Electrode contact configurations for cuff leads

Abstract

A stimulation system for a nerve, including a cuff configured and arranged to be placed, at least partially, around the nerve, and a plurality of electrode contacts disposed on the cuff such that distances between a first electrode contact within the plurality of electrode contacts and each electrode contact immediately adjacent to the first electrode contact are different.

1 . A stimulation system for a nerve, comprising: a cuff configured and arranged to be placed, at least partially, around the nerve; and a plurality of electrode contacts disposed on the cuff such that distances between a first electrode contact within the plurality of electrode contacts and each electrode contact immediately adjacent to the first electrode contact are different. 
     
     
         2 . The stimulation system of  claim 1 , wherein the distances between the electrode contacts are selected, based in part, on another distance, the other distance being between the nerve and a point on the first electrode contact. 
     
     
         3 . The stimulation system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of electrode contacts further comprises at least two groupings of electrode contacts within the plurality of electrode contacts, wherein distances between one electrode contact within one of the at least two groupings and each electrode contact immediately adjacent to the one electrode contact within the same grouping are different. 
     
     
         4 . The stimulation system of  claim 3 , wherein each electrode contact within one of the at least two groupings of electrode contacts is configured to operate independent of another electrode contact within the same grouping. 
     
     
         5 . The stimulation system of  claim 3 , wherein each electrode contact within one of the at least two groupings of electrode contacts is configured to be electrically coupled together with each electrode contact within the same grouping to operate collectively. 
     
     
         6 . The stimulation system of  claim 1 , wherein electrode contacts within the plurality of electrode contacts are arranged within a plurality of electrode contact arrays along the cuff, wherein the distances between one electrode contact array and each electrode contact array immediately adjacent to the one electrode contact array are different. 
     
     
         7 . The stimulation system of  claim 1 , wherein the first electrode contact within the plurality of electrode contacts has a shorter length than at least one of the electrode contacts immediately adjacent to the first electrode contact. 
     
     
         8 . The stimulation system of  claim 1 , further comprising a stimulator unit coupled to the plurality of electrode contacts. 
     
     
         9 . The stimulation system of  claim 8 , wherein the stimulator unit is arranged to provide a pre-pulse electrical neuromodulation via the plurality of electrode contacts. 
     
     
         10 . A stimulation system for a nerve, comprising: a cuff that is configured and arranged to be disposed over at least a portion of the nerve; and at least two electrode contacts disposed on the cuff such that a distance between the at least two electrode contacts varies along a length of the electrode contacts. 
     
     
         11 . The stimulation system of  claim 10 , wherein the distance between the at least two electrode contacts is at a greater distance towards a center of the length of the electrode contacts than at an end of the electrode contacts. 
     
     
         12 . The stimulation system of  claim 10 , wherein the distance between the at least two electrode contacts is at a lesser distance towards a center of the length of the electrode contacts than at an end of the electrode contacts. 
     
     
         13 . The stimulation system of  claim 10 , wherein the cuff further comprises a curved portion and a flat portion, the electrode contacts being arranged along the curved portion of the cuff. 
     
     
         14 . The stimulation system of  claim 10 , wherein the at least two electrode contacts further comprises at least two groupings of electrode contacts wherein the distance between the at least two groupings of electrode contacts varies along the length of at least one of the electrode contacts within one of the groupings of electrode contacts. 
     
     
         15 . The stimulation system of  claim 10 , further comprising: a drug infusion unit coupled to the cuff by way of a lumen, the drug infusion unit being arranged to deliver a fluid through the lumen. 
     
     
         16 . A method of stimulating a nerve, the method comprising: disposing a cuff, at least partially, around the nerve, the cuff comprising at least a first portion, and having a plurality of electrode contacts disposed on the cuff such that distances between a first electrode contact within the plurality of electrode contacts and each electrode contact immediately adjacent to the first electrode contact are different; coupling the cuff to a stimulator unit; and providing electrical signals from the stimulator unit to the electrode contacts of the cuff to stimulate the nerve. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the nerve is a vagus nerve and disposing the cuff around the nerve comprises disposing the cuff around the vagus nerve. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the nerve comprises a cavernous nerve and disposing the cuff around the nerve comprises disposing the cuff around a neurovascular bundle comprising the vagus nerve. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the first portion of the cuff is curved and wherein the cuff further comprises a flat portion and wherein disposing the cuff, at least partially, around the nerve comprises disposing the cuff around the cavernous nerve with the flat portion disposed between the cavernous nerve and a rectum. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein providing electrical signals further comprises providing a pre-pulse electrical signal to the electrode contacts.