Citation:
Oya H, Safayi S, Jeffery ND, Viljoen S, Reddy CG, Dalm BD, Kanwal JK, Gillies GT, Howard MA. Soft-coupling suspension system for an intradural spinal cord stimulator: biophysical performance characteristics. Journal of Applied Physics. 2013;114 (16).
Abstract:
We have characterized the mechanical compliance of an improved version of the suspension system used to position the electrode-bearing membrane of an intradural neuromodulator on the dorsal pial surface of the spinal cord. Over the compression span of 5 mm, it exhibited a restoring force of 2.4 μN μm−1 and a mean pressure of 0.5 mm Hg (=66 Pa) on the surface below it, well within the range of normal intrathecal pressures. We have implanted prototype devices employing this suspension and a novel device fixation technique in a chronic ovine model of spinal cord stimulation and found that it maintains stable contact at the electrode-pia interface without lead fracture, as determined by measurement of the inter-contact impedances.