insertion depth into the cochlea, wherein
- the first portion of the electrode array assembly achieves a second angular insertion depth greater than the first angular insertion depth after the first portion making up the first distance is located in the cochlea.
3 more elements
An implantable apparatus, comprising:
- an electrode array including a main body carrying electrodes, wherein the main body is configured to elastically expand in a radial direction relative to a longitudinal axis thereof after insertion into a recipient without any mass transfer into the portions of the main body that expanded, wherein
- the main body is configured such that the main body is expandable from a compressed diameter lying normal to the longitudinal axis, beginning at a time of full compression relief, to a diameter of at least 1.5 times the compressed diameter within a time period of no less than about 30 seconds from full compression relief.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.