A Cuff Lead for Delivering Ionic Direct Current (iDC) to Block Neural Activities of Sciatic Nerve

Direct current (DC) applied extracellularly can block action potential (AP) propagation in a neuron. This suppression paradigm has been proposed as a possible treatment for blocking nociceptive pain. However, the application of DC is limited in duration due to the charge injection constraint imposed by the evolution of electrochemical reactions at the metal electrode. To prolong the application of DC, a microfluidic lead filled with conductive electrolyte can be used to separate the metal electrode from the target nerve. Here, we describe a tripolar nerve cuff lead fabricated with biocompatible silicone to block the APs in the rat sciatic nerve. This lead has a self-curling silicone membrane to wrap around sciatic nerve for secured mechanical attachment and electrical isolation between the nerve and the surrounding muscle. In-vivo testing showed that delivering 1.4mA DC via the cuff lead blocked the nerve activity and reduced the evoked compound action potential (eCAP) to 30% of its unblocked response.