An apparatus, for use with a cochlear implant having a magnet and implanted within a patient having first and second ears, includes a first splint and a strap system, including at least a forehead strap and a chin strap, configured to position the first splint behind the first ear.

An EMI/energy dissipating filter for an active implantable medical device (AIMD) is described. The filter comprises a first gold braze hermetically sealing the insulator to a ferrule that is configured to be mounted in an opening in a housing for the AIMD. A lead wire is hermetically sealed in a passageway through the insulator by a second gold braze. A circuit board substrate is disposed adjacent the insulator. A two-terminal chip capacitor disposed adjacent to the circuit board has an active metallization that is electrically connected to the active electrode plates and a ground metallization that is electrically connected to the ground electrode plates of the capacitor. A ground electrical path extends from the ground metallization of the chip capacitor to the ferrule. A conductive ground pin is electrically and mechanically connected to the ferrule. The ground path comprises an internal ground plate disposed within the circuit board substrate. The internal ground plate is electrically connected to the ground metallization of the chip capacitor and to either the ferrule or the ground pin connected to the ferrule. An active electrical path extends between the active metallization of the chip capacitor and the lead wire.

An optical fibres connector for an optoelectronic active implantable medical device (AIMD) for implantation in a living body is provided. The optical fibres connector includes a male component (M) coupled to a first set of optical fibres, a female component (F) coupled to a second set of optical fibres or optical elements, and a coupling component (C) for reversibly locking the male and female components in a coupled position The optical fibres or optical elements are in perfect alignment. The coupling component includes a fixed element (40f) and a rotatable element (40r) all optical fibres (41f) and optical elements of the connector remaining static upon rotation of the rotatable element, reversibly locking the male and female components in the coupled position is achieved by rotating the rotatable element with respect to the fixed element.

A medical sensing system (100) includes an elongate interventional device (101) and an adjustable capacitance circuit (102). The elongate interventional device (101) includes a sensor (103) having a capacitance (C.sub.ss). The elongate interventional device (101) also includes a first electrical conductor (104) and a second electrical conductor (105). The first electrical conductor (104) and the second electrical conductor (105) are in electrical contact with the sensor (103) and extend along the elongate interventional device (101). The elongate interventional device (101) also includes i) an electrically conductive shield (106) that overlaps the electrical conductors (104, 105) and/or ii) an electrically conductive shaft (107). The adjustable capacitance circuit (102) provides an adjustable capacitance (C.sub.Adj1, C.sub.Adj2) between at least one of the electrical conductors (104, 105) and i) the electrically conductive shield (106) that overlaps the electrical conductors (104, 105) and/or ii) the electrically conductive shaft (107).

An electrode assembly (1) for an active implantable medical device comprising: an elongated, biocompatible, electrically non-conductive body (3) having a first portion (7) and a second portion (9); one or more biocompatible, electrically conductive filaments (5) inside the elongated non-conductive body (3) between the first portion (7) and the second portion (9); and one or more fluid passages (11) along the elongated electrically non-conductive body (3) between the first portion (7) and second portion (9), wherein the one or more fluid passages (11) allow a surrounding fluid (13) of a patient to be in electrical contact with the one or more conductive filaments (5). There is also disclosed a method of manufacturing an electrode assembly.

An implantable medical device includes an enclosure sleeve that includes grade 5 titanium. Within the enclosure sleeve is a circuit board that includes at least a portion of circuitry that provides a pulse generator and a battery that is electrically coupled to the at least the portion of circuitry. A bottom cap is attached to the enclosure sleeve. A connector block module assembly is coupled to the enclosure sleeve. A plurality of lead connections are within the connector block module assembly with the at least the portion of circuity. Feedthrough pins carry stimulation signals of the pulse generator to the lead connections of the connector block module assembly. A ground conductor extends within the enclosure sleeve and is electrically coupled to the circuit board, and a ground pin is electrically coupled to the ground conductor.

Connector enclosure assemblies for medical devices provide an angled lead passageway. The lead passageway which is defined by electrical connectors and intervening seals within the connector enclosure assembly establishes the angle relative to a base plane of the connector enclosure assembly. Various other aspects may be included in conjunction with the angled lead passageway, including an angled housing of the connector enclosure assembly, feedthrough pins that extend to the electrical connectors where the feedthrough pins may include angled sections, and a set screw passageway set at an angle relative to the lead passageway to provide fixation of a lead within the lead passageway.

An implantable medical assist device includes a medical device. The medical device has a housing and electronics contained therein. A lead provides an electrical path to or from the electronics within the medical device. A resonance tuning module is located in the housing and is connected to the lead. The resonance tuning module includes a control circuit for determining a resonant frequency of the implantable medical assist device and an adjustable impedance circuit to change the combined resonant frequency of the medical device and lead.

In one aspect the invention provides an implant conductor lead assembly which includes an electrode lead, and at least one field target conductor. The field target conductor(s) is located adjacent to the electrode lead to mutually couple the field target conductor to the electrode lead. The electrode lead acts to concentrate electromagnetic fields in the vicinity of the implant conductor assembly towards the field target conductor or conductors.

A hermetically sealed filtered feedthrough assembly attachable to an AIMD includes an insulator hermetically sealing a ferrule opening of an electrically conductive ferrule with a gold braze. A co-fired and electrically conductive sintered paste is disposed within and hermetically seals at least one via hole extending in the insulator. At least one capacitor is disposed on the device side. An active electrical connection electrically connects a capacitor active metallization and the sintered paste. A ground electrical connection electrically connects the gold braze to a capacitor ground metallization, wherein at least a portion of the ground electrical connection physically contacts the gold braze. The dielectric of the capacitor may be less than 1000 k. The ferrule may include an integrally formed peninsula portion extending into the ferrule opening spatially aligned with a ground passageway and metallization of an internally grounded feedthrough capacitor. The sintered paste may be of substantially pure platinum.