NERVE CUFF HAVING ONE OR MORE ISOLATED CHAMBERS

摘要

A nerve cuff (20) has one or more sets of electrodes (34) or one or more fluid ports (42) for selectively recording electrical activity in a nerve, selectively stimulating regions of the nerve or sampling fluids from portions of the nerve. Each set of electrodes (34) is located in a longitudinally extending chamber (30) between a pair of longitudinal ridges (28) which project into the bore (25) of the nerve cuff (20). The ridges (28) are electrically insulating and serve to improve the selectivity of the nerve cuff (20). The ridges (28) seal against an outer surface of the nerve (N) without penetrating the nerve. Nerve cuffs according to the invention may be used in functional electrical stimulation systems. Electrodes (34) may be replaced with fine tubes (42) to enable pharmacological agents to be delivered selectively through the tubes to portions of a nerve passing through the cuff or to permit the sampling of fluids from regions adjacent selected outer portions of the nerve. The nerve cuff may be constructed of modular segments (221) which can be selected to provide a customized fit to the shape and size of a nerve (N) at the time of implantation.