Artificial cochlea electrode, artificial cochlea device and artificial cochlea system

Abstract

The invention provides an artificial cochlea electrode, an artificial cochlea device and an artificial cochlea system.The artificial cochlea electrode comprises a main body structure and a tip structure which are connected, the main body structure comprises an elastic base body and a plurality of electrode plates arranged on the base body, and the electrode plates are arranged at intervals in the axial direction of the elastic base body; the plurality of electrode plates are arranged on the side, close to the worm shaft, of the elastic base body; the tip structure can be bent towards the side, close to the worm shaft, of the elastic base body so that a preset included angle can be formed between the tip structure and the elastic base body. The tip structure is bent towards the side, close to the cochlear axis, of the electrode to form the preset included angle with the elastic base body, the artificial cochlea electrode can be guided to be bent in the preset direction when making contact with the side wall of the cochlea, and the phenomena that the artificial cochlea electrode is twisted, the tip of the electrode is folded and the like in the implanting process are effectively avoided; therefore, the electrode plate can be ensured to stimulate in the direction facing the worm shaft.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of medical devices, and in particular to a cochlear implant electrode, a cochlear implant device and a cochlear implant system. Background Art

[0002] The cochlear implant is one of the most successful neural prostheses in the world and is considered the only effective treatment for sensorineural hearing loss. The cochlea is a spiral-shaped structure with 2.5 turns from the base to the apex. During the cochlear implantation process, the tip of the implanted electrode contacts the cochlear tissue at about 0.5 turns of the cochlea, and the implanted electrode is bent toward the modiolus and continued to be implanted by squeezing the side wall tissue of the cochlea. The electrodes of the cochlear implant are mostly distributed on one side. When the electrode is bent, ensuring that the electrode is facing the modiolus where the neurons are distributed is the key to improving the stimulation effect of the cochlear implant and reducing power consumption.

[0003] Tip folding may occur during cochlear implantation. For the near-modiolar electrode type, premature withdrawal of the stylet or cannula can be considered as one of the main causes of tip folding, while for the lateral electrode type, it can be attributed solely to the geometry of the electrode tip. Considering that the surface of the lateral wall of the cochlea is porous and rough, the conical electrode tip may become stuck in the lateral wall of the cochlea and cannot be implanted further, resulting in tip folding.

[0004] Moreover, the current cochlear implant electrode tip and electrode body are mostly designed in a coaxial structure. The force exerted by the electrode tip on the side wall of the cochlea may cause damage to the cochlear tissue. In addition, the overall shape of the cochlear implant electrode and the direction of the force on the tip determine the bending direction of the electrode. The current common cochlear implant electrode tips are mostly not directional selectivity, which may cause the electrode to twist during the implantation process, and thus make the electrode unable to stimulate the modiolus directly.

[0005] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the background technology section of the invention is only intended to deepen the understanding of the general background technology of the invention, and should not be regarded as an admission or suggestion in any form that the information constitutes prior art already known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the invention

[0006] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a cochlear implant electrode, a cochlear implant device and a cochlear implant system, which can make the cochlear implant electrode bend in a predetermined direction when in contact with the side wall of the cochlea, ensuring that the electrode sheet stimulates the modiolus in the direction of the modiolus.

[0007] To achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a cochlear implant electrode, the cochlear implant electrode comprising a main structure and a tip structure connected to each other, the main structure comprising an elastic substrate and a plurality of electrode sheets arranged on the substrate, the plurality of electrode sheets being arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the elastic substrate, and the plurality of electrode sheets being arranged on the modiolar side of the elastic substrate;

[0008] The tip structure can be bent toward the modiolar side of the elastic matrix to form a preset angle with the elastic matrix.

[0009] Optionally, the preset angle is 10° to 20°.

[0010] Optionally, the proximal modiolar side of the tip structure has at least one notch.

[0011] Optionally, the outer contour of the tip structure is streamlined.

[0012] Optionally, the outer diameter of the tip structure gradually decreases from an end thereof close to the main structure to an end thereof far from the main structure.

[0013] Optionally, the tip structure has an arc-shaped convex portion at one end away from the main structure.

[0014] Optionally, the tip structure is a self-expanding structure, and the expansion coefficient of the proximal wall side of the tip structure is greater than the expansion coefficient of the proximal modiolus side of the tip structure.

