Implantable medical device with electrodes on multiple housing surfaces

US8588914B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Medtronic, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Ethan A. Rooney · White Bear Lake, US
• Carl D. Wahlstrand · Lino Lakes, US
• Gary W. King · Fridley, US
• Thomas E. Cross, Jr. · St. Francis, US
• Richard T. Stone · Minneapolis, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 9, 2006
• Grant date: Nov 19, 2013
• Expiry date: Jul 28, 2032

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A61N1/3756
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An implantable medical device (IMD) with a housing and electrodes on at least two surfaces of the housing is described. The surfaces may be, for example, opposed, substantially parallel surfaces, e.g., top and bottom surfaces. Location of electrodes on multiple surfaces of the housing may allow the IMD to deliver stimulation to a variety of tissues and with a variety of current field configurations. For example, the IMD may deliver peripheral nerve field stimulation (PNFS) to one or more tissue areas via electrodes selected from one or both of the surfaces to, for example, reduce the sensation of pain in a tissue area proximate to an implantation site of the IMD without targeting a specific nerve. The IMD may be implanted between or within intra-dermal, deep dermal, or subcutaneous layers of the tissue of the patient to deliver PNFS to any one or more of these layers.