The invention provides an implant, system and method for electrically
stimulating a target tissue to either activate or block neural impulses.
The implant provides a conductive pathway for a portion of electrical
current flowing between surface electrodes positioned on the skin and
transmits that current to the target tissue. The implant has a passive
electrical conductor of sufficient length to extend from subcutaneous
tissue located below a surface cathodic electrode to the target tissue.
The conductor has a pick-up end which forms an electrical termination
having a sufficient surface area to allow a sufficient portion of the
electrical current to flow through the conductor, in preference to
flowing through body tissue between the surface electrodes, such that the
target tissue is stimulated to either activate or block neural impulses.
The conductor also has a stimulating end which forms an electrical
termination for delivering the current to the target body tissue.