Design of a Peripheral Nerve Electrode for Improved Neural Recording of the Cervical Vagus Nerve by Bita Sadeghlo

Design of a Peripheral Nerve Electrode for Improved Neural Recording of the Cervical Vagus Nerve Bita Sadeghlo Master of Applied Sciences Graduate Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering University of Toronto 2013 Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is an approved therapy for patients suffering from refractory epilepsy. While VNS is currently an open loop system, making the system closed loop can improve the therapeutic efficacy. Electrical recording of peripheral nerve activity using a nerve cuff electrode is a potential longterm solution for implementing a closed-loop controlled VNS system. However, the clinical utility of this approach is significantly limited by various factors, such as poor signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the recorded electroneurogram (ENG). In this study, we investigated the effects of (1) modifying the electrode contact dimensions, (2) implementing an external shielding layer on the nerve cuff electrode and (3) exploring shielded bipolar nerve cuff designs on the recorded ENG. Findings from both computer simulations and animal experiments suggest that significant improvements in peripheral nerve recordings can be achieved.