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Nerve-branch-specific action-potential activation, inhibition, and monitoring

  • US 7,295,881 B2
  • Filed: 12/29/2003
  • Issued: 11/13/2007
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2003
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. Apparatus comprising:

  • a dual electrode arrangement, which comprises;

    a proximal electrode configuration, adapted to be implanted on a nerve trunk, on a proximal side, with respect to the brain, of a junction of said nerve trunk with a preselected nerve branch, so as to communicate with;

    i. first nerve fibers of said nerve trunk, which at said junction remain with said nerve trunk, andii. second nerve fibers of said nerve trunk that branch into said preselected nerve branch; and

    a distal electrode configuration, adapted to be implanted on said nerve trunk, on a distal side of said junction, so as to communicate with said first nerve fibers and not with said second nerve fibers; and

    an electronic unit, in signal communication with both said proximal and distal electrode configurations, said electronic unit being configured to generate efferent action-potential propagations substantially restricted to said second nerve fibers, by;

    driving said proximal electrode configuration to generate distally moving action potential propagations along said first and second nerve fibers, anddriving said distal electrode configuration to generate proximally moving action potential propagations along said first nerve fibers, such that said distally and proximally moving action potential propagations along said first nerve fibers collide and block each other, while said distally moving action potential propagations along said second nerve fibers propagate into said preselected nerve branch.

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