Electrode locating systems and methods for use during a cochlear implant lead insertion procedure

Abstract

An illustrative electrode locating system directs a first electrode on an electrode lead to generate an electrical pulse after being inserted into a cochlea of a patient during an insertion procedure to insert the electrode lead into the cochlea. The electrode locating system then directs a voltage to be detected between a second electrode of the electrode lead that has not yet been inserted into the cochlea and a ground contact that is to remain external to the cochlea after the insertion procedure. Based on the voltage detected between the second electrode and the ground contact, the electrode locating system determines that the second electrode has not yet been inserted into the cochlea. Corresponding systems and methods are also disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a memory storing instructions; and   one or more processors communicatively coupled to the memory and configured to execute the instructions to perform a process comprising:
 directing, during an insertion procedure to insert an electrode lead into a cochlea of a patient, a first electrode on the electrode lead to generate an electrical pulse after being inserted into the cochlea; 
 directing, during the insertion procedure and based on the directing of the first electrode to generate the electrical pulse, a voltage to be detected between a second electrode of the electrode lead that has not yet been inserted into the cochlea and a ground contact that is to remain external to the cochlea after the insertion procedure; and 
 determining, based on the voltage detected between the second electrode and the ground contact, that the second electrode has not yet been inserted into the cochlea. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first electrode is nearest of a plurality of electrodes on the electrode lead to a distal end of the electrode lead;   the ground contact is a ground electrode included on a proximal portion of the electrode lead that remains external to the cochlea after the insertion procedure; and   the determining that the second electrode has not yet been inserted into the cochlea includes determining that the voltage detected between the second electrode and the ground contact satisfies a predetermined threshold.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first electrode is nearest of a plurality of electrodes on the electrode lead to a distal end of the electrode lead;   the ground contact is a case ground of a cochlear implant to which the electrode lead is coupled; and   the determining that the second electrode has not yet been inserted into the cochlea includes determining that the voltage detected between the second electrode and the ground contact satisfies a predetermined threshold.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first electrode is not a distal-most electrode that is nearest of a plurality of electrodes on the electrode lead to a distal end of the electrode lead; and   the determining that the second electrode has not yet been inserted into the cochlea includes determining that the voltage detected between the second electrode and the ground contact satisfies a predetermined threshold.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the electrode lead comprises a plurality of electrodes including a distal-most electrode that is nearest of a plurality of electrodes on the electrode lead to a distal end of the electrode lead;   the system is configured to repeatedly perform the process during the insertion procedure with the distal-most electrode as the first electrode in every performance of the process and each of the remaining electrodes of the plurality of electrodes as the second electrode during at least one performance of the process; and   the process further comprises:
 determining, based on the repeated performances of the process, whether each of the plurality of electrodes is located within the cochlea, and 
 determining, based on the determining of whether each of the plurality of electrodes is located within the cochlea, an insertion depth of the electrode lead within the cochlea. 
   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the process further comprises:
 providing a user interface for use by a user of the system; and   providing, to the user by way of the user interface, information representative of the determined insertion depth of the electrode lead within the cochlea.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the process further comprises:
 detecting, during the insertion procedure while the electrode lead is at the determined insertion depth within the cochlea, an occurrence of an event associated with the insertion procedure; and   storing, in a storage facility associated with the system and in response to the detection of the occurrence of the event, a record representative of the occurrence of the event and the determined insertion depth of the electrode lead within the cochlea.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the event is a trauma event in which the electrode lead is detected to have caused trauma to the cochlea. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the process further comprises providing the stored record representative of the occurrence of the event and the determined insertion depth of the electrode lead within the cochlea for use in a subsequent insertion procedure of another electrode lead into a cochlea of another patient. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the process further comprises:
 providing a user interface for use by a user of the system; and   providing, to the user by way of the user interface, information representative of the determination that the second electrode has not yet been inserted into the cochlea.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the process is performed in real time during the insertion procedure. 
     
     
         12 . A method comprising:
 directing, during an insertion procedure to insert an electrode lead into a cochlea of a patient, a first electrode on the electrode lead to generate an electrical pulse after being inserted into the cochlea;   directing, during the insertion procedure and based on the directing of the first electrode to generate the electrical pulse, a voltage to be detected between a second electrode of the electrode lead that has not yet been inserted into the cochlea and a ground contact that is to remain external to the cochlea after the insertion procedure; and   determining, based on the voltage detected between the second electrode and the ground contact, that the second electrode has not yet been inserted into the cochlea.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the first electrode is nearest of a plurality of electrodes on the electrode lead to a distal end of the electrode lead;   the ground contact is a ground electrode included on a proximal portion of the electrode lead that remains external to the cochlea after the insertion procedure; and   the determining that the second electrode has not yet been inserted into the cochlea includes determining that the voltage detected between the second electrode and the ground contact satisfies a predetermined threshold.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the first electrode is nearest of a plurality of electrodes on the electrode lead to a distal end of the electrode lead;   the ground contact is a case ground of a cochlear implant to which the electrode lead is coupled; and   the determining that the second electrode has not yet been inserted into the cochlea includes determining that the voltage detected between the second electrode and the ground contact satisfies a predetermined threshold.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the first electrode is an electrode other than a distal-most electrode that is nearest of a plurality of electrodes on the electrode lead to a distal end of the electrode lead; and   the determining that the second electrode has not yet been inserted into the cochlea includes determining that the voltage detected between the second electrode and the ground contact satisfies a predetermined threshold.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the electrode lead comprises a plurality of electrodes including a distal-most electrode that is nearest of a plurality of electrodes on the electrode lead to a distal end of the electrode lead; and   the method further comprises:
 repeatedly performing the method during the insertion procedure with the distal-most electrode as the first electrode in every performance of the method and each of the remaining electrodes of the plurality of electrodes as the second electrode during at least one performance of the method, 
 determining, based on the repeated performances of the method, whether each of the plurality of electrodes is located within the cochlea, and 
 determining, based on the determining of whether each of the plurality of electrodes is located within the cochlea, an insertion depth of the electrode lead within the cochlea. 
   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the method further comprises:
 providing a user interface for use by a user; and   providing, to the user by way of the user interface, information representative of the determined insertion depth of the electrode lead within the cochlea.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 providing a user interface for use by a user; and   providing, to the user by way of the user interface, information representative of the determination that the second electrode has not yet been inserted into the cochlea.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12 , performed in real time during the insertion procedure. 
     
     
         20 . A system comprising:
 a memory storing instructions; and   one or more processors communicatively coupled to the memory and configured to execute the instructions to perform a process comprising:
 directing, during an insertion procedure to insert an electrode lead into a cochlea of a patient, a distal-most electrode to generate an electrical pulse after being inserted into the cochlea, the distal-most electrode nearest of a plurality of electrodes on the electrode lead to a distal end of the electrode lead; 
 directing, during the insertion procedure and based on the directing of the distal-most electrode to generate the electrical pulse, a voltage to be detected between an additional electrode of the plurality of electrodes on the electrode lead that has not yet been inserted into the cochlea and a ground contact that is to remain external to the cochlea after the insertion procedure; 
 determining, during the insertion procedure, that the voltage detected between the additional electrode and the ground contact satisfies a predetermined threshold; and 
 providing, in real time and by way of a user interface provided to a user of the system, information representative of a determination, based on the determining that that the voltage satisfies the predetermined threshold, that the additional electrode has not yet been inserted into the cochlea.