Prosthesis adapter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016249143-A1
Application number	US-201615142622-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 29, 2016
Priority date	Dec 21, 2012
Publication date	Aug 25, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A prosthesis including an abutment, an operationally removable component including a coupling apparatus, and an adapter, wherein the abutment is connected to the adapter and the coupling apparatus of the operationally removable component is releasably coupled to the adapter.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A bone conduction prosthesis, comprising:
an abutment; an adapter; and an operationally removable component configured to generate vibrations, the operationally removable component including a coupling apparatus, wherein the abutment is directly connected to the adapter on one side, a bone fixture is located on an opposite side of the abutment from the one side, and the coupling apparatus is at least one of snap coupled or magnetically coupled to the abutment via the adapter for quick release and quick connect.

2 . The prosthesis of claim 1 , wherein:
the operationally removable component is an operationally removable component of a bone conduction device; and the operationally removable component includes a vibrator in vibrational communication with the coupling apparatus.

3 . The prosthesis of claim 1 , wherein:
the coupling apparatus includes a female component; the adapter includes a male component received into the female component of the coupling apparatus; and the adapter includes a female component into which is received a male component of at least one of the abutment or a head of an abutment screw configured to fix the abutment at least one of directly or indirectly to bone of a recipient.

4 . The prosthesis of claim 3 , wherein:
the female component is screwably attached to the head of the abutment screw.

5 . The prosthesis of claim 1 , wherein:
the coupling apparatus includes a female component; the adapter includes a male component received into the female component of the coupling apparatus; and the abutment includes a female component into which is receive a male component of the adapter.

6 . The prosthesis of claim 1 , wherein:
the adapter includes a female component into which is received at least one of a portion of the abutment or a head of an abutment screw that fixes the abutment to a bone fixture.

7 . The prosthesis of claim 6 , wherein:
the female component is screwably attached to the head of the abutment screw.

8 . The prosthesis of claim 1 , wherein:
the adapter and coupling apparatus of the operationally removable component are configured to quick release and quick connect from and to, respectively, one another.

9 . The prosthesis of claim 1 , wherein:
the adapter and coupling apparatus of the operationally removable component are snap-coupled to one another.

10 . The prosthesis of claim 1 , wherein:
the adapter and the abutment are snap-coupled to one another.

11 . The prosthesis of claim 1 , wherein:
one of the coupling apparatus of the operationally removable component or the adapter includes a ferromagnetic material, and wherein the other of the coupling apparatus of the operationally removable component or the adapter includes a magnet, whereby the attraction between the ferromagnetic material and the magnet releasably couples the coupling apparatus to the adapter.

12 . The prosthesis of claim 11 , wherein:
the respective magnet or the respective ferromagnetic material of the adapter extends beyond an end of the abutment in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the abutment, and wherein the coupling apparatus includes a female portion configured to receive the respective magnet or the respective ferromagnetic material of the adapter.

13 . The prosthesis of claim 1 , wherein:
the adapter includes a female component receiving therein an exterior perimeter of the abutment, the female component and the exterior of the abutment being configured such that the receival releasably couples the abutment to the adapter.

14 . The prosthesis of claim 13 , wherein:
the adapter and abutment are configured to snap-couple to one another upon receival of the abutment into the female component of the adapter.

15 . The prosthesis of claim 1 , wherein:
the abutment is a primary abutment, and the adapter is a secondary abutment.

16 . The prosthesis of claim 2 , wherein:
the abutment includes a first outer periphery extending about a longitudinal axis thereof; the adapter includes a second outer periphery extending about an axis that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the abutment; and the outer peripheries are substantially aligned at a transition location between the abutment and the adapter.

17 . The prosthesis of claim 2 , wherein:
the abutment and the adapter are connected such that a transition between the two along the outer peripheries thereof is at least substantially seamless.

18 . The prosthesis of claim 2 , wherein:
the abutment includes a connected height measured on a plane lying parallel to and on a longitudinal axis of the abutment and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the abutment, wherein the connected height of the abutment is measured from an outer interface of the abutment and a bone fixture when the abutment and the adapter are rigidly connected to one another, and the adapter includes a connected height measured parallel to and on a plane lying on a longitudinal axis of the adapter and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the adapter, wherein the connected height of the adapter is measured from an outer interface of the abutment and the adapter, when the abutment and the adapter are connected, to an end of the adapter, wherein the connected height of the adapter is at least about 0.3 times the connected height of the abutment.

19 . The prosthesis of claim 2 , wherein:
the abutment and the adapter are configured to connect to one another such that:
at least a percutaneous portion of the bone conduction device corresponding to the abutment and the adapter are effectively monolithic.

20 . The prosthesis of claim 1 , wherein:
the abutment and the adapter are configured to connect to one another such that:
the adapter extends the effective length of a percutaneous portion of the prosthesis by at least about 25%.

21 . The prosthesis of claim 1 , wherein:
the abutment is at least one of directly and indirectly fixed to bone of the recipient; the abutment extends away from bone of the recipient entirely within skin of the recipient; and the adapter extends away from the abutment a distance such that a portion thereof is within skin of the recipient and a portion thereof extends above the skin of the recipient.

22 . The prosthesis of claim 1 , wherein:
the abutment is integrated with the skin.

23 . The prosthesis of claim 1 , wherein:
the adapter includes a first face configured to interface with an end of the abutment; the adapter includes a second face at an opposite end of the adapter from that having the first face; and the first face is non-parallel to the second face.

24 . The prosthesis of claim 2 , wherein:
the adapter includes a first face configured to interface with an end of the abutment; the adapter includes a second face at an opposite end of the adapter from that having the first face; the first face is non-parallel to the second face; and an angular offset between the first face and the second face is between about 5 degrees and about 20 degrees.

25 . The prosthesis of claim 1 , wherein:
the adapter includes a longitudinal axis that is arcuate from a first end to a second end of the adapter.

26 . The prosthesis of claim 1 , wherein:
the abutment extends away from the adapter along a trajectory that is parallel to an abutment face-adapter face interface; and the adapter e

Assignees

• Cochlear Ltd

Inventors

• Andersson Marcus

Classifications

• H04R2460/13

  Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers · CPC title

• H04R25/30

  Monitoring or testing of hearing aids, e.g. functioning, settings, battery power · CPC title

• H04R25/606 Primary

  acting directly on the eardrum, the ossicles or the skull, e.g. mastoid, tooth, maxillary or mandibular bone, or mechanically stimulating the cochlea, e.g. at the oval window · CPC title

• H04R25/60

  Mounting or interconnection of hearing aid parts, e.g. inside tips, housings or to ossicles (ear wax retarders, e.g. mounting thereof H04R25/654) · CPC title

• H04R2225/67

  Implantable hearing aids or parts thereof not covered by H04R25/606 · CPC title