ELECTRODE PADDLE FOR NEUROSTIMULATION

• US 20080183224A1
• Filed: 01/25/2007
• Published: 07/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cirtec Medical Corp.
• Original Assignee: Giancarlo Barolat
• Inventors: Barolat, Giancarlo
• Granted Patent: US 8,554,337 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/05 for implantation or insertion into the body, e.g. heart electrode A61N1/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0553 Paddle shaped electrodes, e.g. for laminotomy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3605 Implantable neurostimulators for stimulating central or peripheral nerve system

Abstract

An implantable electrode paddle for use in a neurostimulation system may include a dorsally-projecting lead that allows all of the edges of the electrode paddle to be situated near a vertebral body for stimulation of neural structures. Embodiments may include one or more flanges for cooperating with a vertebral body and thereby stabilizing the electrode paddle. Embodiments of the present invention may also include features to allow an electrode paddle to be divided during surgery. Embodiments of the present invention may also include an electrode paddle having a plurality of paddle sections, wherein at least one of the paddle sections comprises a plurality of asymmetrically configured contacts. Embodiments of the invention include a method of assembling a neurostimulation system and a method of implanting an implantable system in a body, wherein the implantable system includes an electrode paddle that may be divided into a plurality of paddle sections.

Claims

1. An electrode paddle for use in an implantable neurostimulation system for implanting into a patient to stimulate neural structures within the patient, the implantable neurostimulation system including an implantable pulse generator and an electrode lead in electrical communication with the implantable pulse generator, the implantable pulse generator for sending an electrical current to the electrode paddle by way of the electrode lead, the electrode paddle comprising:

at least one detachably attached paddle section having a lead connection interconnected to the electrode lead, the lead connection in electrical communication with at least one contact located within the paddle section, the contact including a contacting surface on a front side of the paddle section wherein the contacting surface transmits the electrical current to the neural structures, wherein the lead connection is oriented substantially perpendicular to a dorsal surface of the paddle section, and wherein the dorsal surface is substantially parallel to the front side of the paddle section.

2. The electrode paddle as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least a second paddle detachably attached paddle section.

3. The electrode paddle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second detachably attached paddle section includes a lead connection interconnected to the electrode lead, the lead connection in electrical communication with at least one contact located within the second paddle section, the contact in the second paddle section including a contacting surface on a front side of the second paddle section wherein the contacting surface transmits the electrical current to the neural structures, wherein the lead connection is oriented substantially perpendicular to a dorsal surface of the second paddle section, and wherein the dorsal surface is substantially parallel to the front side of the paddle section.

4. The electrode paddle as claimed in claim 2, wherein at least one of the paddle sections comprises at least one flange.

5. The electrode paddle as claimed in claim 4, wherein the flange comprises a gap, the gap extending from an outer lateral edge of the flange to a lateral side of the paddle body.

6. The electrode paddle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the paddle sections may be separated along an orientation transverse to a longitudinal axis of the electrode paddle.

7. The electrode paddle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the paddle sections may be separated along an orientation substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the electrode paddle.

8. The electrode paddle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the paddle sections may be separated along an orientation substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the electrode paddle.

9. The electrode paddle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the paddle sections may be separated along an orientation substantially coincident with a longitudinal axis of the electrode paddle.

10. The electrode paddle as claimed in claim 2, wherein each paddle section comprises a plurality of contacts, wherein at least two contacts of each paddle section are aligned along a first axis and at least two contacts of each paddle section are aligned along a second axis, and wherein the first axis and the second axis are substantially perpendicular to one another.

11. The electrode paddle as claimed in claim 2, wherein each paddle section comprises a plurality of contacts, and wherein at least one of the plurality of contacts is offset laterally from a linearly aligned group of the plurality of contacts.

12. The electrode paddle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the two paddle sections are detachably attached by at least one interior paddle section connector.

13. The electrode paddle as claimed in claim 12, wherein the two paddle sections are detachably attached by at least two crossing interior paddle section connectors.

14. The electrode paddle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the two paddle sections are detachably attached by at least one exterior paddle section connector.

15. The electrode paddle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the two paddle sections are detachably attached by at least one flange, the flange interconnected to portions of both of paddle sections.

16. The electrode paddle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the two paddle sections are detachably attached by at least one webbing bridge.

17. The electrode paddle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the two paddle sections include interior edges.

18. The electrode paddle as claimed in claim 17, wherein at least portions of the interior edges extend in an orientation substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the electrode paddle.

