Fixation system for an implantable medical device

Abstract

A medical implant, such as an implantable component (22) of a tissue-stimulating prosthesis. One example of such a prosthesis being a cochlear implant. The component (22) is adapted to be implanted at or adjacent a tissue surface within the recipient, such as a bone surface. The component (22) has a housing and at least one flange (42) extending outwardly therefrom. The flange (42) can be secured to the tissue surface via a tissue fixation device, such as a bone screw (43).

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . An implantable component of a hearing prosthesis, comprising:
 a housing containing electrical components;   a communications coil; and   an apparatus configured to extend over the housing and secure the housing to bone of a skull via respective bone screws extending through respective holes in the apparatus to secure the implantable component to the bone, the holes and bone screws being located on opposite sides of the housing.   
     
     
         22 . The implantable component of  claim 21 , wherein:
 the apparatus is not integrally fixed or detachably fixed to the housing.   
     
     
         23 . The implantable component of  claim 21 , wherein:
 the respective bone screws are screwed the into bone of the skull.   
     
     
         24 . The implantable component of  claim 21 , wherein:
 the apparatus is a plate.   
     
     
         25 . The implantable component of  claim 21 , wherein:
 the apparatus is a detachable flange plate.   
     
     
         26 . The implantable component of  claim 21 , wherein:
 the apparatus extends over and across the housing.   
     
     
         27 . The implantable component of  claim 21 , wherein:
 the apparatus extends over and across the housing; and   respective holes are located in respective opposite ends of the apparatus.   
     
     
         28 . The implantable component of  claim 21 , wherein:
 the apparatus has a length, a width and a thickness;   the length direction extends across the housing from beyond one side of the housing to beyond another side of the housing opposite the one side of the housing;   the thickness is the smallest dimension; and   the width is less than a width of the housing, wherein the width of the housing is measured parallel to measurement of the width of the apparatus.   
     
     
         29 . The implantable component of  claim 21 , wherein:
 the apparatus extends across the housing from beyond one side of the housing to beyond another side of the housing opposite the one side of the housing; and   the housing extends from beyond one side of the apparatus to beyond another side of the apparatus opposite the one side of the apparatus.   
     
     
         30 . The implantable component of  claim 21 , wherein:
 the apparatus includes non-metallic material.   
     
     
         31 . The implantable component of  claim 21 , wherein:
 the apparatus is malleable to conform to a desired shape of the bone of the skull.   
     
     
         32 . The implantable component of  claim 21 , wherein:
 the apparatus has a shape that can easily be manipulated by a surgeon during surgery associated with the implantable component.   
     
     
         33 . The implantable component of  claim 21 , wherein:
 the housing is partially fitted into a bed created in the bone of the skull; and   the communications coil lies superficially to the bone.   
     
     
         34 . The implantable component of  claim 21 , wherein:
 the housing is partially fitted into a round bed created in the bone of the skull; and   the communications coil lies above a bottom of the bed on a surface of the bone of the skull.   
     
     
         35 . The implantable component of  claim 21 , wherein:
 the apparatus extends completely across the housing and is in contact with the bone of the skull on opposite sides of the housing.   
     
     
         36 . An implantable component of a hearing prosthesis, comprising:
 an implant package containing electrical components;   an antenna coil; and   an assembly configured to secure the implant package to bone of a skull, the assembly extending from one side of the package across a top of the package to another side of the package opposite the one side of the package, the top of the package being opposite a skull facing side of the package.   
     
     
         37 . The implantable component of  claim 36 , wherein:
 the assembly includes a body and at least two bone screws, the body extending from beyond the one side of the package across the top of the package to beyond the another side of the package opposite the one side of the package so that the two bone screws are located away from the implant package, one bone screw of the two bone screws being located away from the one side of the package and one bone screw of the two bone screws being located away from the another side of the package, the bone screws being configured to secure the body to the bone of the skull.   
     
     
         38 . The implantable component of  claim 37 , wherein:
 the body includes two holes, a first of the two holes being located beyond the one side of the package and a second of the two holes being located beyond the another side of the package, respective bone screws of the two bone screws being located in respective holes of the two holes.   
     
     
         39 . The implantable component of  claim 38 , wherein:
 washers assist in securing the assembly to the bone of the skull.   
     
     
         40 . The implantable component of  claim 36 , wherein:
 the assembly includes a flange plate, the flange plate extending from the one side of the package across the top of the package to the another side of the package.   
     
     
         41 . The implantable component of  claim 36 , wherein:
 the flange plate is a detachable flange plate relative to the package.   
     
     
         42 . The implantable component of  claim 36 , wherein:
 the assembly and the package are configured so that there is no need to modify the package to accommodate the assembly.   
     
     
         43 . The implantable component of  claim 36 , wherein:
 the assembly includes a structure extending from beyond the one side of the package across the top of the package to beyond the another side of the package, wherein the structure includes non-metallic material.   
     
     
         44 . The implantable component of  claim 36 , wherein:
 the assembly includes a structure extending from beyond the one side of the package across the top of the package to beyond the another side of the package, wherein the structure is configured to conform to a surface of the bone of the skull at two end portions thereof.   
     
     
         45 . The implantable component of  claim 36 , wherein:
 the implant package is partially fitted into a bed created in the bone of the skull; and   the communications coil lies superficially to the bone.   
     
     
         46 . The implantable component of  claim 36 , wherein:
 the implant package is partially fitted into a bed created in the bone of the skull;   a bottom of the communications coil lies higher than a bottom of the implant package on a surface of the bone of the skull; and   the assembly includes a structure extending from a first location on the surface of the bone of the skull beyond the one side of the package, across the top of the package to a second location on the surface of the bone of the skull beyond the another side of the package.   
     
     
         47 . The implantable component of  claim 36 , wherein:
 the assembly includes a first portion located away from the one side of the package directly on a first location of the surface of the bone of the skull; and   the assembly includes a second portion located away from the another side of the package directly on a second location of the surface of the bone of the skull; and   the first portion and the second portion are parts of a structure that extends from beyond the one side of the package, across the package, to beyond the another side of the package.   
     
     
         48 . The implantable component of  claim 47 , wherein:
 the communication coil lies on a surface of the bone of the skull at a same level, taking into account natural curvature of the bone of the skull, as the first portion and the second portion.   
     
     
         49 . The implantable component of  claim 47 , wherein:
 the package has a bottom portion that extends into the bone of the skull so that the bottom portion is lower than a level of contact of the first portion and the second portion with the surface of the bone of the skull; and   the implantable component is an implantable component of a hearing prosthesis.   
     
     
         50 . The implantable component of  claim 36 , wherein:
 the implantable component is an implantable component of a cochlear implant.