Therapy delivery devices and methods for non-damaging neural tissue conduction block

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9387322-B2
Application number	US-201314408017-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 14, 2013
Priority date	Jun 15, 2012
Publication date	Jul 12, 2016
Grant date	Jul 12, 2016

Abstract

Devices and methods for blocking signal transmission through neural tissue. One step of a method includes placing a therapy delivery device into electrical communication with the neural tissue. The therapy delivery device includes an electrode contact having a high charge capacity material. A multi-phase direct current (DC) can be applied to the neural tissue without damaging the neural tissue. The multi-phase DC includes a cathodic DC phase and anodic DC phase that collectively produce a neural block and reduce the charge delivered by the therapy delivery device. The DC delivery can be combined with high frequency alternating current (HFAC) block to produce a system that provides effective, safe, long term block without inducing an onset response.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A therapy delivery device comprising:
an electrode contact adapted to directly contact a nerve,
wherein the electrode contact comprises a high charge capacity material that prevents formation of irreversible electrochemical reaction products when a charge of 100 μC or more is delivered to the nerve by the electrode contact, and
the electrode contact having a geometric surface area of at least about 1 mm 2 .

2. The therapy delivery device of claim 1 , wherein the geometric surface area is between about 3 mm 2 and 9 mm 2 .

3. The therapy delivery device of claim 1 , wherein the electrode contact is fabricated of the high charge capacity material or the electrode contact comprises a base body at least partially coated with the high charge capacity material.

4. The therapy delivery device of claim 1 , wherein the high charge capacity material is platinum black, titanium nitride, tantalum, or poly(ethylenedioxythiophene).

5. The therapy delivery device of claim 1 , wherein the therapy delivery device is a nerve cuff.

6. The therapy delivery device of claim 5 , wherein the electrode contact comprises a plurality of electrode contacts.

7. The therapy delivery device of claim 1 , wherein the electrode contact comprises a plurality of monopolar nerve cuff electrode contacts.

8. A system comprising:
a waveform generator to generate a direct current (DC) with a total amount of charge of 100 microcoulombs or more;
an electrical contact, coupled to the waveform generator, adapted to be placed into direct contact with a nerve to deliver the DC to the neural tissue without producing irreversible reaction products that damage the nerve,
wherein the electrical contact is fabricated from a high charge-capacity material that prevents formation of irreversible electrochemical reaction products when a charge of 100 μC or more is delivered to the nerve by the electrode contact, and
wherein the electrode contact having a geometric surface area of at least about 1 mm 2 .

Assignees

• Univ Case Western Reserve

Inventors

• Bhadra Niloy
• Kilgore Kevin L
• Bhadra Narendra
• Wainright Jesse
• Vrabec Tina
• Franke Manfred

Classifications

• A61N1/36064

  Epilepsy · CPC title

• A61N1/20

  continuous direct currents · CPC title

• A61N1/36067

  Movement disorders, e.g. tremor or Parkinson disease (stimulating motor muscle A61N1/36003) · CPC title

• A61N1/06

  for high-frequency therapy · CPC title

• A61N1/0556 Primary

  Cuff electrodes · CPC title