Retention of a magnet in a cochlear implant
AssigneeAdvanced Bionics AG
InventorsChuladatta Thenuwara, Mark B. Downing
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for retaining a magnet in a cochlear implant, comprising a retainer embedded within an encapsulant of the cochlear implant, and a magnet case engaged with the retainer. A retainer for retaining a magnet within a cochlear implant comprising a number of first fasteners that couple with a number of corresponding second fasteners of a magnet case hermetically sealing the magnet, and a number of supports embedded within an encapsulant of the cochlear implant.
Claims20
A cochlear implant system comprising:
- an elastomeric body with a first side and a second side, the elastomeric body comprising a pocket;
- a magnet located in the pocket of the elastomeric body;
- and
- a pressure-equalizing hole in the elastomeric body, the pressure-equalizing hole communicating between the pocket and an exterior of the elastomeric body to pass fluid in or out of the pocket, the pressure-equalizing hole being sized to prevent passage of the magnet therethrough.
A method of reducing fluid accumulation in a pocket in an elastomeric body;
- the method comprising:
- removing an external magnet from proximity to an internal magnet located in the pocket of the elastomeric body such that the elastomeric body recoils and expels fluid from the pocket through a pressure-equalizing hole in the elastomeric body, the pressure-equalizing hole sized to prevent egress of the magnet therethrough.
A system for stabilizing a magnet of a cochlear implant, the system comprising:
- an elastomeric body;
- a pocket in the elastomeric body, the pocket to contain the magnet;
- a nest comprising a plurality of members encapsulated in the elastomeric body surrounding the pocket, such that the nest distributes force applied to the magnet over an area at least 50% greater than a cross sectional area of the magnet;
- and
- a breakaway retainer, the breakaway retainer blocking removal of the magnet from the pocket, wherein the breakaway retainer comprises a plurality of break points, the breakaway retainer to break at the break points in response to a force to remove the magnet from the pocket.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.