Arrangement for mechanical coupling of a driver to a coupling site of the ossicular chain

Abstract

A mechanical coupling for an output-side driver of an active or passive implantable hearing system. The driver is adapted to vibrate a preselected site on a member selected from the group comprising the ossicular chain, the footplate of the stapes and a membrane which closes a window in one of the cochlea, the vestibulum and the labyrinth (equilibrium organ), via a first coupling which has a coupling rod, which can be caused to vibrate mechanically by the driver, and a coupling element which can be connected to the preselected coupling site. The coupling rod and the coupling element are interconnected by at least one coupling. The first coupling half of the coupling has a roughly cylindrical outside contour that can be accommodated in the inside contour of a second coupling half, i.e. a contour which is at least partially complementary to the outside contour. In the implanted state, transmission of the dynamic forces between the two coupling halves of the coupling takes place essentially in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the first coupling half The coupling can be reversibly coupled and decoupled and can be adjusted in a reversibly linear and/or rotational manner with reference to the longitudinal axis of the first coupling half, whereas the coupling is essentially rigid under the dynamic forces which occur in the implanted state.