Electrical stimulation lead with rounded array of electrodes
First Claim
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1. An implantable electrical stimulator comprising:
- an implantable pulse generator that generates electrical stimulation pulses; and
an implantable lead coupled to the implantable pulse generator, the lead including a lead body having a proximal end and a distal end, a plurality of electrical conductors within the lead body, and a plurality of stimulation electrodes positioned at the distal end of the lead body, each of the electrodes being coupled to at least one of the conductors, wherein the distal end of the lead body defines a rounded surface, the rounded surface comprising a proximal portion in which a radius increases and a distal portion in which the radius decreases in a direction toward the distal end of the lead body, and the electrodes are positioned at various positions on the proximal portion and the distal portion of the rounded surface and at a plurality of different circumferential positions around a lateral circumference of the rounded surface, and wherein the implantable pulse generator is configured to apply a stimulation pulse to a selected subset of the plurality of the electrodes positioned on the rounded surface.
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Abstract
An implantable electrical lead may include a rounded array of electrodes. The array of electrodes may be distributed across a rounded surface to position the electrodes in various positions and orientations relative to a target stimulation site. The lead may be useful in a variety of applications such as spinal cord stimulation to alleviate chronic pain, gastrointestinal stimulation to alleviate gastroparesis or obesity, pelvic floor stimulation to alleviate incontinence or sexual dysfunction, or deep brain stimulation to alleviate neurological disorders.
122 Citations
27 Claims
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1. An implantable electrical stimulator comprising:
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an implantable pulse generator that generates electrical stimulation pulses; and an implantable lead coupled to the implantable pulse generator, the lead including a lead body having a proximal end and a distal end, a plurality of electrical conductors within the lead body, and a plurality of stimulation electrodes positioned at the distal end of the lead body, each of the electrodes being coupled to at least one of the conductors, wherein the distal end of the lead body defines a rounded surface, the rounded surface comprising a proximal portion in which a radius increases and a distal portion in which the radius decreases in a direction toward the distal end of the lead body, and the electrodes are positioned at various positions on the proximal portion and the distal portion of the rounded surface and at a plurality of different circumferential positions around a lateral circumference of the rounded surface, and wherein the implantable pulse generator is configured to apply a stimulation pulse to a selected subset of the plurality of the electrodes positioned on the rounded surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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- 17. A method comprising applying electrical stimulation pulses to a patient via an implanted lead, wherein the lead comprises a lead body having a proximal end and a distal end, a plurality of electrical conductors within the lead body, and a plurality of stimulation electrodes positioned at the distal end of the lead body, each of the electrodes being coupled to at least one of the conductors, and wherein the distal end of the lead body defines a rounded surface, the rounded surface comprising a proximal portion in which a radius increases and a distal portion in which the radius decreases in a direction toward the distal end of the lead body, and the electrodes are positioned at various positions on the proximal portion and the distal portion of the rounded surface and at a plurality of different circumferential positions around a lateral circumference of the rounded surface, and wherein applying the electrical stimulation pulses comprises applying the electrical stimulation pulses to a selected subset of the plurality of the electrodes positioned on the rounded surface.
Specification