Patent ID: 8565894

Claim:
An electrode lead for implantation into body tissue, the lead comprising: a) a carrier comprising a rigid three-dimensional shape extending along a carrier length from a carrier proximal end to a carrier distal end; b) an electrode array comprising a plurality of electrodes supported on the carrier in the rigid three-dimensional shape; and c) a guiding element extending from a guiding element proximal end to a guiding element distal end, wherein the guiding element distal end is connected to the electrode array, and wherein the guiding element is configured to have a first three-dimensional shape, and d) wherein the guiding element is maneuverable into a second three-dimensional shape that is different than the first three-dimensional shape while the carrier supporting the plurality of electrodes connected to the distal end of the guiding element maintains its rigid three-dimensional shape, and e) wherein the plurality of electrodes comprise stimulation electrodes configured for electrical stimulation of biological tissue and recording electrodes configured for recording of biological activity from biological tissue and wherein there are at least a first row and a second row of four stimulation electrodes along the carrier length, the stimulation electrodes being equally spaced around a circumference of the carrier, and two diametrically opposed recording electrodes positioned between the first and second rows of stimulation electrodes.