Surgical tool

Abstract

Presented herein are dual-function surgical tools for insertion of implantable stimulating assemblies, such as intra-cochlear stimulating assemblies. In addition to facilitating intra-operative positioning of a stimulating assembly within a recipient (e.g., operating to guide the stimulating assembly of an implantable medical device into position), the surgical tool also includes a plurality of electrodes configured to apply an electroporation electrical field to a recipient's nerve cells to enable introduction of treatment substance into the nerve cells.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cochlear electrode array insertion tool, comprising:
 an array guide; and   at least one functional component disposed in or on the array guide, wherein at least a portion of the functional component is fixed relative to the array guide.   
     
     
         2 . The cochlear electrode array insertion tool of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one functional component comprises a substance delivery mechanism. 
     
     
         3 . The cochlear electrode array insertion tool of  claim 2 , wherein the substance delivery mechanism comprises a substance delivery lumen and a syringe port. 
     
     
         4 . The cochlear electrode array insertion tool of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one functional component comprises at least one electrode. 
     
     
         5 . The cochlear electrode array insertion tool of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one electrode comprises a plurality of electrodes. 
     
     
         6 . The cochlear electrode array insertion tool of  claim 5 , wherein the plurality of electrodes are formed into two or more functional groups of electrodes. 
     
     
         7 . The cochlear electrode array insertion tool of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one functional component is a portion of a circuit. 
     
     
         8 . The cochlear electrode array insertion tool of  claim 1 , wherein the functional component is held stationary relative to the array guide while a cochlear electrode array is being inserted into a cochlea using the tool. 
     
     
         9 . The cochlear electrode array insertion tool of  claim 1 , wherein the tool comprises an intra-cochlear portion and an extra-cochlear portion, wherein the extra-cochlear portion facilitates manipulation of the surgical tool during surgery. 
     
     
         10 . The cochlear electrode array insertion tool of  claim 8 , wherein the intra-cochlear portion is configured for insertion through a round window of a cochlea. 
     
     
         11 . The cochlear electrode array insertion tool of  claim 8 , wherein the array guide includes a tube that extends from the extra-cochlear portion to the intra-cochlear portion, and wherein the tube is configured to permit a cochlear electrode array to be advanced through the array guide into a cochlea. 
     
     
         12 . The cochlear electrode array insertion tool of  claim 1 , wherein a cochlear electrode array is located in the tool. 
     
     
         13 . The cochlear electrode array insertion tool of  claim 12 , wherein:
 a stimulator of a cochlear implant is attached via a lead assembly to the cochlear electrode array, the stimulator and the electrode array being parts of an implantable portion of a cochlear implant.   
     
     
         14 . The cochlear electrode array insertion tool of  claim 1 , wherein the array guide has an elongate hollow portion through which an electrode array moves during insertion into a cochlea, which elongate hollow portion is empty. 
     
     
         15 . The cochlear electrode array insertion tool of  claim 1 , wherein the functional component is separate from a stimulator of an implantable portion of a cochlear implant that is in wired communication with an electrode array of the cochlear implant insertable into a cochlea using the tool. 
     
     
         16 . The cochlear electrode array insertion tool of  claim 2 , wherein the insertion tool is configured to hold the electrode stationary relative to the electrode array guide while a cochlear electrode array is being inserted into a cochlea using the tool. 
     
     
         17 . An electrode array insertion tool, comprising:
 an electrode array insertion guide; and   at least one electrode, wherein the electrode array insertion tool is configured to hold the at least one electrode stationary relative to the electrode array guide while a cochlear electrode array is being moved through the electrode array insertion guide.   
     
     
         18 . The electrode array insertion tool of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one electrode is mounted on an intra-cochlear portion of the insertion tool. 
     
     
         19 . The electrode array insertion tool of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one electrode comprises a plurality of electrodes. 
     
     
         20 . The electrode array insertion tool of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one electrode is mounted on the tool such that the at least one electrode is adjacent a lumen of the electrode array insertion guide. 
     
     
         21 . The electrode array insertion tool of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one electrode is operable to establish a capacitive coupling with at least one of an anatomical structure of the recipient of the cochlear electrode array inserted by the tool or the cochlear electrode array inserted by the tool. 
     
     
         22 . The electrode array insertion tool of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one electrode is fixed relative to the electrode array insertion guide. 
     
     
         23 . The electrode array insertion tool of  claim 17 , wherein the electrode array insertion guide has an elongate hollow portion through which an electrode array moves during insertion into a cochlea, which elongate hollow portion is empty. 
     
     
         24 . The electrode array insertion tool of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one electrode is separate from electrodes of an electrode array insertable into a cochlea using the electrode array insertion tool. 
     
     
         25 . A surgical tool comprising:
 an intra-cochlear portion configured to be inserted into a cochlea of a recipient, wherein the intra-cochlear portion comprises an insertion lumen configured to receive and to guide a stimulating assembly of an implantable medical device into position within the cochlea,   wherein the intra-cochlear portion of the surgical tool comprises one or more active functional components.   
     
     
         26 . The surgical tool of  claim 25 , wherein the intra-cochlear portion comprises a sheath, and wherein the one or more functional components form part of the sheath. 
     
     
         27 . The surgical tool of  claim 26 , wherein the one or more active functional components comprise a portion of a circuit formed on an outer surface of the sheath. 
     
     
         28 . The surgical tool of  claim 25 , wherein the one or more active functional components are configured to generate an electric field. 
     
     
         29 . The surgical tool of  claim 25 , wherein the one or more active functional components include at least one electrode. 
     
     
         30 . The surgical tool of  claim 28 , wherein the at least one electrode comprises a plurality of electrodes that are formed into two or more functional groups of electrodes. 
     
     
         31 . The surgical tool of  claim 25 , wherein the surgical tool has an extra-cochlear portion that facilitates manipulation of the surgical tool during surgery. 
     
     
         32 . The surgical tool of  claim 25 , wherein the intra-cochlear portion is configured for insertion through a round window of the cochlea. 
     
     
         33 . The surgical tool of  claim 25 , wherein the surgical tool has at least one electrical connector configured to electrically connect to the one or more active functional components.