Anatomy adaptive spinal cord and waist expansion epidural abdominal side electrode

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of medical instruments, in particular to an anatomical adaptive spinal cord and waist expansion epidural abdominal side electrode which comprises an electrode body, a plurality of contacts are arranged on the electrode body, an electrical stimulation generating device is connected to the outside of the electrode body, and the electrode body is configured to be implanted into the epidural abdominal side of a human spinal cord and waist expansion area. The electrode is directly implanted into the outer ventral side of the spinal epidural to stimulate the spinal motor neurons in a targeted manner, so that the problem of energy shunt of dorsal indirect stimulation is avoided, target neurons are effectively activated under low stimulation intensity, and side effects such as stabbing pain and numbness of a patient are reduced.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of medical devices, in particular to an anatomic adaptation type lumbar enlargement epidural ventral electrode. BACKGROUND

[0002] Spinal cord neuromodulation technology is a cutting-edge technology for assisting lower limb motor function recovery and control. Its core principle is to apply electrical stimulation to specific areas of the spinal cord through electrodes to activate relevant neurons and thus affect lower limb motor function.

[0003] In the prior art, for example, Chinese invention patent CN118662777A discloses an implantable spinal cord nerve electrode for lower limb motor function recovery. An implantable spinal cord nerve electrode for lower limb motor function recovery is provided, comprising: an electrode base plate; electrode contact pieces located at least partially on the surface of the electrode base plate, a plurality of electrode contact pieces arranged in a contact piece column, the extension direction of the contact piece column is parallel to the length direction of the electrode base plate, and the spacing between adjacent electrode contact pieces in the same contact piece column forms an arithmetic sequence. In this way, the position of the electrode contact piece is regular, which is more in line with the fact that the human neuron pool is sparsely distributed on the upper part of the lumbar segment of the spinal cord, while it is densely distributed in the lower part of the lumbar segment and the sacral segment. It can more specifically activate the dorsal nerve root of the spinal cord and increase the accuracy and differentiation of the stimulation.

[0004] According to the technical solution of the above-mentioned patent document, it can be seen that the above-mentioned scheme still has deficiencies, for example, the stimulation area of the electrode contact piece in the above-mentioned scheme is the dorsal side of the spinal cord. During the conduction of the stimulation energy to the ventral motor neuron, it will be shunted by a large number of sensory nerve fibers on the dorsal side, which not only requires increasing the stimulation intensity to effectively activate the motor neuron, but also easily causes the patient to have abnormal sensations such as tingling and numbness. On the other hand, the indirect conduction method causes obvious lag in the motor response, making it impossible to achieve real-time and precise motor control, and it is difficult to distinguish between "sensory activation" and "motor activation". Patients often have the uncomfortable experience of "wanting to move but having abnormal sensations". In addition, the contacts of this electrode are designed based on the general logic of "uniform distribution" or "density gradient", without adaptation to the axial and longitudinal anatomical characteristics of the ventral motor neuron of the spinal cord. There are problems such as coverage deviation and functional confusion, which cannot achieve precise control of lower limb motor function. SUMMARY

[0005] The purpose of the present application is to provide an anatomic adaptation type lumbar enlargement epidural ventral electrode to solve the problems in the prior art.

[0006] To solve the above technical problems, the present application specifically provides the following technical solutions: An anatomic fitting epidural ventral electrode for lumbar enlargement of spinal cord comprises an electrode body, a plurality of contacts arranged on the electrode body, and an electric stimulation generating device connected to the electrode body, and the electrode body is configured to be implanted into the epidural ventral of the lumbar enlargement of the human spinal cord.

[0007] According to the preferred solution provided by the anatomic fitting epidural ventral electrode for lumbar enlargement of spinal cord, the plurality of contacts are divided into an uppermost segment, a middle segment and a tail end segment along the length direction of the electrode body, and the overall width of the uppermost segment, the middle segment and the tail end segment decreases downward along the length direction of the electrode body.

[0008] According to the preferred solution provided by the anatomic fitting epidural ventral electrode for lumbar enlargement of spinal cord, the plurality of contacts are symmetrically distributed along the direction from the lumbar enlargement of the spinal cord to the conus medullaris.

[0009] According to the preferred solution provided by the anatomic fitting epidural ventral electrode for lumbar enlargement of spinal cord, the arrangement position of the contacts corresponds to the anatomic distribution of the region from the lumbar enlargement of the spinal cord to the conus medullaris.

[0010] According to the preferred solution provided by the anatomic fitting epidural ventral electrode for lumbar enlargement of spinal cord, the electrode body is provided with an adjustable fixing structure for fixing the electrode body to the epidural ventral of the lumbar enlargement of the spinal cord.

