Chronic Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) devices, or “brain pacemakers”, is a treatment of neurological and psychological disorders. Conventional DBS devices provide electrical stimulation through a lead having four relatively large electrodes that are implanted in a targeted region of the brain. While conventional DBS therapy is generally safe and effective for reducing cardinal symptoms of the approved diseases, it often has significant behavioral and cognitive side effects and limits on performance. Additionally, the therapeutic effect is highly a function of electrode position with respect to the targeted volume of tissue, and more specifically, a function of which neuronal structures are influenced by the charge being delivered. With conventional DBS electrodes, there are limitations as to how a charge is delivered, and stimulation fields are limited, as all of the electrode sites involved with stimulation are positioned along a single axis. Thus, there is a need in the neural interface field to create an improved neural interface system that provides fine electrode positioning, selectivity, precise stimulation patterning, and precise lead location. This invention provides such an improved neural interface system.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds