SELF EXPANDING ELECTRODE CUFF

• US 20090276024A1
• Filed: 05/02/2008
• Published: 11/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Christopherson, Mark A., Testerman, Roy L., Bonde, Eric H., Herbert, Timothy P., Geroy, Jesse D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,340,785 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/118
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0556 Cuff electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0558 Anchoring or fixation means therefor

Abstract

An expandable electrode cuff of an implantable stimulation system that includes a base member, a first flange member extending from a proximal end along a first side wall of the base member to a first distal end, and a second flange member extending from a proximal end along a second side wall of the base member to a second distal end. The first flange member extends over both a top wall of the base member and the second flange member, and the second flange member extends over the top wall to form a lumen. The electrode cuff is capable of being advanced between a first position corresponding to both flange members extending over the top wall, a second position corresponding to the first flange member not extending over the top wall and the second flange member extending over the top wall, and a third position corresponding to both of the flange members not extending over the top wall.

Claims

1. An expandable electrode cuff of an implantable stimulation system, comprising:

a base member extending from a first side wall to a second side wall and having a top wall and a bottom wall;

a first flange member extending from a proximal end along the first side wall to a first distal end; and

a second flange member extending from a proximal end along the second side wall to a second distal end, wherein the first flange member extends over both the top wall of the base member and the second flange member, and the second flange member extends over the top wall of the base member to form a lumen.

2. The expandable electrode cuff of claim 1, wherein the electrode cuff is capable of being advanced between a first position and a second position, the first position corresponding to both of the first flange member and the second flange member extending over the top wall of the base member, and the second position corresponding to the first flange member not extending over the top wall of the base member and the second flange member extending over the top wall of the base member.

3. The expandable electrode cuff of claim 2, wherein the electrode cuff is capable of being advanced between the first position, the second position, and a third position, the third position corresponding to both of the first flange member and the second flange member not extending over the top wall of the base member.

4. The expandable electrode cuff of claim 1, wherein the first flange member is capable of being advanced between a first position, prior to positioning of the electrode cuff about a nerve, and a second position subsequent to the positioning of the electrode cuff about the nerve, wherein the first distal end is positioned below the proximal end of the second flange member in the first position, and the first distal end is positioned above the proximal end of the second flange member in the second position.

5. The expandable electrode cuff of claim 1, wherein the second flange member is capable of being advanced between a first position, prior to positioning of the electrode cuff about a nerve, and a second position subsequent to the positioning of the electrode cuff about the nerve, wherein the second distal end is positioned a first distance above the proximal end of the first flange member in the first position, and the second distal end is positioned a second distance, greater than the first distance, above the proximal end of the first flange member in the second position.

6. The expandable electrode cuff of claim 1, wherein the first flange member and the second flange member are capable of being advanced between a first position, prior to positioning of the electrode cuff about a nerve, and a second position subsequent to the positioning of the electrode cuff about the nerve, wherein the first distal end is positioned below the proximal end of the second flange member and the second distal end is positioned a first distance above the proximal end of the first flange member in the first position, and the first distal end is positioned above the proximal end of the second flange member and the second distal end is positioned a second distance, greater than the first distance, above the proximal end of the first flange member in the second position.

7. The expandable electrode cuff of claim 1, wherein the first flange member is capable of being advanced between a first position, corresponding to a first diameter of the lumen at initial positioning of the electrode cuff about a nerve, and a second position corresponding to a second diameter greater than the first diameter subsequent to the initial positioning of the electrode cuff about the nerve, wherein the first distal end is positioned a first distance above the second side wall of the base member in the first position, and the first distal end is positioned a second distance greater than the first distance above the second side wall of the base member in the second position.

8. The expandable electrode cuff of claim 1, wherein the second flange member is capable of being advanced between a first position, corresponding to a first diameter of the lumen at initial positioning of the electrode cuff about a nerve, and a second position corresponding to a second diameter greater than the first diameter subsequent to the initial positioning of the electrode cuff about the nerve, wherein the second distal end is positioned a first distance above the first side wall of the base member in the first position, and the second distal end is positioned a second distance greater than the first distance above the first side wall of the base member in the second position.

9. The expandable electrode cuff of claim 1, wherein the first flange member and the second flange member are capable of being advanced between a first position, corresponding to a first diameter of the lumen at initial positioning of the electrode cuff about a nerve, and a second position corresponding to a second diameter greater than the first diameter subsequent to the initial positioning of the electrode cuff about the nerve, wherein the first distal end is positioned a first distance above the second side wall of the base member and the second distal end is positioned a second distance above the first side wall of the base member in the first position, and the first distal end is positioned a third distance greater than the first distance above the second side wall of the base member and the second distal end is positioned a fourth distance greater than the second distance above the first side wall of the base member in the second position.

10. The expandable electrode cuff of claim 1, wherein the second flange member has a first thickness at the proximal end of the second flange member and a second thickness, less than the first thickness, at the second distal end.

