Improved electrode material for deep brain stimulation

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) devices have been implanted for treatment of basic tremor, Parkinson's disease and dystonia. These devices use electrodes in contact with tissue to deliver electrical pulses to targeted cells, to elicit specific therapeutic responses. In general, the neuromodulation industry has been evolving towards smaller, less invasive electrodes. However, current electrode materials do not support small sizes without severely restricting the stimulus output. Hence, an improved electrode material will benefit present and future DBS systems. In this study, five DBS leads were modified using a cost-effective and materials-efficient process for applying an ultra-low impedance platinum-iridium alloy coating. One DBS lead was used for insertion test and four DBS leads were chronically pulsed for 12 weeks. The platinum-iridium alloy significantly improved the electrical properties of the DBS electrodes and was robust to insertion into brain and to 12 weeks of chronic pulsing.