Patent ID: 7822482

Claim:
An implantable electrical stimulator comprising: an implantable pulse generator that generates electrical stimulation pulses; and an implantable lead coupled to the implantable pulse generator, the lead including a lead body having a proximal end and a distal end, a plurality of electrical conductors within the lead body, and a plurality of stimulation electrodes positioned at the distal end of the lead body, each of the electrodes being coupled to at least one of the conductors, wherein the distal end of the lead body defines a rounded surface, the rounded surface comprising a proximal portion in which a radius increases and a distal portion in which the radius decreases in a direction toward the distal end of the lead body, and the electrodes are positioned at various positions on the proximal portion and the distal portion of the rounded surface and at a plurality of different circumferential positions around a lateral circumference of the rounded surface, and wherein the implantable pulse generator is configured to apply a stimulation pulse to a selected subset of the plurality of the electrodes positioned on the rounded surface.