Patent ID: 9662229
Date: 2017-05-30
CPC Classifications: A61B,A61F,A61N

Claim:
1. A method for fabricating an electrode array, the method comprising: forming a bio-compatible dielectric substrate; defining a plurality of parallel trenches in the substrate, each trench of the plurality of trenches having a longitudinal axis, an open top extending parallel to the longitudinal axis and a bottom and two parallel sides defined by the substrate and extending parallel to the longitudinal axis, each trench being at most 5 mm wide and at most 5 mm deep; forming a bio-compatible dielectric lid having a top surface and an opposite bottom surface, the lid being attachable via the bottom surface to the substrate, such that when the lid is attached to the substrate, the lid covers each trench, such that each trench defines a hollow nerve capture volume bounded by the bottom and the two sides of the trench and by the bottom surface of the lid, the hollow nerve capture volume extending along the longitudinal axis of the trench; forming a plurality of electrodes, each electrode of the plurality of electrodes being formed from bulk micro-wire, and each electrode of the plurality of electrodes having an electrically conductive portion at most 4 μm in diameter; and driving the plurality of electrodes through the lid such that each electrode extends beyond the bottom surface of the lid, the plurality of electrodes being disposed about the lid such that, when the lid is attached to the substrate, at least ten electrodes of the plurality of electrodes extend into the nerve capture volume of each trench, wherein, prior to driving the plurality of electrodes through the lid, each electrode of the plurality of electrodes is distinct from the lid and distinct from the substrate.