[0015] Optionally, the radius of curvature of the proximal wall side of the tip structure is greater than the radius of curvature of the proximal modiolar side of the tip structure.

[0016] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention also provides a cochlear implant device, which includes a receiving coil, a control circuit and the cochlear implant electrode mentioned above, wherein the receiving coil, the control circuit and the cochlear implant electrode are connected in sequence, the receiving coil is configured to receive a target signal and send the target signal to the control circuit, the control circuit is configured to generate a stimulation current according to the target signal, and the cochlear implant electrode is used to conduct the stimulation current to generate electrical stimulation at the electrode sheet.

[0017] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention also provides a cochlear implant system, comprising an external device and the cochlear implant apparatus described above, wherein the external device comprises a speech processor, wherein the speech processor is communicatively connected to the receiving coil, and the external device is configured to receive a sound signal, convert the sound signal into the target signal, and transmit the target signal to the receiving coil.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the cochlear implant electrode, cochlear implant device and cochlear implant system provided by the present invention have the following beneficial effects:

[0019] The cochlear implant electrode provided by the present invention comprises a main body structure and a tip structure connected to each other, wherein the main body structure comprises an elastic matrix and a plurality of electrode sheets arranged on the matrix, wherein the plurality of electrode sheets are arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the elastic matrix, and the plurality of electrode sheets are arranged on the proximal modiolar side of the elastic matrix; the tip structure can be bent toward the proximal modiolar side of the elastic matrix to form a preset angle with the elastic matrix. Thus, the cochlear implant electrode provided by the present invention can guide the cochlear implant electrode to bend in a predetermined direction when in contact with the side wall of the cochlea by bending the tip structure toward the proximal modiolar side of the electrode to form a preset angle with the elastic matrix, effectively avoiding the phenomenon of cochlear implant electrode twisting and electrode tip folding during implantation, thereby ensuring that the electrode sheet stimulates in the direction of the modiolar direction, which helps to improve the therapeutic effect and prognosis of the cochlear implant. At the same time, the tip structure bent toward the proximal modiolar side can also increase the force area, thereby reducing the pressure of the tip structure on the cochlear tissue during implantation and reducing the damage to the side wall of the cochlea. In addition, the present invention does not need to change the main structure of the cochlear implant electrode, thereby making the overall structural design of the cochlear implant electrode simpler.

[0020] Since the cochlear implant device and cochlear implant system provided by the present invention and the cochlear implant electrode provided by the present invention belong to the same inventive concept, the cochlear implant device and cochlear implant system provided by the present invention at least have the beneficial effects of the cochlear implant electrode provided by the present invention. For details, please refer to the relevant description of the beneficial effects of the cochlear implant electrode provided by the present invention in the above text. Therefore, the beneficial effects of the cochlear implant device and cochlear implant system provided by the present invention will not be described one by one here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of a cochlear implant electrode provided in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 A schematic structural diagram of a tip structure of a cochlear implant electrode provided in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a cochlear implant electrode provided in one embodiment of the present invention being inserted into the cochlea.

[0024] The reference numerals are as follows:

[0025] Cochlear implant electrode-100; main structure-110; elastic matrix-111; electrode sheet-112; tip structure-120; notch-121; convex head-122;

[0026] Cochlear - 200. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] The following is a further detailed description of the cochlear implant electrode, cochlear implant device and cochlear implant system proposed by the present invention in combination with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. According to the following description, the advantages and features of the present invention will be more clear. It should be noted that the drawings are in a very simplified form and all use non-precise proportions, which are only used to conveniently and clearly assist in explaining the purpose of the embodiments of the present invention. In order to make the purposes, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, please refer to the drawings. It should be noted that the structures, proportions, sizes, etc. illustrated in the drawings of this specification are only used to match the contents disclosed in the specification for people familiar with this technology to understand and read, and are not used to limit the limiting conditions for the implementation of the present invention. Any modification of the structure, change of the proportional relationship or adjustment of the size, under the same or similar conditions as the effects and purposes that can be achieved by the present invention, should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed by the present invention. The specific design features of the present invention disclosed herein include, for example, specific dimensions, directions, positions and shapes, which will be determined in part by the specific environment to be applied and used. And, in the embodiments described below, sometimes the same figure mark is used in common between different drawings to represent the same part or part with the same function, and its repeated description is omitted. In this specification, similar reference numerals and letters are used to refer to similar items, and therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it need not be further discussed in subsequent figures. In addition, if the method described herein includes a series of steps, the order of these steps presented herein is not necessarily the only order in which these steps can be performed, and some of the steps described may be omitted and / or some other steps not described herein may be added to the method.

