ELECTRICAL NERVE STIMULATION DEVICE

摘要

An electrical nerve stimulation device (500) has an electrode lead (502) and pulse generator (504) connected to one another and sealed in a fluid impermeable housing (526) to form a single sealed unit. The housing (526) is generally flat and both the electrode lead (502) and the pulse generator (504) are substantially flexible. Electrodes (516) are positioned along the length of the lead (502). Each electrode (516) comprises a group of electrical contacts spaced apart from one another along the length of the lead (502) so that the electrodes (516) can also be generally flexible. The distance along the lead (502) between the pulse generator (504) and the electrode (516) closest to the pulse generator (504) is less than around 5 cm. The electrodes (516) each extend along the length of the lead (502) for around 2 cm or more. The electrode lead (502) has an electronically readable memory for storing information about the lead (502), which can be read by the pulse generator (504). The pulse generator (504) can deliver pulses of electrical potential between the electrodes (516). The device (500) can be implanted in a human or animal body and used for treatments such as subcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (SENS).