ARRANGEMENT FOR MECHANICAL COUPLING OF A DRIVER TO A COUPLING SITE OF THE OSSICULAR CHAIN

摘要

A mechanical coupling for an output-side driver of an active or passiveimplantable hearing system. The driver is adapted to vibrate a preselectedsite on amember selected from the group comprising the ossicular chain, the footplateof thestapes and a membrane which closes a window in one of the cochlea, thevestibulumand the labyrinth (equilibrium organ), via a first coupling which has acoupling rod,which can be caused to vibrate mechanically by the driver, and a couplingelementwhich can be connected to the preselected coupling site. The coupling rod andthecoupling element are interconnected by at least one coupling. The firstcoupling halfof the coupling has a roughly cylindrical outside contour that can beaccommodatedin the inside contour of a second coupling half, i.e. a contour which is atleastpartially complementary to the outside contour. In the implanted state,transmissionof the dynamic forces between the two coupling halves of the coupling takesplaceessentially in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the first couplinghalf. Thecoupling can be reversibly coupled and decoupled and can be adjusted in areversiblylinear and/or rotational manner with reference to the longitudinal axis of thefirstcoupling half, whereas the coupling is essentially rigid under the dynamicforceswhich occur in the implanted state.