The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 22, 2011
Filed:
Oct. 17, 2001
Peter Gibson, New South Wales, AU;
Ian Darley, New South Wales, AU;
Claudiu Treaba, New South Wales, AU;
John Parker, New South Wales, AU;
Fysh Dadd, New South Wales, AU;
Peter Gibson, New South Wales, AU;
Ian Darley, New South Wales, AU;
Claudiu Treaba, New South Wales, AU;
John Parker, New South Wales, AU;
Fysh Dadd, New South Wales, AU;
Cochlear Limited, Macquarie University, NSW, AU;
Abstract
A cochlear implant electrode assembly device () comprising an elongate electrode carrier member (), and a shape element () formed of a memory material, such as Nitinol. The elongate member () is made of a resiliently flexible first material and has a length and a plurality of electrodes () mounted thereon adapted to apply a preselected tissue stimulation. The elongate member () has a pre-formed curved orientation that at least substantially matches an inside surface of a cochlea, an implantable orientation different to said pre-formed orientation that allows said member to be inserted into an implantee's cochlea, and an at least one intermediate orientation between said implantable orientation and said pre-formed orientation. The shape element () is removably positioned within the elongate member () and extends along at least a portion of the length thereof. The shape element () has a first shape selected for biasing the elongate member () into the implantable orientation when the shape element is at a first temperature, and at least a second shape that allows the elongate member () to adopt said at least one intermediate orientation when the shape element () is exposed to a temperature of the cochlea () being different than the first temperature.