[0028] It should be noted that, in this article, the terms "comprise", "include" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. In the absence of further restrictions, an element defined by the sentence "comprises one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or device including the element. The singular forms "one", "an" and "the" include plural objects, the term "or" is usually used in a sense including "and / or", the term "several" is usually used in a sense including "at least one", the term "at least two" is usually used in a sense including "two or more", and the term "multiple" is usually used in a sense including "at least two".

[0029] In addition, in the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate positions or positional relationships based on the positions or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "install", "connect", "connect", and "fix" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances. In addition, in the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, a first feature being "above" or "below" a second feature may include the first and second features being in direct contact, or may include the first and second features being in contact not directly but through another feature between them. Moreover, a first feature being "above", "above" and "above" a second feature includes the first feature being directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being "below", "below" and "below" a second feature includes the first feature being directly below and obliquely below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0030] In addition, in the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art may combine and combine the different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of the different embodiments or examples, without contradiction.

[0031] The core idea of ​​the present invention is to provide a cochlear implant electrode, a cochlear implant device and a cochlear implant system, which can make the cochlear implant electrode bend in a predetermined direction when in contact with the side wall of the cochlea, so as to ensure that the electrode sheet stimulates the modiolus in the direction of the modiolus. It should be noted that, as can be understood by those skilled in the art, the "near modiolus side" referred to in the present invention refers to the side close to the modiolus of the cochlea, that is, the side away from the outer wall of the cochlea, and the so-called "proximal wall side" refers to the side close to the outer wall of the cochlea, that is, the side away from the modiolus of the cochlea.

[0032] To realize the above idea, the present invention provides a cochlear implant electrode, please refer to Figures 1 to 3 ,in, Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of a cochlear implant electrode provided in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 2 A schematic structural diagram of a tip structure of a cochlear implant electrode provided in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of a cochlear implant electrode inserted into the cochlea according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the cochlear implant electrode 100 provided by the present invention includes a main structure 110 and a tip structure 120 connected to each other. The main structure 110 includes an elastic substrate 111 and a plurality of electrode sheets 112 arranged on the substrate. The plurality of electrode sheets 112 are arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the elastic substrate 111, and the plurality of electrode sheets 112 are arranged on the proximal modiolar side of the elastic substrate 111; the tip structure 120 can be bent toward the proximal modiolar side of the elastic substrate 111 to form a preset angle (such as Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the angle α in the figure represents a preset angle formed between the tip structure 120 and the elastic matrix 111).

[0035] Thus, the cochlear implant electrode 100 provided by the present invention can guide the cochlear implant electrode 100 to bend toward the proximal modiolar side of the electrode to form a preset angle with the elastic matrix 111, so as to prevent the cochlear implant electrode 100 from collaterally contacting the cochlea 200 (see Figure 3 ) bends in a predetermined direction (i.e., bends toward the proximal modiolar side) when in contact with the side wall of the cochlear implant 200, effectively avoiding the twisting phenomenon of the cochlear implant electrode 100 during the implantation process, thereby ensuring that the electrode sheet 112 stimulates the modiolar direction, which helps to improve the therapeutic effect and prognosis of the cochlear implant 200. At the same time, the tip structure 120 that bends toward the proximal modiolar side can also increase the force-bearing area, thereby reducing the pressure of the tip structure 120 on the cochlear 200 tissue during the implantation process and reducing the damage to the side wall of the cochlea 200. In addition, the present invention does not need to change the main structure 110 of the cochlear implant electrode 100, thereby making the overall structural design of the cochlear implant electrode 100 simpler.

[0036] It should be noted that, as can be understood by those skilled in the art, the state in which the tip structure 120 is bent toward the modiolar side of the elastic matrix 111 is the state of the cochlear implant electrode 100 during and after implantation. Before implantation, the tip structure 120 can be in a straight state or a bent state.