[0011] According to the preferred solution provided by the anatomic fitting epidural ventral electrode for lumbar enlargement of spinal cord, the fixing structure is a flexible wing structure, and the fixing point of the fixing structure can be adjusted along the length direction of the electrode body.

[0012] According to the preferred solution provided by the anatomic fitting epidural ventral electrode for lumbar enlargement of spinal cord, the contacts are rectangular or elliptical metal, and the plurality of contacts are fixedly connected to the electric stimulation generating device through independent wires.

[0013] According to the preferred solution provided by the anatomic fitting epidural ventral electrode for lumbar enlargement of spinal cord, the electrode body is made of a flexible material with high biocompatibility, and the shape of the electrode body is adapted to the physiological curvature of the lumbar enlargement region of the spinal cord.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the present application has the following beneficial effects: 1. The electrode is directly implanted into the epidural ventral of the spinal cord to target stimulate the motor neurons of the spinal cord, avoiding the energy diversion problem of the indirect stimulation of the dorsal side, so as to effectively activate the target neurons at a lower stimulation intensity and reduce the side effects such as tingling and numbness of the patient.

[0015] 2、The path of the electrode directly activating neurons in the application shortens the signal transmission delay, solves the problem of movement response lag in the traditional method, supports real-time regulation of lower limb movement, and improves the movement control precision.

[0016] 3、The contact point in the application accurately covers the target motor neuron nucleus according to the anatomical characteristics of the lumbar enlargement region of the spinal cord, avoids functional confusion and coverage deviation, and improves the distinction between movement and sensory activation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0017] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings needed to be used in the embodiments or prior art description will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only exemplary, and for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from the provided drawings without creative labor.

[0018] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of the electrode body in the application.

[0019] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the spinal cord section in the application; Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the spinal cord partition in the application; Figure 4 It is a flowchart of nerve conduction in the application.

[0020] In the figure: 1, anterior horn motor neuron of spinal cord; 2, posterior root of spinal nerve; 3, anterior root of spinal nerve; 4, sensory nerve fiber; 5, motor nerve fiber; 6, neuromuscular junction; 7, muscle fiber; 8, muscle; 9, electrode body; 10, uppermost segment; 11, middle segment; 12, tail end segment; 13, fixed structure; a, lumbar enlargement of spinal cord; b, spinal cord cone; VIII: anterior horn gamma neuron of spinal cord gray matter; IX: anterior horn alpha neuron of spinal cord gray matter. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely below in combination with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, not all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0022] The concepts involved in this application will first be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the following descriptions of various concepts are only for the purpose of making the content of this application easier to understand and do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this application; furthermore, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other unless otherwise specified. This application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0023] Example like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the present invention provides an anatomically adapted ventral epidural electrode for the lumbar enlargement of the spinal cord, including an electrode body 9, a plurality of contacts on the electrode body 9, an electrical stimulation generating device externally connected to the electrode body 9, and the electrode body 9 being configured to be implanted into the ventral epidural region of the lumbar enlargement of the human spinal cord.

[0024] As a further explanation of this embodiment, in this embodiment, the electrode contact patch in the prior art uses the dorsal side of the spinal cord as the stimulation area, which is mainly composed of sensory neurons and nerve bundles, while motor neurons are located on the ventral side of the spinal cord. Since the stimulation area is separated from the area where the motor neurons are located, the stimulation signal needs to be indirectly transmitted to the ventral motor neurons via the dorsal nerve bundle. This leads to signal loss, that is, the dorsal sensory nerve fibers shun the stimulation energy, and the intensity needs to be increased to activate the motor neurons, which in turn causes sensory abnormalities such as tingling and numbness. It can also easily lead to regulatory lag, specifically, the indirect transmission delays the motor response, making it impossible to control the movement accurately in real time. It can also cause target blurring, making it impossible for patients to distinguish between sensory and motor activation, resulting in a poor patient experience. In this example, addressing the issues of insufficient precision control and numerous side effects caused by existing technologies due to "dorsal indirect stimulation" and "lack of universal anatomical adaptation," an anatomically adapted ventral epidural electrode for precise control of lower limb motor function is provided. This electrode directly targets and stimulates ventral motor neurons in the spinal cord. The electrode body 9 is designed based on the axial and longitudinal anatomical characteristics of the spinal cord. By directly stimulating the ventral epidural region of the spinal cord through the electrode body 9, precise and direct activation of motor neurons is achieved. This reduces the stimulation intensity for patients to avoid sensory abnormalities, shortens the motor response delay to achieve real-time control, accurately distinguishes target points to improve comfort, and avoids side effects. Ultimately, it achieves precise control of lower limb motor function, such as muscle strength grading and customized movement patterns.

