A cochlear implant electrode assembly device (10) comprising an elongate electrode carrier member (11), a first stiffening element (15a), and a second stiffening element (15b). The carrier member (11) is made of a resiliently flexible first material and has a plurality of electrodes (12) mounted thereon. The carrier member (11) has a first configuration selected to allow it to be inserted into an implantee's cochlea (30), a second configuration wherein it is curved in shape to match a surface of the cochlea (30), and at least one intermediate configuration between the first and second configurations. Both the first and second stiffening elements (15a,15b) are made of a material relatively stiffer than said the material and in combination bias the elongate member into the first configuration. If either the first stiffening element (15a) or the second stiffening element (15b) are removed, the elongate member (11) adopts the at least one intermediate configuration.