[0037] Specifically, in the case where the tip structure 120 is in a straight state before implantation, in some exemplary embodiments, the tip structure 120 can be set as a self-expanding structure, and the expansion coefficient of the proximal wall side of the tip structure 120 is greater than the expansion coefficient of the proximal modiolar side of the tip structure 120. Thus, the tip structure 120 is a preformed straight structure, and after being exposed to the liquid environment of the cochlear fluid or the temperature of the human body during implantation, the expansion coefficient of the proximal wall side of the tip structure 120 is large, and the expansion coefficient of the proximal modiolar side is small, so that the tip structure 120 can be bent toward the proximal modiolar side to form a preset angle α with the elastic base 111.

[0038] In the case where the tip structure 120 is in a curved state before implantation, the tip structure 120 can be directly processed into a curved structure that is curved toward the proximal modiolar axis and has a preset angle α with the elastic matrix 111 by bending during the production process. Furthermore, when the tip structure 120 is a preformed curved structure, the material of the tip structure 120 can be consistent with the material of the elastic matrix 111, for example, the material of the tip structure 120 is also silicone rubber.

[0039] It should be noted that, as can be understood by those skilled in the art, the elastic matrix 111 includes a conductive body, and all the electrode sheets 112 are connected to the conductive body. Specifically, the conductive body includes a plurality of conductive wires, and the plurality of conductive wires correspond to the plurality of electrode sheets 112 one by one, and each electrode sheet 112 is electrically connected to a corresponding conductive wire, so that the cochlear implant electrode 100 can constitute a multi-channel stimulation electrode.

[0040] Furthermore, the elastic matrix 111 may be made of silicone rubber. Thus, by using silicone rubber to make the elastic matrix 111, the cochlear implant electrode 100 can be more easily deformed, thereby making it easier to implant the cochlear implant electrode 100. It should be noted that, as can be understood by those skilled in the art, the elastic matrix 111 may be made of other elastic bodies other than silicone rubber that have the same hardness as silicone rubber and can be implanted for a long time. The specific configuration may be based on actual conditions, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0041] In some exemplary embodiments, the preset angle α is 10° to 20°. Thus, by setting the preset angle α formed between the tip structure 120 and the elastic matrix 111 to 10° to 20°, it can best fit the physiological situation, and thus ensure that when the cochlear implant electrode 100 is in contact with the cochlear 200 tissue at 0.5 turns of the cochlear 200, the side wall of the cochlear 200 can be tangent to the tip structure 120 of the cochlear implant electrode 100, that is, the angle at which the tangent line of the side wall of the cochlear 200 intersects with the axis of the main structure 110 of the cochlear implant electrode 100 is also the preset angle α (e.g. Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1 ), the cochlear implant electrode 100 can be better guided to bend in a predetermined direction when in contact with the side wall of the cochlea 200, so as to effectively ensure that the electrode sheet 112 is stimulating the modiolus. In addition, this angle setting can also help increase the force-bearing area, further reduce the pressure of the tip structure 120 on the cochlear 200 tissue during implantation, and reduce damage to the side wall of the cochlea 200.

[0042] Please continue to refer to Figures 1 to 3 ,like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, in some exemplary embodiments, the proximal modiolar side of the tip structure 120 has at least one notch 121. Thus, by providing at least one notch 121 on the proximal modiolar side of the cochlear implant electrode 100, the cochlear implant electrode 100 can be further guided to bend in a predetermined direction when its tip structure 120 contacts the side wall of the cochlea 200, and the cochlear implant electrode 100 can also be made to deform more easily to reduce the pressure on the cochlear 200 tissue.

[0043] Optional, such as Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the inner contour of the notch 121 is set in an arc shape. Therefore, by setting the inner contour of the notch 121 in an arc shape, stress concentration can be effectively avoided, thereby ensuring the overall strength of the tip structure 120 and effectively preventing the tip structure 120 from breaking at the notch 121.

[0044] It should be noted that, as can be understood by those skilled in the art, in some other embodiments, the inner contour of the notch 121 may also be other shapes besides the arc shape, and the present invention is not limited to this. It should also be noted that although Figures 1 to 3 The description is made by taking the example that the proximal modiolar side of the tip structure 120 has two notches 121, but as those skilled in the art will appreciate, this does not constitute a limitation to the present invention, and in some other embodiments, the proximal modiolar side of the tip structure 120 may also have one notch 121, three notches 121 or more notches 121, and the specific number of notches 121 may be reasonably set based on the specific size of the tip structure 120 and taking into account the strength and flexibility of the tip structure 120.

