Cochlear implants and magnets for use with same

Abstract

A cochlear implant including a cochlear lead, a housing, a magnet apparatus located within the flexible housing and including a first partial disk shaped magnet member and a second partial disk shaped magnet member spaced apart from the first partial disk shaped magnet member, an antenna within the housing, and a stimulation processor.

1 - 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . A cochlear implant, comprising:
 a cochlear lead including a plurality of electrodes;   a flexible housing including a magnet pocket, a top wall above the magnet pocket that does not include an opening into the magnet pocket, and a bottom wall below the magnet pocket that does not include an opening into the magnet pocket;   a magnet apparatus, located within the magnet pocket, including a magnetic element, which defines an outer surface, a diameter, a thickness and the diameter to thickness ratio (“DtoT ratio”) that is 2.5 or less, and a hermetically sealed housing that covers the outer surface of the magnetic element;   an antenna within the housing and adjacent to the magnet pocket; and   a stimulation processor operably connected to the antenna and to the cochlear lead.   
     
     
         12 . A cochlear implant as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein
 the magnet apparatus defines a cylindrical shape.   
     
     
         13 . A cochlear implant as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein
 the hermetically sealed housing is 0.2 to 0.3 mm thick.   
     
     
         14 . A cochlear implant as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein
 the diameter of the magnetic element is 7.1 mm or less; and   the thickness of the magnetic element is 2.8 mm or more.   
     
     
         15 . A cochlear implant as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein
 the antenna and the magnet apparatus are embedded in the flexible housing.   
     
     
         16 . A cochlear implant as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein
 the respective configurations of the flexible housing and the magnet apparatus are such that the magnet apparatus will rotate and distort the flexible housing in response to the presence of a magnetic field of at least 1.5 T.   
     
     
         17 . A cochlear implant as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein
 the DtoT ratio ranges from 2.5 to 1.9.   
     
     
         18 . A system, comprising
 a cochlear implant as claimed in  claim 11 ; and   a headpiece including
 an antenna, and 
 a headpiece magnet associated with the antenna that is attracted to the implant magnet. 
   
     
     
         19 . A system, comprising
 a cochlear implant as claimed in  claim 11 ;   a sound processor; and   a headpiece, operably connected to the sound processor, including
 an antenna, and 
 a headpiece magnet associated with the antenna that is attracted to the implant magnet.