Electrode geometries for efficient neural stimulation
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An annular electrode configured for macro-scale neural stimulation comprising:
- a substrate configured to be implanted in a human body;
an inner contact carried by the substrate; and
a first outer contact carried by the substrate, the first outer contact being annular and surrounding the inner contact, wherein an area enclosed by the first outer contact is many times greater than a neural cell body area.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Electrodes designed in accordance with the present invention may selectively employ arc shaped contacts; variations in contact number, positioning, spacing, and/or distribution; variations in contact area, size, or periphery; and/or on-electrode conductive links or interconnections between particular contacts to provide enhanced efficiency neural stimulation, and/or increased electrode reliability.
223 Citations
28 Claims
-
1. An annular electrode configured for macro-scale neural stimulation comprising:
-
a substrate configured to be implanted in a human body;
an inner contact carried by the substrate; and
a first outer contact carried by the substrate, the first outer contact being annular and surrounding the inner contact, wherein an area enclosed by the first outer contact is many times greater than a neural cell body area. - View Dependent Claims (2)
-
-
3. An electrode suitable for neural stimulation comprising:
-
a substrate configured to be implanted in a human body; and
a electrical contact carried by the substrate, the electrical contact being an arcuate segment.
-
-
4. An electrode suitable for neural stimulation comprising:
-
a substrate configured to be implanted in a human body; and
a plurality of electrical contacts carried by the substrate, wherein at least one of the electrical contacts comprises an arcuate segment contact. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. An electrode suitable for neural stimulation comprising:
-
a substrate configured to be implanted in a human body;
a disk shaped electrical contact carried by the substrate; and
a plurality of first arcuate segment electrical contacts carried by the substrate, the first arcuate segment electrical contacts being positioned in an elliptical pattern around the disk shaped electrical contact. - View Dependent Claims (11)
-
-
12. An electrode suitable for neural stimulation comprising:
-
a substrate configured to be implanted in a human body; and
a plurality of electrical contacts carried by the substrate, wherein the electrical contacts are arranged on the substrate in a pattern in which the electrical contacts are spatially distributed in a nonuniform manner.
-
-
13. An electrode suitable for neural stimulation comprising:
-
a substrate configured to be implanted in a human body;
a first plurality of electrical contacts carried by the substrate and spaced apart by a first distance; and
a second plurality of electrical contacts carried by the substrate and spaced apart by a second distance different than the first distance.
-
-
14. An electrode suitable for neural stimulation comprising:
-
a substrate configured to be implanted in a human body;
a first set of electrical contacts carried by the substrate and organized in accordance with a first pattern; and
a second set of electrical contacts carried by the substrate and organized in accordance with a second pattern, wherein a separation distance between a contact within the first set of electrical contacts and a contact within the second set of electrical contacts is unequal to a separation distance between contacts within one from the group of the first set of electrical contacts and the second set of electrical contacts.
-
-
15. An electrode suitable for neural stimulation comprising:
-
a substrate configured to be implanted in a human body;
a first set of electrical contacts carried by the substrate; and
a second set of electrical contacts carried by the substrate, wherein at least one contact within the first set of electrical contacts has an essentially identical shape as and a larger periphery than at least one contact within the second set of electrical contacts. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
-
-
18. An electrode suitable for neural stimulation comprising:
-
a substrate configured to be implanted in a human body;
a centrally positioned electrical contact carried by the substrate and having a first area; and
a plurality of peripherally positioned electrical contacts carried by the substrate, at least one peripherally positioned electrical contact having an essentially identical shape as the centrally positioned contact and a second area different than the first area. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
-
-
22. An electrode suitable for neural stimulation comprising:
-
a substrate configured to be implanted in a human body;
a first electrical contact carried by the substrate;
a second electrical contact carried by the substrate; and
an on-electrode contact coupling between the first and second electrical contacts. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
-
-
25. An electrode suitable for neural stimulation comprising:
-
a substrate configured to be implanted in a human body; and
a plurality of electrical contacts carried by the substrate and spatially distributed in a nonuniform manner, the plurality of electrical contacts including at least two contacts having different peripheries. - View Dependent Claims (26)
-
-
27. An electrode suitable for neural stimulation comprising:
-
a substrate configured to be implanted in a human body; and
a plurality of electrical contacts carried by the substrate and spatially distributed in a nonuniform manner; and
an on-electrode coupling between at least two contacts within the plurality of electrical contacts. - View Dependent Claims (28)
-
Specification