MEDICAL ELECTRODES HAVING ENHANCED CHARGE CAPACITIES, AND METHODS OF MANUFACTURING
A method of manufacturing a high charge capacity electrode for delivering electrical energy to target tissue of a patient comprises performing a laser process on a conductive material to increase its surface topography, and then coating the conductive material with a high specific area coating.
1 . A method of manufacturing an electrode for use in delivering electrical energy to target tissue of a patient, the method comprising:
providing a conductive material;
performing a laser process on the conductive material to increase its surface topography; and
coating the conductive material with a high specific area coating.
2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method includes providing a flexible circuit having the conductive material thereon.
3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the conductive material is electrolytic hard gold plating on a flexible circuit.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the high specific area coating is IrOx.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the high specific area coating is PEDOT.
6 . The method of claim 1 , further including the step of, before performing the laser process, applying a cover layer over the conductive material.
7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the cover layer is applied using an adhesiveless process.
8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the cover layer is applied using an adhesive process.
9 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the laser process is a second laser process, and wherein the method further includes the step of performing an initial laser skiving step to remove a portion of the cover layer, to expose an electrode of a desired shape and size.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the second laser process additional removes impurities from the coating.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the laser process is a laser skiving process.
12 . The method of claim 2 , further including the step of mounting the flexible circuit to an electrode carrying member proportioned for positioning in venous vasculature superior to the heart of a human adult for delivery, using the electrodes, of the electrical energy to nerve targets outside the brachiocephalic vein.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the electrode carrying member is proportioned for positioning in brachiocephalic vein of a human adult to permit placement of the electrodes in contact with a posterior surface of said brachiocephalic vein.