Percutaneous bone conduction implant

A percutaneous bone conduction implant, comprising:

• a fixture configured to be anchored in the recipient's skull;
• and
• a skin-penetrating abutment configured to interface with the fixture and to permit the abutment to be removably attached to the fixture to form a fixture-abutment assembly,
• wherein the abutment includes a first coupling portion adapted to receive a second coupling portion of a bone conduction device and to establish a mechanical connection with the bone conduction device,
• and wherein at least one anti-microbial surface is present in the formed fixture-abutment assembly and located in an interior of the formed fixture-abutment assembly when the fixture is removably attached to the abutment with an abutment screw, the interior being substantially isolated from a surrounding environment of the fixture-abutment assembly, and
• wherein one of the fixture and the skin-penetrating abutment is seated within a cavity of the other of the fixture and the skin-penetrating abutment such that abutting surfaces of the fixture and the skin-penetrating abutment interface together to form a mechanically tight fit.

A percutaneous bone conduction implant, comprising:

• a fixture configured to be anchored in the skull of the recipient;
• and
• a skin-penetrating abutment configured to interface with the fixture and to permit the abutment to be removably attached to the fixture to form a fixture-abutment assembly through which controlled vibrations can be directly transmitted from outside the recipient's body directly into the fixture-abutment assembly,
• wherein the abutment is dimensioned to extend from the fixture to above an outer skin layer of the recipient when the fixture-abutment is located at a first body location located approximately adjacent a recipient's pinna and the fixture is anchored in the recipient's skull, and
• wherein one of the fixture and the skin-penetrating abutment is seated within a cavity of the other of the fixture and the skin-penetrating abutment such that abutting surfaces of the fixture and the skin-penetrating abutment interface together to form a mechanically tight fit.

An implanted percutaneous bone conduction implant, comprising:

• a fixture-abutment assembly implanted in the recipient's skull at a first body location, wherein the fixture-abutment assembly includes:
• a fixture anchored in the recipient's skull;
• and
• a skin-penetrating abutment releasably attached to the fixture extending from beneath a surface layer of an epidermis of the recipient to an exterior of the recipient above the surface layer of the epidermis of the recipient at the first body location,
• wherein one or more anti-microbial surfaces are present on the fixture-abutment, the one or more surfaces being located in an interior of the formed fixture-abutment assembly when the fixture is removably attached to the abutment, the interior being substantially isolated from a surrounding environment of the fixture-abutment assembly, and
• wherein one of the fixture and the skin-penetrating abutment is seated within a cavity of the other of the fixture and the skin-penetrating abutment such that abutting surfaces of the fixture and the skin-penetrating abutment interface together to form a mechanically tight fit.

A method of implanting a percutaneous bone conduction implant, comprising:

• anchoring a fixture in a recipient's skull;
• and
• releasably attaching a skin-penetrating abutment to the fixture to form a fixture-abutment assembly,
• wherein the action of releasably attaching the skin-penetrating abutment to the fixture includes establishing a hermetically sealed interior in the formed fixture-abutment assembly,
• wherein at least one anti-microbial surface is present on an interior of the formed fixture-abutment assembly, the interior initially being hermetically sealed from an exterior of the formed fixture-abutment assembly, and
• wherein, after a period of time after releasably attaching the skin-penetrating abutment to the fixture, the interior ceases to be hermetically sealed from the exterior of the formed fixture-abutment assembly while the skin-penetrating abutment is still releasably attached to the fixture, and
• wherein one of the fixture and the skin-penetrating abutment is seated within a cavity of the other of the fixture and the skin-penetrating abutment such that abutting surfaces of the fixture and the skin-penetrating abutment interface together to form a mechanically tight fit.

A percutaneous bone conduction implant, comprising:

• a fixture configured to be anchored in a recipient's skull;
• and
• a skin-penetrating abutment configured to interface with the fixture and to permit the abutment to be removably attached to the fixture to form an fixture-abutment assembly through which controlled vibrations can be directly transmitted from outside the recipient's body directly into the fixture-abutment assembly,
• wherein the formed fixture-abutment assembly includes one or more surfaces located in an interior of the formed fixture-abutment assembly when the fixture is removably attached to the abutment with an abutment screw, the interior being substantially isolated from a surrounding environment of the fixture-abutment assembly, and
• wherein at least one of the one or more surfaces are at least one of anti-adhesive, bacterial repellant or coated with an antibiotic agent, and
• wherein one of the fixture and the skin-penetrating abutment is seated within a cavity of the other of the fixture and the skin-penetrating abutment such that abutting surfaces of the fixture and the skin-penetrating abutment interface together to form a mechanically tight fit.