11. The expandable electrode cuff of claim 1, further comprising means for pulling one or both of the first flange member and the second flange member under a nerve during positioning of the expandable electrode cuff about the nerve.

12. An expandable electrode cuff of an implantable stimulation system, comprising:

a base member extending from a first side wall to a second side wall and having a top wall and a bottom wall;

a first flange member extending from a proximal end along the first side wall to a first distal end positioned above the first side wall;

a second flange member extending from a proximal end along the second side wall to a second distal end; and

a third flange member having a proximal end fixedly engaged against the first flange member and extending to a third distal end, wherein the third flange member extends over both the top wall of the base member and the second flange member, the second flange member extends over the top wall of the base member, and the second distal end is spaced above the first distal end so that the first flange member, the second flange member and the third flange member form a lumen.

13. The expandable electrode cuff of claim 12, wherein the electrode cuff is capable of being advanced between a first position, a second position, and a third position, the first position corresponding to both of the second flange member and the third flange member extending over the top wall of the base member, the second position corresponding to the third flange member not extending over the top wall of the base member and the second flange member extending over the top wall of the base member, and the third position corresponding to both of the second flange member and the third flange member extending over the top wall of the base member.

14. The expandable electrode cuff of claim 12, wherein the third flange member is capable of being advanced between a first position, prior to positioning of the electrode cuff about a nerve, and a second position subsequent to the positioning of the electrode cuff about the nerve, wherein the third distal end is positioned a first distance above the second side wall of the base member in the first position, and the third distal end is positioned a second distance great than the first distance above the second side wall of the base member in the second position.

15. The expandable electrode cuff of claim 12, wherein the second flange member is capable of being advanced between a first position, prior to positioning of the electrode cuff about a nerve, and a second position subsequent to the positioning of the electrode cuff about the nerve, wherein the second distal end is positioned a first distance above the first distal end in the first position, and the second distal end is positioned a second distance, greater than the first distance, above the first distal end in the second position.

16. The expandable electrode cuff of claim 12, wherein the third flange member and the second flange member are capable of being advanced between a first position, prior to positioning of the electrode cuff about a nerve, and a second position subsequent to the positioning of the electrode cuff about the nerve, wherein the third distal end is positioned a first distance above the second side wall of the base member and the second distal end is positioned a second distance above the first distal end in the first position, and the first distal end is positioned a third distance great than the first distance above the second side wall of the base member and the second distal end is positioned a fourth distance, greater than the second distance, above the first distal end in the second position.

17. The expandable electrode cuff of claim 12, wherein the third flange member is capable of being advanced between a first position, corresponding to a first diameter of the lumen at initial positioning of the electrode cuff about a nerve, and a second position corresponding to a second diameter greater than the first diameter subsequent to the initial positioning of the electrode cuff about the nerve, wherein the third distal end is positioned a first distance above the second side wall of the base member in the first position, and the third distal end is positioned a second distance greater than the first distance above the second side wall of the base member in the second position.

18. The expandable electrode cuff of claim 12, wherein the second flange member is capable of being advanced between a first position, corresponding to a first diameter of the lumen at initial positioning of the electrode cuff about a nerve, and a second position corresponding to a second diameter greater than the first diameter subsequent to the initial positioning of the electrode cuff about the nerve, wherein the second distal end is positioned a first distance above the first distal end the first position, and the second distal end is positioned a second distance greater than the first distance above the first distal end in the second position.

19. The expandable electrode cuff of claim 12, wherein the third flange member and the second flange member are capable of being advanced between a first position, corresponding to a first diameter of the lumen at initial positioning of the electrode cuff about a nerve, and a second position corresponding to a second diameter greater than the first diameter subsequent to the initial positioning of the electrode cuff about the nerve, wherein the third distal end is positioned a first distance above the second side wall of the base member and the second distal end is positioned a second distance above the first distal end in the first position, and the third distal end is positioned a third distance greater than the first distance above the second side wall of the base member and the second distal end is positioned a fourth distance greater than the second distance above the first distal end in the second position.

20. The expandable electrode cuff of claim 12, wherein the second flange member has a first thickness at the proximal end of the second flange member and a second thickness, less than the first thickness, at the second distal end.

21. The expandable electrode cuff of claim 12, further comprising means for pulling one or both of the third flange member and the second flange member under a nerve during positioning of the expandable electrode cuff about the nerve.

22. An implantable stimulation system, comprising:

an implantable pulse generator;

a stimulation lead having a lead body extending from a lead body proximal end to a lead body distal end;

a connector positioned at the lead body proximal end for electrically connecting the stimulation lead and the implantable pulse generator; and

an expandable electrode cuff positioned at the lead body distal end, the expandable electrode cuff comprising;

a base member extending from a first side wall to a second side wall and having a top wall and a bottom wall;

a first flange member extending from a proximal end along the first side wall to a first distal end; and

a second flange member extending from a proximal end along the second side wall to a second distal end, wherein the first flange member extends over both the top wall of the base member and the second flange member, and the second flange member extends over the top wall of the base member to form a lumen.