Cuff electrode having tubular body with controlled closing force

Abstract

Nerve cuff electrode including a tubular body having a longitudinal slit having electrodes disposed within the body. Wedge shape slits are formed into at least one of the interior wall and the exterior wall of the body, whereby the number and location of slits provided to facilitate the adjustment of the amount of compressive force of nerve cuff electrode about the nerve.

1 . A self-sizing cuff electrode, comprising:
 a tubular shaped body, said body comprising a first end, a second end, a length, an inner surface and an outer surface, the body further comprising:
 a hinge portion configured to provide resilient support along at least a portion of the length of the body; 
 a longitudinal split, said split defining a first edge, and a second edge, said first edge and second edge configured to slidably overlap each other such that the body substantially circumferentially encloses at least a portion of a nerve; 
 a plurality of wedge shaped slits formed into at least one of the inner surface and the outer surface; and 
   a plurality of electrodes positioned within the body proximate the inner surface, said electrodes comprising at least one anode and at least one cathode, said at least one anode and at least one cathode are located proximate the nerve when the nerve is enclosed by the body;   wherein in response to an electrical signal, the at least one anode and at least one cathode form an electrically coupled anode-cathode pair with an electrical pathway therebetween; and   wherein the body is configured to provide a compressive force effective to maintain contact between the electrodes and the nerve, with the compressive force at least partially dependent upon the number wedge shaped slits, such that the electrical pathway between the electrodes and the nerve is maintained.   
     
     
         2 . The cuff of  claim 1 , wherein the compressive force is maintained in a range of about 10 mm to about 30 mm Hg. 
     
     
         3 . The cuff of  claim 1 , wherein the compressive force is maintained in a range of about 2 mm to about 30 mm Hg. 
     
     
         4 . The cuff of  claim 1 , wherein the hinge portion further comprises at least one elastic member. 
     
     
         5 . The cuff of  claim 1 , wherein the hinge portion includes a first member which fails in response to an applied force exceeding a limit. 
     
     
         6 . The cuff of  claim 1 , wherein the hinge portion is configured to yield before the force of the cuff on the nerve exceeds about 30 mm Hg. 
     
     
         7 . The cuff of  claim 1 , wherein there are a plurality of anode-cathode pairs. 
     
     
         8 . The cuff of  claim 7 , wherein a distance between the electrically coupled anode and cathode in an anode-cathode pair is substantially the same as a distance between the anode and cathode in any other electrically coupled anode-cathode pair. 
     
     
         9 . The cuff of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the electrodes is recessed relative to the inner surface. 
     
     
         10 . The cuff of  claim 1 , wherein in response to an applied electrical signal, an electrical pathway is formed by an anode-cathode pair, such that current effectively traverses a cross-sectional profile of the nerve. 
     
     
         11 . The cuff of  claim 1 , in which the cuff applies no less than about 2 mm Hg at 5 degrees of cuff opening and no more than about 30 mm Hg at 90 degrees of cuff opening.