Patent ID: 8057542

Claim:
An ossicular prosthesis for implantation in a middle ear of a human for reconstruction of an ossicular chain, comprising: a) an open-wound helical conical coil having a first end and a second end, said first end includes a first winding defining a first diameter and said second end includes a second winding defining a smaller second diameter, and at least three windings between said first and second windings, said coil continuous between said first and second windings; b) an engagement structure including one of a bell head, a piston, and a shoe; and c) a connecting element coupling said second end of said coil to said engagement structure in a fixed orientation, wherein said ossicular prosthesis is of a suitable size and material for implantation into the middle ear and said coil is sized and shaped such that, without crimping said coil, said first end of said coil is able to encircle and stably engage an intact portion of a long process of an incus to at least partially reconstruct the ossicular chain.