Implantable Lead with Adjustable Electrode Position
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing implantable leads for neuromodulation require complex and invasive surgeries for re-correction of electrode locations, which can be challenging and detrimental to patient quality of life.
Innovation Solution
An implantable lead with adjustable electrode locations, where second electrodes can be individually moved along a slot by external force via signal lines, allowing for precise external control and adjustment without the need for re-surgery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the lead location changes due to physical collision or pressure, then the electrode position becomes misaligned, but re-correcting the location requires invasive surgery that damages surrounding tissue
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode is designed to be movable within the lead body through a slot structure, allowing dynamic repositioning of the electrode relative to the lead. This enables the electrode to be adjusted to a new position without requiring surgical intervention, thus resolving the contradiction between maintaining stable electrode position and avoiding surgical damage.
Solution Approach 2:
A control wire acts as an intermediary element that transmits external adjustment forces to the electrode through the lead structure. This mediator enables remote repositioning of the electrode without direct surgical access, eliminating the need for invasive corrective surgery while maintaining electrode position reliability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the electrode location is fixed in the lead, then the lead structure is simple, but the stimulus effect cannot be optimized when lead position changes
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode is made movable within the lead through a slot structure, allowing dynamic repositioning to optimize the stimulus effect when lead position changes. This dynamic capability provides adaptability without requiring complex external adjustment mechanisms, as the electrode can be repositioned along the slot using a simple control wire.
Solution Approach 2:
The lead structure is segmented into distinct functional zones: the control wire, the slot for electrode movement, the movable electrode itself, and the insulating structures. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, enabling electrode repositioning capability while maintaining overall structural simplicity.
3Ease of operation
If the electrode is made movable within the lead, then electrode position can be adjusted externally, but the lead structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The control wire serves as an intermediary that simplifies the interface between the external operator and the internal electrode. By pulling or pushing the control wire from outside the body, the electrode can be repositioned without requiring complex external adjustment mechanisms or surgical procedures, thus improving ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The lead structure itself provides the mechanism for electrode repositioning through the slot and control wire integration. The structure is designed to be self-adjusting, where the electrode can be repositioned by simple manipulation of the control wire without requiring additional external devices or complex mechanical systems.
Data Source
AI summary
An implantable lead having adjustable electrode locations and a system for controlling the same. The implantable lead may include a plurality of first electrodes exposed and formed at an upper part of a main body at given intervals, a plurality of second electrodes coupled to a stepped lower part of the main body and configured to deliver a stimulus signal to a core area into which the lead is inserted, and a plurality of signal lines embedded in the main body and configured to connect the first electrodes and the second electrodes in a one-to-one manner. In this case, a slot for coupling and up and down movement of the second electrodes may be formed in the lower part. As the second electrodes are individually moved along the slot by an external force acting on the signal lines, locations of the second electrodes in the lower part may be adjusted.