Patent ID: 8352045

Claim:
A device to stimulate a living tissue, the device comprising: an array of microelectrodes arranged in a determined configuration side-by-side, each microelectrode comprising a section for local application to the living tissue and a conductor for sending a stimulation signal, wherein each microelectrode can be selected for application of an electric stimulation signal; the microelectrodes being insulated from each other; the conductors for sending a stimulation signal being insulated from each other; the local application sections being insulated from each other; a plurality of conductive zones being located, respectively for a determined plurality of microelectrodes, in the vicinity of the plurality of local application sections of the determined microelectrodes of the array and being insulated from these local application sections; the plurality of conductive zones belonging to a conductive surface supplemental to the microelectrodes and separate from the microelectrodes, the supplemental conductive surface being used for all or part of the application against the living tissue; at least one connector causing electric connection between the plurality of conductive zones of the supplemental surface for all the determined plurality of microelectrodes insulated from one another, so that the conductive zones of the supplemental surface are substantially equipotential; and the supplemental conductive surface also being connected to at least one port intended to be connected to an external return conductor returning at least part of the stimulation signal and being formed to ensure focal stimulation from at least one of the determined plurality of microelectrodes and to act as a common focus for several application sections of different determined microelectrodes.