Nerve cuff electrode for thoracoscopic implantation

Abstract

Diaphragm pacing has been used for the last three decade to restore respiratory for patients with ventilator dependent such as tetraplegia, hypoventilation syndrome. Several stimulating sites have been proposed including intramuscular or epimysial electrodes placed on the diaphragm, nerve cuff electrode placed on the phrenic nerve at either the cervical or thoracic areas. The thoracic approach can fully activate the diaphragm; however, the electrode implantation requires an invasive thoracotomy. This study presents a nerve cuff electrode suitable for thoracoscopic implantation. The electrode can be held opened by a grasper device. Once the nerve is placed inside the opened electrode and the grasper is detached, the electrode can hold itself onto the nerve and does not require any other lock mechanism. The electrode was implanted successfully on phrenic nerve in two acute canine studies. Chronic animal experiments are underway to validate the safety of this electrode.