Implantable electrode array assembly with extraction sleeve/tether

An implantable electrode array assembly, said assembly including:

• a carrier configured for implantation against living tissue inside a body;
• a plurality of electrodes disposed on said carrier, said electrodes designed to flow current through the tissue;
• an array antenna disposed on said carrier for wirelessly receiving or transmitting signals;
• a control circuit disposed on said carrier, said control circuit connected to said electrodes and said array antenna, said control circuit configured to receive signals from said array antenna and, based on the received signals, cause current to be selectively sourced from at least one said electrode and sunk into at least one said electrode;
• a tether separate from said carrier, said tether having:
• a section that is disposed over or under a section of said carrier on which said array antenna is disposed;
• and a section that extends away from said carrier so as to be located outside the body;
• a tether antenna that is separate from said array antenna, said tether antenna being attached to the section of said tether that is disposed over or under said carrier so that said tether antenna is at least partially disposed over or under said array antenna;
• a conductor connected to the tether antenna configured to connect the tether antenna to a device located outside the body;
• and
• a connector that extends between said tether and said carrier that holds said carrier to said tether so that, when said connector is connected to said tether, the extraction of said tether from the body results in the like extraction of said carrier.

An implantable electrode array assembly, said assembly including:

• a carrier, said carrier configured for implantation against living tissue inside a body;
• a plurality of electrodes disposed on said carrier, said electrodes designed to flow current through the tissue;
• an array antenna disposed on said carrier for wirelessly receiving or transmitting signals;
• a control circuit disposed on said carrier, said control circuit connected to said electrodes and said array antenna, said control circuit configured to receive signals from said array antenna and, based on the received signals, cause current to be selectively sourced from at least one said electrode and sunk into at least one said electrode;
• a tether that is separate from said carrier, said tether having a section configured to be located adjacent said carrier in the body and a section that extends away from the body so as to be located outside the body , said tether including a wire that is moveable relative to the section of said tether adjacent said carrier and the section of said tether that extends outside of the body and that extends with said tether outside of the body, said wire having a section that is releasably attached to said carrier, wherein said wire functions as an antenna that transmits signals to or receives signals from said array antenna, and when said wire is attached to said carrier, the extraction of said tether from the body results in the like extraction of said carrier and a disconnected state in which, as a result of the movement of said wire relative to said tether sections, said wire is disconnected from said carrier;
• and
• a conductor connected to said wire that is configured to connect the wire to a device located outside the body.