Patent ID: 7894916

Claim:
A cochlear implant comprising: an elongate shape element configured to maintain a substantially straight configuration when at a first temperature and to curl in response to being at a second temperature greater than the first temperature; and a resiliently flexible elongate carrier member, having a longitudinally-extending lumen configured to receive the shape element and a plurality of tissue-stimulating electrodes, configured to adopt substantially straight and partially curved configurations in response to biasing forces applied by said shape element positioned in said lumen when said shape element is at said first and second temperatures, respectively, and to adopt a fully curved configuration, in which said carrier member is configured to substantially conform to a modiolus when positioned in a cochlea, in response to said shape element being removed from said lumen; wherein said shape element is configured to prevent said carrier member from adopting said fully curved configuration when said shape element is at a temperature approximately equal to body temperature and is positioned in said lumen; and wherein, for said carrier member, said fully curved configuration is more curved than said partially curved configuration, and said partially curved configuration is more curved than said substantially straight configuration.