Patent · US Active

Apparatus and methods for percutaneous cochlear implantation

US8886331B2 · kind B2 · utility

32Cited by
2References
22Claims
0Family size

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Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 24, 2011
Grant dateNov 11, 2014
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 24, 2032

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA61B2034/304
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method and apparatus of percutaneous cochlear implantation (PCI). In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of (a) implanting a plurality of anchor members in a skull of a patient surrounding an ear of the patient, (b) attaching a docking frame to the plurality of anchor members, wherein the docking frame has a docking platform and a plurality of fiducial members, (c) acquiring a computed-tomography (CT) image of an area of the patient's head including the ear and the plurality of fiducial members, (d) determining a centroid of each of the plurality of fiducial members and a trajectory for a PCI according to the CT image, (e) configuring a parallel robot by a computer processor according to the CT image such that a top platform of the parallel robot is aligned with the trajectory with respect to the centroids of the plurality of fiducial members, (f) attaching the configured parallel robot to the docking frame, and (g) performing the PCI using one or more surgical tools received by the top platform of the parallel robot.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.