[0025] As an advanced solution for an anatomically adapted spinal cord lumbar enlargement epidural ventral electrode, multiple contacts are divided into uppermost segment 10, middle segment 11 and tail segment 12 along the length of the electrode body 9, and the overall width of the uppermost segment 10, middle segment 11 and tail segment 12 decreases downward along the length of the electrode body 9.

[0026] Combination Figure 2As shown, the electrode body 9 directly targets the alpha and gamma motor neurons of the eighth and ninth laminae of the ventral horn of the spinal cord, directly activates the motor neurons through electrical stimulation, and transmits the signal to the lower limb muscles through nerve fibers, thereby achieving precise regulation of the motor function of the lower limbs. In the above process, the electrode body 9 serves as the output end of electrical stimulation and is connected to an external electrical stimulation generating device such as a pulse generator. Through the treatment and contact activation scheme for the individual patient, a complete electrical stimulation regulation system is formed.

[0027] As a further scheme of the anatomically adaptive epidural ventral electrode of the lumbar enlargement of the spinal cord, the multiple contacts are symmetrically distributed along the direction from the lumbar enlargement of the spinal cord to the conus medullaris.

[0028] As a further scheme of the anatomically adaptive epidural ventral electrode of the lumbar enlargement of the spinal cord, the arrangement position of the contacts corresponds to the anatomical distribution of the region from the lumbar enlargement of the spinal cord to the conus medullaris.

[0029] In combination Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, the electrode body 9 adopts a longitudinal array arrangement scheme, and each parameter is strictly determined according to the anatomical characteristics that the ventral gray matter of the spinal cord is symmetrically distributed and gradually narrows from the lumbar enlargement to the conus medullaris. The contacts can achieve the maximum anatomical adaptation with the motor neuron nuclei from the lumbar enlargement of the spinal cord to the conus medullaris in the longitudinal direction, ensuring that the motor neuron nuclei of each segment can be covered by the corresponding contact within the contact.

[0030] As a further scheme of the anatomically adaptive epidural ventral electrode of the lumbar enlargement of the spinal cord, the electrode body 9 is provided with an adjustable fixing structure 13 for fixing the electrode body 9 to the epidural ventral side of the lumbar enlargement of the spinal cord.

[0031] In combination Figure 2 As shown, according to the anatomical characteristics of the motor neurons of the spinal cord in the axial distribution laminae, the electrode body 9 is provided with contacts that precisely cover the alpha and gamma motor neurons of the eighth and ninth laminae of the anterior horn of the spinal cord. In the cross section of the spinal cord, the contacts completely cover the eighth and ninth laminae and do not exceed the boundary of the gray matter. The contacts of the electrode body 9 correspond to the ninth lamina (mainly alpha motor neurons, regulating skeletal muscle contraction) and the eighth lamina (mainly gamma motor neurons, regulating muscle spindle sensitivity) in each segment of the spinal cord, respectively, achieving axial precise targeting of the motor neurons and independent regulation of muscle strength and motor precision.

[0032] As a further scheme of the anatomically adaptive epidural ventral electrode of the lumbar enlargement of the spinal cord, the fixing structure 13 is a flexible wing-like structure, and the fixing point of the fixing structure 13 can be adjusted along the length direction of the electrode body 9.

[0033] As a further improved solution of the anatomic adaptation type of the lumbar enlargement epidural ventral electrode, the contact is a rectangular or oval metal, and multiple contacts are fixedly connected with the electric stimulation generating device through independent wires.

[0034] As a further improved solution of the anatomic adaptation type of the lumbar enlargement epidural ventral electrode, the electrode body 9 is made of a flexible material with high biocompatibility, and the shape of the electrode body 9 is adapted to the physiological curvature of the lumbar enlargement region of the spinal cord.

[0035] As a further description of the embodiment, in the embodiment, the specific process of the electric stimulation in the application is as follows: when the external electric stimulation generating device generates an electric signal with specific parameters such as specific frequency, intensity and pulse width, the electric signal is transmitted to each contact corresponding to different parts of the spinal cord of the patient in the electrode body 9 through the wire. Specifically, the spinal cords of various different populations such as adults, children, young people and old people have certain differences, and the multiple contacts in the electrode body 9 need to be planned and deployed in advance according to the individual differences of the patients. This deployment method is to better diagnose and treat the individual differences of the patients, but the deployment method and preoperative planning are not within the protection scope of the application, and therefore will not be described in detail here. Different contacts stimulate the alpha and gamma motor neurons in the corresponding region according to the anatomic adaptation design in the axial and longitudinal directions. The activated motor neurons transmit signals to the lower limb muscles through nerve fibers to cause muscle contraction or adjust the muscle state, so as to realize precise control of the lower limb motor function, such as muscle strength grading adjustment and movement mode customization. The whole process does not need indirect conduction of signals like the traditional dorsal electrode, reducing signal loss and response delay.

