Nerve cuff having one or more isolated chambers
First Claim
1. A nerve cuff comprising:
- (a) an electrically insulating tubular cuff body of a biocompatible material penetrated by a bore for receiving a nerve, the cuff body having a closure for permitting passage of a nerve into the bore;
(b) a plurality of electrically insulating blunt longitudinal ridges extending generally longitudinally on an inner surface of the cuff body and projecting into the bore, adjacent pairs of the longitudinal ridges defining a plurality of chambers extending generally longitudinally in the bore; and
,(c) an electrode in each of a plurality of the chambers, the electrode located between a pair of adjacent ones of the longitudinal ridges.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A nerve cuff has one or more sets of electrodes for selectively recording electrical activity in a nerve or for selectively stimulating regions of the nerve. Each set of electrodes is located in a longitudinally extending chamber between a pair of longitudinal ridges which project into the bore of the nerve cuff. The ridges are electrically insulating and serve to improve the selectivity of the nerve cuff. The ridges seal against an outer surface of the nerve without penetrating the nerve. Nerve cuffs according to the invention may be used in functional electrical stimulation systems. Electrodes may be replaced with fine tubes to enable pharmacological agents to be delivered selectively through the tubes to portions of a nerve passing through the cuff or to permit the sampling of fluids from regions adjacent selected outer portions of the nerve. The nerve cuff may be constructed of modular segments which can be selected to provide a customized fit to the shape and size of a nerve at time of implantation.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A nerve cuff comprising:
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(a) an electrically insulating tubular cuff body of a biocompatible material penetrated by a bore for receiving a nerve, the cuff body having a closure for permitting passage of a nerve into the bore; (b) a plurality of electrically insulating blunt longitudinal ridges extending generally longitudinally on an inner surface of the cuff body and projecting into the bore, adjacent pairs of the longitudinal ridges defining a plurality of chambers extending generally longitudinally in the bore; and
,(c) an electrode in each of a plurality of the chambers, the electrode located between a pair of adjacent ones of the longitudinal ridges. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A nerve cuff comprising:
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(a) fluid impermeable tubular cuff body penetrated by a bore for receiving a nerve, the cuff body having a closure for permitting passage of a nerve into the bore; (b) a plurality of fluid impermeable rounded longitudinal ridges extending generally longitudinally on an inner surface of the cuff body and projecting into the bore, adjacent pairs of the longitudinal ridges defining a plurality of chambers extending generally longitudinally in the bore; and
,(c) a plurality of tubes, each one of the plurality of tubes extending into a different one of a plurality of the chambers for carrying fluid into or out of the chamber. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A nerve cuff comprising:
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(a) a segment comprising a cuff body wall portion; (b) first and second longitudinally extending blunt ridge members extending along the cuff body wall portion and defining an open-sided chamber extending between the first and second ridges; (c) a band member connectible between first and second sides of the cuff body wall portion to define a bore; and
,(d) one or more electrodes or one or more fluid conduits extending into the chamber; wherein the band member is capable of holding the cuff body wall portion to a nerve passing through the bore with the ridges sealing against an outer surface of the nerve and the nerve closing the open side of the chamber.
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28. A method for selectively interfacing to a nerve, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a nerve cuff, the nerve cuff comprising; (i) a tubular cuff body penetrated by a bore for receiving a nerve, the cuff body having a closure for permitting passage of a nerve into the bore; (ii) a plurality of longitudinal ridges extending generally longitudinally on an inner surface of the cuff body and projecting into the bore, adjacent pairs of the longitudinal ridges defining a plurality of chambers extending generally longitudinally in the bore; and
,(iii) in at least one of the chambers, an interface comprising at least one electrode or at least one fluid port; (b) dissecting a nerve from surrounding tissues; (c) opening the closure and placing the cuff around the nerve with the chambers extending along portions of the nerve; (d) closing the closure, thereby bringing the ridges into sealing contact with an outer surface of the nerve without penetrating the outer surface of the nerve; and
,(e) either stimulating selected portions of the nerve by introducing electrical signals via the at least one electrode or pharmacological agents via the at least one fluid port into selected ones of the chambers or monitoring selected portions of the nerve by measuring electrical potentials in the chambers or sampling fluids from the chambers.
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Specification