Patient specific electrode array conditioning to reduce insertion forces
AssigneeMed-El Elektromedizinische GeräTe GmbH
InventorsMax FRÖLICH, Daniel SCHURZIG, Sarah VORMELCHER, Timo BRÄCKER, Onhintz DE OLANO DIETERICH, Thomas LENARZ
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Abstract
A patient-specific method of conditioning a cochlear electrode array so as to reduce insertion forces is provided. The method includes obtaining a 3D phantom of at least a portion of a scala tympani of a patient. The cochlear electrode array is inserted into and removed out of the 3D model of the scala tympani one or more times, to condition (e.g. soften) the electrode prior to insertion into the patient's scala tympani. Trauma when inserting the electrode into the cochlea is thus reduced.
Claims13
A patient-specific method of conditioning a cochlear electrode array so as to reduce insertion forces, the cochlear electrode array initially include the method comprising:
- obtaining a 3D phantom of a scala tympani of a patient;
- and
- inserting the cochlear electrode array into, and removing the cochlear electrode array out of, the 3D phantom of the scala tympani one or more times.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.