Implantable device having osseointegrating protuberances
AssigneeCochlear Limited
InventorPeter Gibson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A housing for an implantable device to be secured to a patient's bone is disclosed. The housing comprises at least one osseointegrating protuberance extending from one or more surfaces of the housing adapted to abut the patient's bone. The at least one osseointegrating protuberance is configured to be extricated from the bone subsequent to osseointegration. The housing can be used, for example, for an implantable stimulator unit of a cochlear prosthetic device.
Claims52
An implantable device for mounting to a patient's bone comprising:
- a housing having an abutting face configured to prevent osseointegration of said housing with the patient's bone;
- one or more components mounted in said housing;
- and
- at least a first protuberance and a second protuberance configured to attach to the patient's bone without insertion of the first or second protuberance into the bone;
- wherein said first and second protuberances extend from said housing such that a longitudinal axis of the first protuberance and a longitudinal axis of the second protuberance are at opposing angles of about 45 degrees relative to an implant axis that is substantially orthogonal with the surface of the bone forming the pocket;
- and
- wherein the protuberance is configured to osseointegrate with the patient's bone and separate at least a portion of said outer surface of said housing from the patient's bone when said housing is positioned within a pocket formed in the patient's bone such that the first and second protuberances abut a surface of the bone forming the pocket prior to osseointegration.
A method for implanting an implantable device having a housing with an abutting surface configured to prevent osseointegration of the housing with a patient's bone and at least one osseointegrating protuberance extending from the housing, the method comprising:
- forming a pocket on the patient's bone to receive the housing;
- positioning the housing in said pocket such that the at least one protuberance is in direct contact with a surface of the patient's bone forming the pocket;
- and
- allowing osseointegration of the at least one protuberance to occur without insertion of the at least one protuberance into the surface of the patient's bone forming the pocket,
- whereby when the at least one protuberance is osseointegrated the abutting surface of the housing is not osseointegrated.
An implantable device comprising:
- a housing to be secured to a patient's bone, said housing having an abutting surface configured to prevent osseointegration of said housing with the patient's bone;
- one or more components mounted in said housing;
- and
- at least a first and a second osseointegrating protuberance, each extending from said housing, wherein said first and second osseointegrating protuberance are configured to be placed in direct contact with a surface of the patient's bone but not within the patient's bone and further configured to gradually sink into the patient's bone during osseointegration of said protuberance;
- and
- wherein said first and second protuberances extend from said housing such that a longitudinal axis of the first protuberance and a longitudinal axis of the second protuberance are at opposing angles of about 45 degrees relative to an implant axis that is substantially orthogonal with the surface of the patient's bone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.