Electrode configurations for an implantable electroacupuncture device

Some previously proposed implantable electroacupuncture devices (IEADs) are too invasive and/or provide ineffective treatment. Disclosed here in is an IEAD (900) for generating electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation pulses that are applied substantially at or near a specified target tissue location. The IEAD comprises a housing, cathodic electrodes (910) and anodic electrodes (906), stimulation circuitry, and a coin-cell type primary battery. The housing has a thickness of no greater than about 2.5 mm. The cathodic and anodic electrodes (910, 906) form an integral part of the housing. The stimulation circuitry resides inside the housing and is electrically coupled to the cathodic and anodic electrodes (910, 906), wherein the stimulation circuitry generates EA stimulation pulses that are delivered to the target location through the cathodic and anodic electrodes (910, 906) in accordance with a prescribed stimulation regimen, wherein said stimulation regimen defines the duration and rate at which a stimulation session is applied, said stimulation regimen requiring that the stimulation session have a duration of T3 minutes and a rate of occurrence of once every T4 minutes, wherein the ratio of T3/T4 is no greater than 0.05, and wherein during each stimulation session EA stimulation pulses having one or more specified widths and amplitudes are generated at one or more specified rates. The coin-cell type primary battery resides inside the housing that provides the operation power for the stimulation circuitry, wherein the primary battery has an internal impedance greater than 5 ohms. The cathodic electrodes (910) are located on a top or bottom surface (902, 908) of the housing and positioned no closer than 5 mm from the closest edge of the nearest at least one anodic electrode (906), and wherein the total surface area of the cathodic electrodes (910) is no smaller than about 0.5 mm2, and wherein the positioning and surface area of the cathodic electrodes (910) are selected to allow a desired current density to flow through the electrodes surface area without causing electrode corrosion or current shunting.