Bipolar nerve electrode

• US 5,314,463 A
• Filed: 04/14/1993
• Issued: 05/24/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Johnson, Gary M., Grandjean, Pierre A., Camps, Antoine N. J. M., Lee, Philip H. J., Van Driel, Willem J., Lokhoff, Nicolaas M. H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamm, William E.
• Application Number:
  US08/047,211
• Time in Patent Office: 405 Days
• Field of Search: 128/784, 128/785, 128/786
• US Class Current: 607/129
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0551 Spinal or peripheral nerve electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0558 Anchoring or fixation means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0595 Temporary leads

Abstract

One aspect of this invention relates to a temporary heart wire, and external connector therefore, and the combination of the two, wherein the distal end of the heart wire includes a temporary affixation coil (8) and distal pacing (2) and sensing (1) electrodes connected by means of a coaxial helicoidally wound cable (3) to a proximal electrode (7) and a breakaway needle (6) which also serves as a proximal electrode. The lead is adapted to be inserted into a disposable connector having a snap aperture element (19) for receiving the breakaway needle, and about which the needle is broken, as well as electrical contacts (17, 18) for contacting the proximal electrodes and adapted to be connected to a temporary external pacemaker. According to another aspect of this invention, there is provided a permanent bipolar nerve electrode which includes two electrodes (52), (54) adapted to be positioned along the nerve trunk (58). The bipolar nerve electrode further includes an affixation coil (56) and a thin insulation layer or flap (57), this latter being adapted to be sutured to the surface of the patient'"'"'s muscle to thereby preclude or limit stimulating electrical energy to be transmitted to adjacent muscles, this allowing for a more focused concentration of electrical energy to the nerve trunk (58) to be stimulated.

Claims

1. A bipolar nerve electrode for permanent implantation into a muscle (60) and adjacent a nerve (58) for simulation of the nerve, said nerve electrode comprising:

a first (52) electrode means;

a cable means (52) coupled to said first electrode, and including a conductor (54) having an exposed distal end which exposed end comprises a second electrode means (54), said first (52) and second (54) electrode means providing opposite polarity electrical energy to the nerve (58);

an insulating means (53) coupled between said conductor (54) and said first electrode (52); and

an insulating flap means (57) coupled to said cable means (51) comprising means for coupling said flap means to a surface (61) of the said muscle (60) for shielding adjacent muscle structure from the electrical stimulation provided by said first (52), and second (54) electrodes thereby concentrating the stimulation current field to the nerve,

wherein said flap means (57) comprises suture means for suturing said flap means to said surface (61) of said muscle (60), and said flap means also comprises an aperture means (62) coupled to said cable (51) for facilitating sliding of the flap along the cable (51).

2. The nerve electrode of claim 1, including, in combination, a guide wire (55), an affixation means (56), and an insertion needle (59), wherein the affixation means (56) is integral with said guide wire (55) and comprises embedding means for permanently embedding said nerve electrode in said muscle (60) and said guide wire (55) is adapted to be snipped off at the said surface (61) of the said muscle (60).

3. A bipolar nerve electrode for permanent implantation into a muscle (60) and adjacent a nerve (58) for stimulation of the nerve, said nerve electrode comprising:

a first (52) electrode means;

a cable means (52) coupled to said first electrode, and including a conductor (54) having an exposed distal end which exposed end comprises a second electrode means (54), said first (52) and second (54) electrode means providing opposite polarity electrical energy to the nerve (58);

an insulating means (53) coupled between said conductor (54) and said first electrode (52); and

an insulating flap means (57) coupled to said cable means (51) comprising means for coupling said flap means to a surface (61) of the said muscle (60) for shielding adjacent muscle structure from the electrical stimulation provided by said first (52), and second (54) electrodes thereby concentrating the stimulation current field to the nerve,

said nerve electrode further comprising electrical energy adjusting means for adjusting the amount of electrical energy to be applied to said nerve trunk (58) by adjusting the length of the exposed distal end of said conductor (54), and distance adjusting means for adjusting the distance between the first electrode (52) and second electrode (54) by adjusting the length of insulating means (53) which extends beyond said first electrode (52).