Patent ID: 8583237

Claim:
A device for stimulating or modulating tissue, said device comprising: an elongate member having a longitudinal axis, a proximal end, and a distal end; a first pair of adjacent annular stimulating regions, the first pair of annular stimulating regions comprising a proximal annular stimulating region disposed near the distal end of the elongate member, and a distal annular stimulating region disposed near the distal end of the elongate member, the distal annular stimulating region closer to the distal end of the elongate member than the proximal annular stimulating region, wherein the proximal annular stimulating region comprises a plurality of independently energizable electrodes adapted to deliver current into the tissue, with adjacent electrodes in the proximal annular stimulating region separated from one another by an insulating member disposed on the elongate member, the proximal annular stimulating region circumscribing the elongate member, and wherein the distal annular stimulating region comprises a plurality of independently energizable electrodes adapted to deliver current into the tissue, with adjacent electrodes in the distal annular stimulating region separated from one another by an insulating member disposed on the elongate member, the distal annular stimulating region circumscribing the elongate member, and wherein the distal annular stimulating region is axially separated along the longitudinal axis from the proximal annular stimulating member by a gap; only a single first internal electrical connector electrically coupled with and integral with a first electrode in the proximal annular stimulating region, and wherein the first internal electrical connector is electrically coupled with and integral with a first electrode in the distal annular stimulating region, wherein the first internal electrical connector is disposed within the elongate member, the first internal electrical connector extending across the gap between the proximal and distal annular stimulating regions, wherein the first internal electrical connector is coupled to a proximal portion of the first electrode in the distal annular stimulating region, and wherein the first internal electrical connector is coupled to a distal portion of the first electrode in the proximal annular stimulating region; and a recording electrode disposed in the gap between the proximal and distal annular stimulating regions, the recording electrode adapted to record local tissue potentials from the tissue.