Patent ID: 8831750
Filing Date: 2014-09-09
Classification: A61N

Abstract:
1. An ear implant electrode array for implantation along an inner diameter of a scala tympani of a recipient patient cochlea, the electrode array comprising: a plurality of electrode wires for carrying electrical stimulation signals; at a terminal end of each electrode wire, an electrode stimulation contact for applying the electrical stimulation signals to adjacent neural tissue; an electrode carrier of resilient material encasing the electrode wires and having an outer surface with a plurality of contact openings exposing the stimulation contacts; and a plurality of individual bend control elements distributed along the length of the electrode array to control bending flexibility of the electrode array as a function of a bend radius threshold to be greater for bending less than the bend radius threshold and lesser for bending greater than the bend radius threshold; wherein the bend radius threshold is greater than half of the inner diameter of the scala tympani of the patient cochlea.