Implantable medical device

Abstract

An implant configured for secured implantation into a recess formed in a recipient's bone and to removably retain a separate component in a compartment thereof such that the separate component is removable from the implant without removing the implant from the bone.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An implant comprising:
 a compartment, wherein the implant is configured for secured implantation into a recess formed in a recipient's bone, and wherein the compartment is configured to removably retain a separate component such that the separate component is removable from the compartment without removing the implant from the bone.   
     
     
         2 . The implant of  claim 1 , wherein the separate component is a module of an implantable medical device. 
     
     
         3 . The implant of  claim 2 , wherein the module is a functional component of the implantable medical device. 
     
     
         4 . The implant of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the separate component is a lid configured to cover the compartment.   
     
     
         5 . The implant of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the functional component is an active component of the implantable medical device.   
     
     
         6 . The implant of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the functional component is a passive component of the implantable medical device.   
     
     
         7 . The implant of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the implantable medical device is an active transcutaneous bone conduction device, and wherein the active component is a vibrating actuator of the transcutaneous bone conduction device.   
     
     
         8 . The implant of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the implantable medical device is a passive transcutaneous bone conduction device, and wherein the passive component is an implantable component configured to vibrate in response to vibrations transcutaneously transmitted to the compartment.   
     
     
         9 . The implant of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the implant includes a base and at least one sidewall extending from the base, the base and the sidewall forming the compartment, the implant having an aperture wherein the implant is configured such that while implanted in the bone the compartment is accessible via the aperture; and   the compartment is configured to removably retainably receive the separate implantable component through the aperture.   
     
     
         10 . The implant of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the implant is configured to form a hermetic seal between the separate component and the implant upon attachment of the separate component to the implant after the implant is secured to the bone, thereby hermetically sealing the compartment from an external environment of the implantable assembly while the implant is secured to the bone.   
     
     
         11 . The implant of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the implant is configured to removably retain a second separate component in the container while the implant is secured to the bone and while the lid is not attached to the implant; and   the lid covers the second separate component when the lid is attached to the implant.   
     
     
         12 . The implant of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the implant configured to hermetically isolate the second separate component from the external environment of the implant after the lid is attached to the implant after the second separate component is removably retained in the container.   
     
     
         13 . The implant of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the implant includes a bone interface surface configured to osseointegrate with the bone after implantation into the recess.   
     
     
         14 . The implant of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the implant includes a flange extending about the implant and forming an outer perimeter of the implant; and   the flange is configured to osseointegrate with the bone after implantation into the recess.   
     
     
         15 . The implant of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one fixation arm that extends away from a general outer perimeter of the implant, wherein the fixation arm includes a hole configured to receive a bone fixation screw to screw the fixation arm to the bone.   
     
     
         16 . The implant of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the implant includes a fixation mechanism in the compartment that permits the module to be removably retained in the compartment while the implant is secured to the bone.   
     
     
         17 . An implantable component, comprising:
 a compartment; and   a vibratory element of a transcutaneous bone conduction device positioned in the compartment, wherein the implantable component is configured to be totally subcutaneously implanted in a recess formed in the recipient's bone.   
     
     
         18 . The implantable component of  claim 17 , wherein:
 the implantable component includes a base configured to be located in the recess, the base having a diameter on a plane parallel to a bottom of the recess that is at least about twice a height of the implantable component in a direction normal to the plane.   
     
     
         19 . The implantable component of  claim 18 , wherein:
 the base has a diameter on the plane that is at least about four times the height of the implantable component.   
     
     
         20 . The implantable component of  claim 18 , wherein:
 the implantable component is configured to transmit vibrations from the vibratory element to the implantable component and from at least portions of the implantable component implanted in the skull to the skull.   
     
     
         21 . The implantable component of  claim 18 , wherein:
 the vibratory element is positioned substantially entirely in the compartment.   
     
     
         22 . A medical procedure, comprising:
 obtaining access to an implant totally subcutaneously implanted in a recipient, wherein at least a portion of at least a first component of the implant is located in a recess in bone and is osseointegrated to the bone;   while the at least first component is located in the recess and is osseointegrated to the bone, detaching a second component from the first component;   while the at least first component is located in the recess and is osseointegrated to the bone, removing the second component from within the recipient while the at least first component is located in the recess and is osseointegrated to the bone; and   while the at least first component is located in the recess and is osseointegrated to the bone, reattaching the second component or attaching a third component to the first component such that the second component or the third component is subcutaneously implanted in the recipient.   
     
     
         23 . The medical procedure of  claim 22 , wherein:
 the first component is housing;   the second component includes a functional component of the implant; and   the third component includes a functional component that provides substantially the same functionality as that of the second component.   
     
     
         24 . The medical procedure of  claim 22 , wherein:
 the implanted assembly is implanted in a skull of the recipient; and   the medical procedure further comprising:
 while the at least first component is located in the recess and is osseointegrated to the bone, performing an MRI of the head of the recipient after the second component has been removed from within the recipient and prior to reattaching the second component or the third component to the first component. 
   
     
     
         25 . The implant of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the base is substantially flat, and wherein the sidewall extends orthogonally from the base.   
     
     
         26 . The implant of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 the separate component, wherein   an overall height of the implant and the separate component, when the separate component is fully retained in the compartment, in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the implant is about 7 to about 8 mm, and   an outer diameter of the implant on a plane normal to the longitudinal axis is about 25 to about 27 mm.   
     
     
         27 . An implantable device, comprising:
 a component configured to be removably retained in a compartment of an implant such that the component is removable from the compartment without moving the implant relative to an organ of a recipient proximate the implant.   
     
     
         28 . The implantable device of  claim 27 , wherein:
 the organ is bone;   the implant is securely implanted in a recess formed in the bone; and   the component is removable from the compartment without removing the implant from the bone.   
     
     
         29 . The implantable device of  claim 27 , wherein:
 the component is a module containing a functional component of an implantable medical device.   
     
     
         30 . The implantable device of  claim 27 , wherein:
 the component includes a fixation mechanism configured to interact with a corresponding fixation mechanism of the implant to enable the component to be removably retained in the compartment.   
     
     
         31 . The implantable device of  claim 30 , wherein:
 the fixation mechanism of the component includes male screw threads; and   the fixation mechanism of the implant includes female screw threads that interface with the male screw threads of the component.   
     
     
         32 . The implant of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a flexible diaphragm forming part or all of a base of the implant.