MALLEABLE NEEDLE HAVING A PLURALITY OF ELECTRODES FOR FACILITATING IMPLANTATION OF STIMULATION LEAD AND METHOD OF IMPLANTING AN ELECTRICAL STIMULATION LEAD
First Claim
1. A malleable needle for facilitating implantation of a stimulation lead for peripheral stimulation, comprising:
- a longitudinally extending flexible core capable of being shaped by a physician to a patient'"'"'s anatomy;
at least three electrodes disposed at a distal end of the malleable needle;
at least three electrical conductors each coupled to a respective one of the at least three electrodes and extending longitudinally along the needle; and
a connector structure for making temporary electrical contact with a stimulation lead or cable for conducting stimulation pulses from the stimulation lead or cable to the at least three electrodes.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
In one embodiment, a malleable needle is provided at least three independent electrodes to facilitate the implantation of an electrical stimulation lead for peripheral nerve stimulation. The malleable characteristic of the needle enables the needle to be bent or shaped according to the patient anatomy. Once the needle is appropriately shaped by the physician, the physician inserts the needle into a prospective site for stimulation. The provision of the electrodes enables a suitable number of electrode patterns to be tested to determine whether the stimulation site is satisfactory. By utilizing the malleable needle in this manner, a number of stimulation sites can be tested in an efficient manner to identify an optimal location for implantation of the stimulation lead.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A malleable needle for facilitating implantation of a stimulation lead for peripheral stimulation, comprising:
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a longitudinally extending flexible core capable of being shaped by a physician to a patient'"'"'s anatomy; at least three electrodes disposed at a distal end of the malleable needle; at least three electrical conductors each coupled to a respective one of the at least three electrodes and extending longitudinally along the needle; and a connector structure for making temporary electrical contact with a stimulation lead or cable for conducting stimulation pulses from the stimulation lead or cable to the at least three electrodes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of implanting a stimulation lead within a patient for peripheral nerve stimulation, the method comprising:
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inserting a malleable needle into a prospective stimulation site proximate to a peripheral nerve, wherein the malleable needle comprises at least three electrodes; applying stimulation pulses to the prospective stimulation site using the at least three electrodes; when an expected result of the peripheral nerve stimulation is observed, inserting a cannula over the malleable needle into patient tissue near the prospective stimulation site; after inserting the cannula, removing the malleable needle from the cannula; and inserting a stimulation lead through the cannula such that electrodes of the stimulation lead are disposed proximate to the prospective stimulation site. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification