Multi-electrode cochlear implant system with distributed electronics

Abstract

An implantable tissue-stimulating device comprising a carrier member having a plurality of electrodes ( 11 ) mounted thereon, and at least one signal transmitting wire ( 13 ) extending through at least a portion of the carrier member and adapted to transmit signals through the carrier member to and/or from the electrodes ( 11 ). The number of wires (13) within the carrier member is less than the number of electrodes ( 11 ) mounted thereon.

1 . An implantable tissue-stimulating device comprising a carrier member having a plurality of electrode elements mounted thereon, and at least one signal transmitting means extending through at least a portion of the carrier member and adapted to transmit signals through the carrier member to and/or from said plurality of electrode elements, wherein the number of transmitting means within the carrier member is less than the number of electrode elements mounted thereon.  
   
   
       2 . An implantable tissue-stimulating device of  claim 1  wherein the device is an implantable component of a cochlear implant system.  
   
   
       3 . An implantable tissue-stimulating device of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of electrode elements define a longitudinal array of electrode elements.  
   
   
       4 . An implantable tissue-stimulating device of  claim 3  wherein the electrode elements each have a respective contact face exposed along a first side of the carrier member.  
   
   
       5 . An implantable tissue-stimulating device of  claim 4  wherein the contact faces are equally spaced along the carrier member.  
   
   
       6 . An implantable tissue-stimulating device of  claim 1  wherein the electrode elements are formed of a biocompatible metal.  
   
   
       7 . An implantable tissue-stimulating device of  claim 1  wherein the signal transmitting means comprise an electrically conducting wire or wires.  
   
   
       8 . An implantable tissue-stimulating device of  claim 7  wherein the wire or wires are formed of a biocompatible electrically conducting metal.  
   
   
       9 . An implantable tissue-stimulating device of  claim 1  wherein the device comprises at least five signal transmitting means.  
   
   
       10 . An implantable tissue-stimulating device of  claim 9  wherein the five signal transmitting means comprise a clock line, a data line, a first stimulation line, a second stimulation line, and a common ground line.  
   
   
       11 . An implantable tissue-stimulating device of  claim 10  wherein each electrode supported by the carrier member has associated electronic circuitry positioned proximate thereto within the carrier member.  
   
   
       12 . An implantable tissue-stimulating device of  claim 11  wherein the circuitry is associated with two or more electrodes.  
   
   
       13 . An implantable tissue-stimulating device of  claim 11  wherein the circuitry is positioned immediately adjacent the electrode.  
   
   
       14 . An implantable tissue-stimulating device of  claim 11  wherein an electrode and its associated circuitry are integrated on a common substrate to form an integrated circuit.  
   
   
       15 . An implantable tissue-stimulating device of  claim 11  wherein the electronic circuitry comprises a power rectifier, a data decoder, a control circuit, and an output switch.  
   
   
       16 . An implantable tissue-stimulating device of  claim 15  wherein DC power for an associated electrode is produced by the power rectifier by rectifying an AC power source provided to the power rectifier.  
   
   
       17 . An implantable tissue-stimulating device of  claim 16  wherein the AC power is provided on two signal transmitting means extending through the carrier member from a receiver/stimulator circuit.  
   
   
       18 . An implantable tissue-stimulating device of  claim 17  wherein the two signal transmitting means comprise the data line and the clock line.  
   
   
       19 . An implantable tissue-stimulating device of  claim 18  wherein the data and clock lines are capacitively coupled to the associated electronic circuitry of each of the electrodes in the carrier member using respective input pads.  
   
   
       20 . An implantable tissue-stimulating device of  claim 15  wherein the data decoder demodulates data and power signals transmitted from a receiver/stimulator circuit, extracts the data and decodes it to obtain the stimulation and telemetry control parameters for the associated electrode.  
   
   
       21 . An implantable tissue-stimulating device of  claim 20  wherein each electrode data decoder determines whether its associated electrode is required to output an electrical stimulation.  
   
   
       22 . An implantable tissue-stimulating device of  claim 15  wherein the control circuit configures the electrode output in accordance with stimulus and telemetry data decoded by the data decoder.  
   
   
       23 . An implantable tissue-stimulating device of  claim 15  wherein the output switch directs a stimulation current to the selected electrode and/or connects the selected electrode to a telemetry measurement circuit.  
   
   
       24 . An implantable tissue-stimulating device of  claim 23  wherein each output switch also controls the shorting of the electrodes during an inter-frame period.  
   
