Adaptive Auricular Stimulation Electrode Interface
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current devices for transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation, particularly those applied to the ear, face challenges in providing a comfortable, stable, and individually tailored stimulation that can be adapted to the user's needs without medical intervention, often requiring complex adjustments and limited portability.
Innovation Solution
A device featuring a circuit carrier with electrodes and a control unit that adapts to the anatomical shape of the ear, incorporating sensors to measure physiological parameters and adjust stimulation parameters in real-time, allowing for precise and automatic optimization of the stimulation signal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the device is made flexible to adapt to the anatomical shape of the ear, then wearing comfort and stability are improved, but device complexity increases due to the need for flexible circuit carriers and precise electrode positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The circuit carrier is designed to be flexible rather than rigid, allowing it to dynamically adapt to the anatomical shape of the ear. This flexibility enables the device to conform to individual ear contours while maintaining stable electrode contact, resolving the contradiction between wearing comfort and device complexity by making the structure adaptive rather than fixed
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a flexible circuit carrier that can be molded to fit the ear's anatomical shape. This flexible substrate allows the device to adapt to curved surfaces and individual variations in ear geometry, providing comfortable long-term wear without requiring complex rigid adjustment mechanisms
2Adaptability or versatility
If sensors are integrated to detect physiological parameters and automatically adjust stimulation, then treatment effectiveness and personalization are improved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit serves multiple functions: it generates electrical stimulation signals, processes sensor data from physiological parameters, and automatically adjusts stimulation parameters based on detected changes. This multi-functionality integrates sensing and actuation capabilities into a single coordinated system, enabling personalized adaptation without proportionally increasing overall device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The device incorporates sensors that continuously detect physiological parameters and feed this information back to the control unit. The control unit automatically adjusts stimulation parameters based on this feedback, creating a closed-loop system that personalizes treatment in real-time while managing complexity through integrated control logic
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple electrodes are arranged in an array for selective stimulation, then stimulation precision and treatment effectiveness are improved, but device complexity and ease of manufacture worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible circuit carrier serves as a pre-fabricated substrate with electrodes already positioned in their final locations. This allows precise electrode arrays to be manufactured once on the flexible substrate, then the entire assembly is simply molded to fit the ear, separating the precision manufacturing step from the customization step and improving overall ease of manufacture while maintaining positioning precision
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates, in a first aspect, to a device for the transcutaneous application of an electrical stimulation stimulus to an ear. The device comprises a circuit carrier, at least two electrodes, and a control unit, the control unit being configured to generate an electrical stimulation signal at the electrodes based on stimulation parameters. The device, in particular a surface of the circuit carrier, is adapted to the anatomical shape of an ear, such that electrodes are applied to the surface of the circuit carrier and make contact with selected areas of the ear. The device is further characterized in that it includes a sensor for detecting at least one physiological parameter and a control unit configured to adjust the stimulation parameters for the stimulation stimulus based on this at least one physiological parameter.In another aspect, the invention relates to a method for manufacturing the device according to the invention.