A cochlear implant includes a cochlear lead, a housing, an antenna, a stimulation processor operably connected to the antenna and to the cochlear lead, a first fixation element, a second fixation element with a different configuration than the first fixation element, and a connector configured to simultaneously connect the first and second fixation elements to the housing in such a manner that the first and second fixation elements are independently detachable from the housing.

A magnetic connection can be formed between a magnet set of a first device and magnet set of a second device. The magnetic strength of the magnetic connection can be modified by changing an orientation of a magnet set of a first device from a first orientation to a second orientation. The magnet set or a case in which the magnet set is disposed can be asymmetric, such that alternating between the first and second orientations results in different magnetic connections.

Winding a wire at a first location such that the wire is bunched at the first location, extending the wire from the first location to a second location, winding the wire at the second location such that the wire is bunched at the second location, extending the wire from the second location back towards the first location to a third location proximate the second location, winding the wire at the third location such that the wire is bunched at the third location, extending the wire from the third location back towards the first location to a fourth location at least proximate the first location, winding the wire at the fourth location such that the wire is bunched at the fourth location, severing the wire at one or more locations, and forming an electrode assembly utilizing the windings.

Presented herein are techniques for monitoring the physical state of a stimulating assembly to, for example, detect the occurrence of an adverse event. More specifically, an elongate stimulating assembly comprising a plurality of longitudinally spaced contacts is at least partially implanted into a recipient. Electrical measurements are performed at one or more of the plurality of contacts and the electrical measurements are evaluated relative to one another to determine the physical state of the stimulating assembly.

A navigation system or combination of navigation systems can be used to provide one or more navigation modalities to track a position and navigate a single instrument in a volume. For example, both an Electromagnetic (EM) and Electropotential (EP) navigation system can be used to navigate an instrument within the volume. The two navigation systems may be used separately to selectively individually navigate the single instrument in the volume. Disclosed are also systems and processes to determine a shape of the single instrument either alone or in combination with the position of the instrument. The instrument may be navigated with the addition of tracking devices or with native or inherent portions of the instrument.

An implantable medical device, including a magnet and a body encompassing the magnet, wherein the implantable medical device includes structural components in the body configured to move away from one another upon initial rotation of the magnet relative to the body when the magnet is subjected to an externally generated magnetic field, thereby limiting rotation of the magnet beyond the initial rotation.

An illustrative insertion management system may be configured to identify one or more attributes of a lead insertion procedure in which an electrode lead having a plurality of electrodes is inserted into a cochlea of a recipient of a cochlear implant; dynamically select, based on the one or more attributes of the lead insertion procedure, a first subset of electrodes included in the plurality of electrodes for inclusion in a monitoring electrode set, the monitoring electrode set configured to have less electrodes than a total number of the plurality of electrodes; monitor, during the lead insertion procedure, impedance values for electrodes included in the monitoring electrode set; and determine, during the lead insertion procedure and based on the monitoring, a positioning state of the electrode lead.

A cochlear implant including a stimulation assembly including an antenna and a stimulation processor and a cochlear lead, operably connected to the stimulation processor, including an electrode array with a flexible body, a plurality of electrically conductive contacts on the flexible body, and a high contrast orientation indicator on a portion of the cochlear lead proximal of the electrode array.

An electronics and antenna assembly is disclosed for use with a medical implant.

Disclosed examples include technology to use residual vestibular function or residual vestibular nerve function of a recipient to provide low frequency information to enhance auditory percepts caused by auditory prostheses. An example can include adding a low frequency actuator to a cochlear implant for placement close to the vestibule of the ear. In addition or instead, one or more electrodes can be disposed proximate the vestibule of the ear to electrically stimulate residual vestibular function provided by, for example, the utricle and saccule. The stimulation provided by these components can be optimized for delivery to the vestibular system.