[0036] The application directly targets the ventral motor neurons of the spinal cord, which can directly solve the problem of indirect stimulation of the traditional dorsal electrode, that is, the contact precisely covers the Ⅷ and Ⅸ laminae of the anterior horn of the spinal cord gray matter, and does not need to conduct the stimulation signal through the dorsal nerve bundle, so that the stimulation energy is not branched and lost. Compared with the traditional electrode, only lower stimulation intensity is needed to activate the target neurons, which helps the patient to avoid paresthesia such as tingling and numbness, and directly activates the path to greatly shorten the motor response delay, realizes real-time control, and accurately distinguishes motor and sensory activation, matching the application purpose of "precise control".

[0037] In combination with Figure 1 and Figure 3As shown, the symmetrical and gradually changed contact spacing on the electrode body 9 in the application is adapted to the characteristics of the spinal cord "wide at the waist, narrow at the cone", the axial functional partition covers alpha and gamma motor neurons, which solves the problem of "coverage deviation" of traditional electrodes, even if there is deviation, but still covers most of the target nuclear group, avoids the risk of "functional confusion", avoids the autonomic nervous nuclear group, and only through anatomical adaptive design to achieve muscle strength 1-5 level adjustment, joint movement precision control effect, etc., while improving the control accuracy, without increasing the cost, fully achieving the invention goal of "precise control of lower limb movement function", with effectiveness and practicality.

[0038] The above-mentioned embodiments and / or implementations are only used to illustrate the preferred embodiments and / or implementations of the present application, and do not limit the embodiments of the present application in any form, and any person skilled in the art can make some changes or modifications as other equivalent embodiments without departing from the scope of the technical means disclosed in the present application, but should be considered as the same technology or embodiment as the present application.

[0039] The principles and implementations of the present application are described by applying specific examples in this paper, and the above embodiment description is only used to help understand the method and its core idea of the present application. The above-mentioned is only the preferred embodiment of the present application, it should be pointed out that due to the limitation of language expression, there are infinite specific structures, for ordinary skilled in the art, without departing from the principles of the present application, can make some improvements, decoration or changes, also can combine the above technical features in appropriate way, these improvements, decoration, changes or combination, or without improvement, directly apply the concept and technical scheme of the application to other occasions, should be considered as the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. An anatomically adapted epidural ventral electrode for the lumbar enlargement of the spinal cord, comprising an electrode body (9), characterized in that The electrode body (9) is provided with a plurality of contacts, and the electrode body (9) is externally connected with an electric stimulation generating device, and the electrode body (9) is configured to be implanted on the epidural ventral side of the lumbar enlargement of the human spinal cord.

2. An anatomic fit lumbosacral epidural ventral electrode according to claim 1, wherein, The plurality of contacts are divided into an uppermost segment (10), a middle segment (11) and a tail end segment (12) along the length direction of the electrode body (9), and the overall width of the uppermost segment (10), the middle segment (11) and the tail end segment (12) decreases downward along the length direction of the electrode body (9).

3. An anatomic fit lumbosacral epidural ventral electrode according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of contacts are symmetrically distributed along the direction from the lumbar enlargement of the spinal cord to the conus medullaris.

4. An anatomic fit lumbosacral epidural ventral electrode according to claim 1, wherein: The arrangement position of the contacts corresponds to the anatomical distribution of the region from the lumbar enlargement of the spinal cord to the conus medullaris.

5. An anatomic fit lumbosacral epidural ventral electrode according to claim 1, wherein: The electrode body (9) is provided with an adjustable fixing structure (13) for fixing the electrode body (9) on the epidural ventral side of the lumbar enlargement of the spinal cord.

6. An anatomic fit lumbosacral epidural ventral electrode according to claim 5, wherein: The fixing structure (13) is a flexible wing-shaped structure, and the fixing point of the fixing structure (13) can be adjusted along the length direction of the electrode body (9).

7. An anatomic fit lumbosacral epidural ventral electrode according to claim 1 wherein: The contacts are rectangular or elliptical metal, and the plurality of contacts are fixedly connected with the electric stimulation generating device through independent wires.

8. An anatomic fit lumbosacral epidural ventral electrode according to claim 1 wherein: The electrode body (9) is made of a flexible material with high biocompatibility, and the shape of the electrode body (9) is adapted to the physiological curvature of the lumbar enlargement region of the spinal cord.

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