Surgical instrument set and procedure for implanting sound transducer proximate to patient's outer ear canal
AssigneeAdvanced Bionics AG
InventorsWilliam H. Slattery, III, Claude A. Vidal, Russell J. Redmond, Byron L. Moran
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hearing aid system (10) including an implantable device (60), and a surgical instrument (134) for enabling a physician to install the implant (60) in a patient's body in a simple office procedure using only local anesthesia.
Claims32
A method for implanting a hearing aid in a patient so as to extend percutaneously into the patient's outer ear canal, said method comprising:
- providing an elongate shaft having an outer wall surrounding at least one elongate lumen extending through said shaft to a distal end;
- tunneling said shaft from a location behind the patient's pinna to a position said shaft distal end in subcutaneous tissue proximate to said patient's ear canal;
- inserting an elongate tool through said lumen so as to position a tool cutting edge proximate to said shaft distal end;
- advancing said tool cutting edge past said shaft distal end to form a percutaneous hole opening into said ear canal;
- providing a hearing aid housing having a stud projecting therefrom;
- and
- transporting said housing through said lumen to said shaft distal end to position said stud in said percutaneous hole opening into said ear canal.
A medical device configured for implantation at a subcutaneous site in a patient's body comprising:
- a housing defining a body portion configured for mounting subcutaneously proximate to a patient's ear canal and a stud portion extending from said body portion for percutaneously projecting into said ear canal;
- an electroacoustic transducer mounted in said housing for projecting sound energy from said stud portion;
- said body portion defining a noncircular cross-section;
- and
- a porous layer carried by a peripheral surface area of said housing for promoting soft tissue ingrowth.
In combination, a hearing aid housing and an instrument set for transporting said housing through a subcutaneous tunnel from a location behind a patient's pinna to a subcutaneous location proximate to the patient's ear canal, said combination comprising:
- said instrument set including an elongate shaft having a distal end configured for tunneling through soft body tissue to said subcutaneous location proximate to said ear canal, said shaft defining a lumen extending from an entrance opening to an exit opening at said distal end;
- said hearing aid housing configured for passage through said entrance opening, said lumen, and said exit opening;
- and
- a pusher member configured for axial movement in said shaft for pushing said housing through said lumen for implanting at said subcutaneous location.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.