   
       25 . An implantable tissue-stimulating device of  claim 23  wherein each output switch also opens the electrode outputs during voltage and neural response telemetry.  
   
   
       26 . An implantable tissue-stimulating device of  claim 11  wherein the respective signal transmitting means are electrically insulated, the electrical insulation being removed at the side of electrical connection to input pads of the associated circuitry.  
   
   
       27 . An implantable tissue-stimulating device of  claim 26  wherein the signal transmitting means is gap welded to the input pads.  
   
   
       28 . An implantable tissue-stimulating device of  claim 26  wherein the input pads are insertion displacement connectors.  
   
   
       29 . An implantable tissue-stimulating device of  claim 28  wherein the connector comprises a cavity having a plurality of sharp tines formed in the surface thereof, the tines being adapted to pierce the insulation of the signal transmitting means positioned therein and so make an electrical connection thereto.  
   
   
       30 . An implantable tissue-stimulating device comprising a carrier member having a plurality of electrode elements mounted thereon, at least one of the electrode elements having associated signal processing circuitry embedded within the carrier member proximate thereto.  
   
   
       31 . An implantable tissue-stimulating device of  claim 30  wherein the number of transmitting means within the carrier member is less than the number of electrode elements mounted thereon.  
   
   
       32 . An implantable tissue-stimulating device of  claim 30  wherein the circuitry is associated with two or more electrodes.  
   
   
       33 . An implantable tissue-stimulating device of  claim 30  wherein the circuitry is positioned immediately adjacent the electrode.  
   
   
       34 . An implantable tissue-stimulating device of  claim 30  wherein an electrode and its associated circuitry are integrated on a common substrate to form an integrated circuit.  
   
   
       35 . An implantable tissue-stimulating device of  claim 30  wherein the electronic circuitry comprises a power rectifier, a data decoder, a control circuit, and an output switch.  
   
   
       36 . An implantable tissue-stimulating device of  claim 35  wherein DC power for an associated electrode is produced by the power rectifier by rectifying an AC power source provided to the power rectifier.  
   
   
       37 . An implantable tissue-stimulating device of  claim 36  wherein the AC power is provided on two signal transmitting means extending through the carrier member from a receiver/stimulator circuit.  
   
   
       38 . An implantable tissue-stimulating device of  claim 38  wherein the two signal transmitting means comprise a data line and a clock line.  
   
   
       39 . An implantable tissue-stimulating device of  claim 38  wherein the data and clock lines are capacitively coupled to the associated electronic circuitry of each of the electrodes in the carrier member using respective input pads.  
   
   
       40 . An implantable tissue-stimulating device of  claim 35  wherein the data decoder demodulates data and power signals transmitted from a receiver/stimulator circuit, extracts the data and decodes it to obtain the stimulation and telemetry control parameters for the associated electrode.  
   
   
       41 . An implantable tissue-stimulating device of  claim 40  wherein each electrode data decoder determines whether its associated electrode is required to output an electrical stimulation.  
   
   
       42 . An implantable tissue-stimulating device of  claim 35  wherein the control circuit configures the electrode output in accordance with the stimulus and telemetry data decoded by the data decoder.  
   
   
       43 . An implantable tissue-stimulating device of  claim 35  wherein the output switch directs a stimulation current to the selected electrode and/or connects the selected electrode to a telemetry measurement circuit.  
   
   
       44 . An implantable tissue-stimulating device of  claim 43  wherein each output switch also controls the shorting of the electrodes during an inter-frame period.  
   
   
       45 . An implantable tissue-stimulating device of  claim 43  wherein each output switch also opens the electrode outputs during voltage and neural response telemetry.  
   
   
       46 . An implantable tissue-stimulating device of  claim 30  wherein the respective signal transmitting means are electrically insulated, the electrical insulation being removed at the side of electrical connection to input pads of the associated circuitry.  
   
   
       47 . An implantable tissue-stimulating device of  claim 46  wherein the signal transmitting means is gap welded to the input pads.  
   
   
       48 . An implantable tissue-stimulating device of  claim 46  wherein the input pads are insertion displacement connectors.  
   
   
       49 . An implantable tissue-stimulating device of  claim 48  wherein the connector comprises a cavity having a plurality of sharp tines formed in the surface thereof, the tines being adapted to pierce the insulation of the signal transmitting means positioned therein and so make an electrical connection thereto.