[0045] Please continue to refer to Figures 1 to 3 ,like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, in some exemplary embodiments, the outer contour of the tip structure 120 is streamlined. Thus, by setting the outer contour of the tip structure 120 to be streamlined, the outer contour of the tip structure 120 can be made smoother, thereby increasing the force area when the tip structure 120 contacts the side wall of the cochlea 200, and reducing the damage of the cochlear implant electrode 100 to the cochlear 200 tissue.

[0046] Please continue to refer to Figures 1 to 3 ,like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, in some exemplary embodiments, the outer diameter of the tip structure 120 gradually decreases from the end close to the main structure 110 to the end away from the main structure 110. Therefore, this arrangement can ensure that the outer contour of the tip structure 120 is smoothly arranged, so that it can not only increase the force area when the tip structure 120 contacts the side wall of the cochlea 200, and reduce the damage of the cochlear implant electrode 100 to the cochlear 200 tissue, but also ensure that the tip structure 120 has sufficient strength, and effectively prevent the tip structure 120 from folding during the implantation of the cochlear implant electrode 100.

[0047] Please continue to refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 ,like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in some exemplary embodiments, the end of the tip structure 120 away from the main structure 110 has a convex head 122 arranged in an arc shape. Therefore, by providing the convex head 122 at the end of the tip structure 120 away from the main structure 110, the damage of the tip structure 120 to the cochlear 200 tissue during implantation can be further reduced.

[0048] Please continue to refer to Figures 1 to 3 ,like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, in some exemplary embodiments, the radius of curvature of the proximal wall side of the tip structure 120 is greater than the radius of curvature of the proximal modiolar side of the tip structure 120. Thus, this arrangement can ensure that the length of the tip structure 120 is not too long, thereby effectively preventing the tip structure 120 from folding during the implantation process. In addition, this arrangement can also effectively prevent the tip structure 120 from forming a hook-shaped structure, thereby better guiding the cochlear implant electrode 100 to bend in a predetermined direction when contacting the side wall of the cochlea 200 through the tip structure 120, thereby ensuring that the electrode sheet 112 stimulates the modiolar direction.

[0049] Please continue to refer to Figure 3 , where the solid outline structure in the figure represents the cochlear model made by Cohen et al., and the dotted outline structure represents the cochlear model reconstructed by Kawano et al., as shown in Figure 3As shown, when the cochlear implant electrode 100 provided by the present invention is inserted into the 0.5 circle of the cochlea 200 corresponding to any of the above cochlear models, when the tip structure 120 contacts the side wall of the cochlea 200, the angle at which the tangent of the side wall of the cochlea 200 intersects with the axis of the main structure 110 is a preset angle α, so that the cochlear implant electrode 100 can be bent in a predetermined direction when in contact with the side wall of the cochlea 200, ensuring that the electrode sheet 112 stimulates the modiolar axis, and at the same time, the force area between the tip structure 120 and the side wall of the cochlea 200 can be increased, the pressure can be reduced, and the damage to the side wall of the cochlea 200 can be reduced. In summary, it can be seen that the cochlear implant electrode 100 provided by the present invention has a wide range of applications and can be applied to implantation in various types of cochleae 200.

[0050] To realize the above idea, the present invention further provides a cochlear implant device, which includes a receiving coil, a control circuit and the above cochlear implant electrode 100, wherein the receiving coil, the control circuit and the cochlear implant electrode 100 are connected in sequence, the receiving coil is configured to receive a target signal and send the target signal to the control circuit, the control circuit is configured to generate a stimulation current according to the target signal, and the cochlear implant electrode 100 is used to conduct the stimulation current to generate electrical stimulation at the electrode sheet 112. Since the cochlear implant device provided by the present invention includes the cochlear implant electrode 100 provided by the present invention, the cochlear implant device provided by the present invention at least has all the beneficial effects of the cochlear implant electrode 100 provided by the present invention, and the relevant description of the beneficial effects of the cochlear implant electrode 100 provided by the present invention can be referred to above, which will not be repeated here.

