Patent ID: 6308101
Filing Date: 2001-10-23
Classification: A61N

Abstract:
A fully implantable cochlear implant system, comprising:an implantable, hermetically-sealed, cochlear stimulator (ICS) unit (212), the ICS unit having electrical circuitry therein;an implantable, hermetically-sealed speech processor (ISP) unit (210), the ISP unit having processing circuitry therein, the ISP unit further having a case on which a connector is mounted, the connector having a plurality of feedthrough terminals through which electrical contact may be made with the processing circuitry located inside of the ISP unit;a power source (216) housed within the ISP unit for providing operating power for the cochlear implant system;a cochlear electrode array (114) permanently connected to the ICS unit via a first multi-conductor cable (116) and adapted to be insertable into a human cochlea;a second multi-conductor cable (222) having a first end permanently connected to the ICS unit, and having a second end detachably connected to the ISP unit through the connector mounted to the ISP case, whereby the ISP unit is wired to the ICS unit; anda subcutaneous microphone (218);wherein microphone signals sensed by the microphone are processed by the processing circuitry within the ISP unit, and stimulation signals representative of the sensed microphone signals are coupled to the electrical circuitry within the ICS unit, and wherein the electrical circuitry within the ICS unit responds to the received stimulation signals and generates stimulation pulses that are sent to the electrode array through the first cable for the purpose of electrically stimulating cochlear tissue in the vicinity of the array.