Flexible paddle lead body with scored surfaces

摘要

An implantable stimulation system including an epidural lead for spinal cord stimulation that includes a paddle having an array of electrodes coupled to conductors within the lead body. The paddle includes score lines that extend along the length and width of either the front or back facets of the paddle portion. The score lines increase the flexibility of the paddle in both the length and width directions which facilitate the implantation of the paddle within the epidural space of the spinal cord, and further permits the paddle to conform more uniformly to the target area of implantation to minimize the gap between the electrodes and targeted fibers.

主权项

1. A medical lead system for delivering electrical stimulation to spinal cord tissue of a patient, the medical lead system comprising:
a lead body for conducting electrical pulses through a plurality of conductors; a paddle configured to be implanted within an epidural space outside a dura mater of a spinal cord, the paddle having a length and width, and further having a first face and an opposing second face; a plurality of electrodes integrated with the paddle, with a portion of each of the plurality of electrodes being exposed at the first face of the paddle, each of the plurality of electrodes being electrically connected to each of the plurality of conductors, the plurality of electrodes for delivering the electrical pulses from the plurality of conductors to the spinal cord tissue of the patient; and the paddle including a plurality of score lines on at least one of the first face and the second face, with a first of the plurality of score lines extending along the length of the paddle and a second of the plurality of score lines extending along the width of the paddle, with the plurality of score lines facilitating flexibility of the paddle along both the length and width of the paddle.