Method of routing electrical current to bodily tissues via implanted passive conductors
First Claim
1. A system for electrically stimulating a target body tissue in a subject, comprising:
- a surface cathodic electrode and a surface anodic electrode configured to make electrical contact with the subject'"'"'s skin and to transmit electrical current when positioned in a spaced relationship on the subject'"'"'s skin;
a stimulator external to the subject'"'"'s body, electrically connected to the surface cathodic electrode and the surface anodic electrode, the stimulator being configured to supply direct, pulsatile, or alternating current to the surface cathodic electrode and the surface anodic electrode at a frequency from 1 Hz to 30 kHz; and
an implant configured to pick up a portion of the electrical current flowing between the surface cathodic electrode and the surface anodic electrode and to transmit the portion of the electrical current to the target body tissue, the implant comprising a passive electrical conductor of sufficient length to extend, once implanted, from subcutaneous tissue located below the surface cathodic electrode to the target body tissue, the electrical conductor having a pick-up portion and a stimulating portion and being insulated between its pick-up portion and its stimulating portion, the pick-up portion forming an electrical termination having a sufficient surface area to allow a portion of the electrical current to flow through the conductor, in preference to flowing through body tissue between the surface cathodic and anodic electrodes, and the stimulating portion forming an electrical termination for delivering the portion of electrical current to the target body tissue.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The invention provides an implant, system and method for electrically stimulating a target tissue to either activate or block neural impulses. The implant provides a conductive pathway for a portion of electrical current flowing between surface electrodes positioned on the skin and transmits that current to the target tissue. The implant has a passive electrical conductor of sufficient length to extend from subcutaneous tissue located below a surface cathodic electrode to the target tissue. The conductor has a pick-up end which forms an electrical termination having a sufficient surface area to allow a sufficient portion of the electrical current to flow through the conductor, in preference to flowing through body tissue between the surface electrodes, such that the target tissue is stimulated to either activate or block neural impulses. The conductor also has a stimulating end which forms an electrical termination for delivering the current to the target body tissue.
-
Citations
39 Claims
-
1. A system for electrically stimulating a target body tissue in a subject, comprising:
-
a surface cathodic electrode and a surface anodic electrode configured to make electrical contact with the subject'"'"'s skin and to transmit electrical current when positioned in a spaced relationship on the subject'"'"'s skin; a stimulator external to the subject'"'"'s body, electrically connected to the surface cathodic electrode and the surface anodic electrode, the stimulator being configured to supply direct, pulsatile, or alternating current to the surface cathodic electrode and the surface anodic electrode at a frequency from 1 Hz to 30 kHz; and an implant configured to pick up a portion of the electrical current flowing between the surface cathodic electrode and the surface anodic electrode and to transmit the portion of the electrical current to the target body tissue, the implant comprising a passive electrical conductor of sufficient length to extend, once implanted, from subcutaneous tissue located below the surface cathodic electrode to the target body tissue, the electrical conductor having a pick-up portion and a stimulating portion and being insulated between its pick-up portion and its stimulating portion, the pick-up portion forming an electrical termination having a sufficient surface area to allow a portion of the electrical current to flow through the conductor, in preference to flowing through body tissue between the surface cathodic and anodic electrodes, and the stimulating portion forming an electrical termination for delivering the portion of electrical current to the target body tissue. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
-
-
23. A method of treating a disorder by electrically stimulating a target body tissue in a subject, comprising:
-
implanting an implant entirely under the subject'"'"'s skin, the implant configured to act as a conductive pathway for at least a portion of an electrical current flowing between a surface cathodic electrode and a surface anodic electrode positioned in a spaced relationship on the subject'"'"'s skin and to transmit the portion of the electrical current to the target body tissue, the implant comprising a passive electrical conductor of sufficient length to extend, once implanted, from subcutaneous tissue located below the surface cathodic electrode to the target body tissue, the electrical conductor having a pick-up portion and a stimulating portion and being insulated between its pick-up portion and its stimulating portion, the pick-up portion forming an electrical termination having a sufficient surface area to allow a portion of the electrical current to flow through the conductor, in preference to flowing through body tissue between the surface cathodic electrode and the surface anodic electrode, such that the target body tissue is stimulated, and the stimulating portion forming an electrical termination to deliver the portion of electrical current to the target body tissue, the implant being implanted such that the pick-up portion is positioned in subcutaneous tissue located below the surface cathodic electrode and the stimulating portion is positioned proximate to the target body tissue; positioning the surface cathodic and anodic electrodes in a spaced relationship on the subject'"'"'s skin to make electrical contact with the skin, the surface cathodic electrode being positioned over the pick-up portion of the electrical conductor such that the portion of the electrical current is transmitted through the conductor to the target body tissue, and such that the electrical current flows through the target body tissue and returns to the anodic surface electrode through body tissues or through an implanted electrical return conductor extending between the target body tissue and subcutaneous tissue located below the surface anodic electrode; and applying electrical current in at least one of a direct, pulsatile, or alternating current to at least one of the surface cathodic electrode and the surface anodic electrode, the electrical current being supplied by a stimulator external to the subject'"'"'s body and electrically connected to the surface cathodic and anodic electrodes, the electrical current being applied at a frequency within the range of from 1 Hz to 30 kHz for stimulating the target body tissue. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
-
Specification