19. The electrode paddle as claimed in claim 18, wherein at least portions of the interior edges extend in an orientation substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the electrode paddle.

20. The electrode paddle as claimed in claim 18, wherein at least portions of the interior edges extend in an orientation diagonal to a longitudinal axis of the electrode paddle.

21. The electrode paddle as claimed in claim 2, wherein at least one of the following is true:

(a) the second paddle section does not have any contacts; and

(b) the second paddle section has a contact that is not in electrical communication with the implantable pulse generator.

22. A patient having an implanted electrode paddle comprising the electrode paddle as claimed in claim 1.

23. An electrode paddle for use in an implantable neurostimulation system for implanting into a patient to stimulate neural structures within the patient, the implantable neurostimulation system including an implantable pulse generator and an electrode lead in electrical communication with the implantable pulse generator, the implantable pulse generator for sending an electrical current to the electrode paddle by way of the electrode lead, the electrode paddle comprising:

at least two detachably attached paddle sections each having a lead connection interconnected to the electrode lead, the lead connections in electrical communication with a plurality of contacts located within each paddle section, wherein at least two contacts of each paddle section are aligned along a first axis and at least two contacts of each paddle section are aligned along a second axis, and wherein the first axis and the second axis are substantially perpendicular to one another.

24. The electrode paddle as claimed in claim 23, wherein the plurality of contacts include a contacting surface on a front side of the paddle sections, wherein the contacting surface transmits the electrical current to the neural structures, wherein the lead connections are oriented substantially perpendicular to a dorsal surface of the paddle sections, and wherein the dorsal surface is substantially parallel to the front side of the paddle sections.

25. The electrode paddle as claimed in claim 23, wherein the two paddle sections are detachably attached by at least one interior paddle section connector.

26. The electrode paddle as claimed in claim 24, wherein the two paddle sections are detachably attached by at least two crossing interior paddle section connectors.

27. The electrode paddle as claimed in claim 23, wherein the two paddle sections are detachably attached by at least one exterior paddle section connector.

28. The electrode paddle as claimed in claim 23, wherein the two paddle sections are detachably attached by at least one flange, the flange interconnected to portions of both of paddle sections.

29. The electrode paddle as claimed in claim 23, wherein the two paddle sections are detachably attached by at least one webbing bridge.

30. The electrode paddle as claimed in claim 23, wherein the two paddle sections include interior edges.

31. The electrode paddle as claimed in claim 30, wherein at least portions of the interior edges extend in an orientation neither parallel nor perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the electrode paddle.

32. The electrode paddle as claimed in claim 30, wherein at least portions of the interior edges extend in an orientation substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the electrode paddle, and wherein at least portions of the interior edges extend in an orientation substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the electrode paddle.

33. The electrode paddle as claimed in claim 32, wherein at least portions of the interior edges extend in an orientation neither parallel nor perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the electrode paddle.

34. A patient having an implanted electrode paddle comprising the electrode paddle as claimed in claim 23.

35. A method of assembling a neurostimulation system that is implantable in a patient to stimulate neural structures, comprising:

providing an implantable pulse generator;

providing an implantable lead for transmitting an electrical stimulation pulse from the implantable pulse generator; and

providing an electrode paddle having a plurality of separable paddle sections, wherein at least one of the paddle sections includes a plurality of contacts that are not linearly aligned, and wherein the electrode paddle is electrically connected or interconnectable to the implantable pulse generator by the implantable lead.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising the step of providing a controlling function in the implantable pulse generator, wherein at least two of the plurality of contacts can be individually or collectively controlled.

37. A method of providing neurostimulation in a patient to stimulate neural structures, comprising:

aligning at least a portion of an implantable electrode paddle along the neural structures, the electrode paddle having a plurality of separable paddle sections, wherein at least one of the paddle sections includes a plurality of contacts that are asymmetrically configured within the at least one paddle section; and

activating an implantable pulse generator to send an electrical pulse through a lead to at least one of the contacts of the plurality of contacts in the at least one paddle section.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising the step of controlling the impulse generator to send an electrical pulse to a plurality of asymmetrically configured contacts within a second paddle section of the plurality of paddle sections.

39. The method of claim 37, further comprising the step of separating the plurality of paddle sections.

40. The method of claim 37, further comprising the step of positioning the lead substantially perpendicular to an orientation of a spine of the patient.