Patent ID: 7844346

Claim:
Apparatus for applying current to a nerve, comprising: a tubular housing, which defines and completely surrounds a space having a longitudinal central axis, and which is configured to be placed completely surrounding a longitudinal portion of the nerve; one or more electrodes, fixed to an inner surface of the housing facing the longitudinal central axis such that the electrodes surround greater than 180 degrees of the longitudinal central axis of the housing; and first and second end insulating elements, fixed to the housing at respective longitudinal ends of the housing, such that the end insulating elements extend toward the longitudinal central axis, and are shaped so as to define respective openings surrounding the longitudinal central axis, wherein the electrodes are longitudinally between the end insulating elements, wherein a closest end insulating element distance between each of the end insulating elements and the longitudinal central axis is between 1 and 2 mm, such that a radius of each of the openings is between 1 and 2 mm, and wherein a closest electrode distance between the electrodes and the longitudinal central axis is at least 1.5 times the closest end insulating element distance.