[0051] To realize the above idea, the present invention also provides a cochlear implant system, the cochlear implant system includes an external device and the above cochlear implant device, the external device includes a speech processor, the speech processor is communicatively connected to the receiving coil, and the external device is configured to receive a sound signal, convert the sound signal into a target signal, and transmit the target signal to the receiving coil. Since the cochlear implant system includes the cochlear implant device provided by the present invention, and the cochlear implant device provided by the present invention includes the cochlear implant electrode 100 provided by the present invention, the cochlear implant system provided by the present invention also has at least all the beneficial effects of the cochlear implant electrode 100 provided by the present invention. For details, please refer to the above description of the beneficial effects of the cochlear implant electrode 100 provided by the present invention, which will not be repeated here.

[0052] In summary, compared with the prior art, the cochlear implant electrode 100, cochlear implant device and cochlear implant system provided by the present invention have the following beneficial effects:

[0053] The present invention can guide the cochlear implant electrode 100 to bend in a predetermined direction when in contact with the side wall of the cochlea 200 by bending the tip structure 120 of the cochlear implant electrode 100 toward the proximal modiolar side of the electrode to form a preset angle with the elastic matrix 111, thereby effectively avoiding the phenomenon of electrode twisting and electrode tip folding during the implantation process, thereby ensuring that the electrode sheet 112 stimulates the modiolar direction, which helps to improve the treatment effect and prognosis of the cochlear implant 200. At the same time, the tip structure 120 bent toward the proximal modiolar side can also increase the force-bearing area, thereby reducing the pressure of the tip structure 120 on the cochlear 200 tissue during the implantation process and reducing the damage to the side wall of the cochlea 200.

[0054] In addition, the present invention can further guide the cochlear implant electrode 100 to bend in a predetermined direction when its tip structure 120 contacts the side wall of the cochlear 200 by setting at least one notch 121 on the proximal modiolar side of the tip structure 120 of the cochlear implant electrode 100, and can also make the cochlear implant electrode 100 easier to deform, thereby reducing the pressure on the cochlear 200 tissue.

[0055] In addition, the present invention does not need to change the main structure 110 of the cochlear implant electrode 100, thereby making the overall structural design of the cochlear implant electrode 100 simpler.

[0056] The above description is only a description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Any changes and modifications made by a person skilled in the art in the field of the present invention based on the above disclosure are within the scope of protection of the present invention. Obviously, a person skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications to the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Thus, if these modifications and variations fall within the scope of the present invention and its equivalents, the present invention is also intended to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A cochlear implant electrode, characterized in that: The invention comprises a main structure and a tip structure connected to each other, wherein the main structure comprises an elastic matrix and a plurality of electrode sheets arranged on the matrix, wherein the plurality of electrode sheets are arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the elastic matrix, and the plurality of electrode sheets are arranged on the modiolar side of the elastic matrix; The tip structure can be bent toward the modiolar side of the elastic matrix to form a preset angle with the elastic matrix.

2. The cochlear implant electrode according to claim 1, characterized in that: The preset angle is 10° to 20°.

3. The cochlear implant electrode according to claim 1, characterized in that: The modiolar side of the tip structure has at least one notch.

4. The cochlear implant electrode according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer contour of the tip structure is streamlined.

5. The cochlear implant electrode according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer diameter of the tip structure gradually decreases from an end thereof close to the main structure to an end thereof far away from the main structure.

6. The cochlear implant electrode according to claim 5, characterized in that: The end of the tip structure away from the main structure has a convex portion arranged in an arc shape.

7. The cochlear implant electrode according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tip structure is a self-expanding structure, and the expansion coefficient of the proximal wall side of the tip structure is greater than the expansion coefficient of the proximal modiolar side of the tip structure.

8. The cochlear implant electrode according to claim 1, characterized in that: The radius of curvature of the proximal wall side of the tip structure is greater than the radius of curvature of the proximal modiolar side of the tip structure.

9. A cochlear implant device, characterized in that: It includes a receiving coil, a control circuit and a cochlear implant electrode as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the receiving coil, the control circuit and the cochlear implant electrode are connected in sequence, the receiving coil is configured to receive a target signal and send the target signal to the control circuit, the control circuit is configured to generate a stimulation current according to the target signal, and the cochlear implant electrode is used to conduct the stimulation current to generate electrical stimulation at the electrode sheet.

10. A cochlear implant system, characterized in that: It comprises an external device and a cochlear implant device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the external device comprises a speech processor, the speech processor is communicatively connected to the receiving coil, the external device is configured to receive a sound signal, convert the sound signal into the target signal, and transmit the target signal to the receiving coil.

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