BIOLOGICAL TISSUE STIMULATOR WITH FLEXIBLE ELECTRODE CARRIER
A biological tissue stimulating apparatus is provided that is adapted for intraluminal implantation is an animal. The apparatus includes a flexible electrode carrier on which a plurality of exposed electrodes formed on a flexible insulating layer wherein the electrodes are to contact the tissue being stimulated. A separate electrical conductor extends from each electrode to a control circuit. The control circuit programmably selects pairs of electrodes for transluminally stimulating the biological tissue. The flexible electrode carrier is adapted to be deployed in a lumen of an organ of the animal, for example a blood vessel, in a spirally coiled form that expands upon being properly located in the lumen to secure the flexible electrode carrier against on to the inner wall of the lumen.
1 . An apparatus for stimulating biological tissue and adapted for implantation in a lumen of an organ of an animal, said apparatus comprising:
an electrode assembly having a flexible electrode carrier that includes a flexible layer of electrical insulating material with a major surface and a plurality of electrodes formed on the major surface of the electrode carrier for contacting the biological tissue upon implantation into the animal, the electrode carrier coiled into a spiral that is diametrically contractable for insertion into the animal and expandable to secure the electrode assembly in the lumen;
a plurality of electrical conductors each being connected to one of the plurality of electrodes; and
a stimulation circuit connected to the plurality of electrical conductors for generating a stimulation voltage and selecting a pair of the plurality of electrodes to which the stimulation voltage is applied stimulate the biological tissue.
2 . The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the stimulation circuit dynamically selects a pair of the plurality of electrodes.
3 . The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the stimulation circuit varies a polarity of the stimulating voltage applied to the pair of the plurality of electrodes.
4 . The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the stimulation circuit applies a unipolar stimulating voltage to the pair of the plurality of electrodes.
5 . The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the stimulation circuit applies a bipolar stimulating voltage to the pair of the plurality of electrodes.
6 . The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the stimulation circuit applies a multi-polar stimulating voltage to the pair of the plurality of electrodes.
7 . The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the stimulation circuit applies the stimulating voltage to different pairs of the plurality of electrodes in a predefined temporal sequence.
8 . The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the flexible layer contains a shape memory material.
9 . The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the flexible electrode carrier further comprises a substrate of a shape memory material attached to the flexible layer.
10 . The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the flexible layer is folded lengthwise.
11 . The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the flexible electrode carrier further comprises a biocompatible exterior layer encasing all components of the electrode assembly except the plurality of electrodes.
12 . The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein pair of the plurality of electrodes is chosen to stimulate at least one site in the lumen.
13 . The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein a plurality of stimulation protocols is selected to stimulate at least one site in the lumen.
14 . The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein different stimulation protocols are chosen to stimulate multiple sites in the lumen.
15 . The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein a plurality of exposed electrodes is selected to stimulate multiple sites in the lumen.
16 . The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein a stimulation site is dynamically selected by sensing responses from multiple sites in the lumen and selecting one of the multiple sites that best satisfies a predetermined criteria.
17 . The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the electrode assembly is deployed in the lumen of a blood vessel.
18 . The apparatus as recited in claim 17 wherein the flexible electrode carrier conforms to the blood vessel that has a diameter that varies.
19 . An apparatus for stimulating biological tissue and adapted for intravascular implantation in an animal, said apparatus comprising:
a control circuit;
an electrode assembly having a flexible layer of electrical insulating material with a major surface, a plurality of electrodes formed on the major surface for contacting the biological tissue upon implantation into the animal, the flexible layer coiled into a spiral that is diametrically contractable for insertion into the animal and expandable for securing the electrode carrier in the vasculature of the animal;
a plurality of electrical conductors each being connected to one of the plurality of electrodes; and
a stimulation circuit connected to the plurality of electrical conductors and to the control circuit for generating and applying a stimulating voltage to a selected pair of the plurality of electrodes to stimulate transvascularly the biological tissue.
20 . The apparatus as recited in claim 19 wherein the stimulation circuit dynamically selects a pair of the plurality of electrodes.
21 . The apparatus as recited in claim 19 wherein at least part of each of the plurality of electrical conductors is embedded inside the flexible layer of electrical insulating material.