Auricular Stimulation System With Integrated Grounding Plate
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current devices for treating pain, depression, anxiety, and sleeplessness through auricular stimulation lack effective and efficient methods for delivering therapeutic electrical signals to the ear, particularly in completing an electrical circuit for consistent therapy delivery.
Innovation Solution
A pain-management system with a control unit housing, power source, and control board that includes a grounding plate to form an electrical circuit with the patient's skin, utilizing a C-shaped mount and treatment applicators to apply electrical stimulation to the ear, providing a treatment signal in the range of 1 Hz to 100 Hz.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a grounding plate is added to complete the electrical circuit, then the reliability of therapy delivery is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The grounding plate is integrated into the control unit housing, merging the grounding function with the existing control unit structure. This consolidation ensures reliable electrical circuit completion while minimizing additional device complexity by combining multiple functions into a single integrated component.
Solution Approach 2:
The grounding plate serves multiple functions: it completes the electrical circuit, provides a reference potential, and ensures consistent therapy delivery. By making this single component multi-functional, the patent improves reliability without proportionally increasing device complexity.
2Reliability
If multiple grounding terminals are used to ensure consistent electrical circuit completion, then the reliability of treatment signal delivery is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The grounding function is divided into multiple grounding terminals distributed on the grounding plate, allowing the electrical circuit to be completed at multiple contact points. This segmentation ensures reliable treatment signal delivery while the integrated plate design maintains ease of operation by providing a single application interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The grounding plate acts as an intermediary component that simplifies the interaction between the device and the patient's skin. By providing a dedicated grounding interface, it mediates the complex electrical circuit requirements while maintaining simple device application procedures.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the control unit is mounted on the patient's ear with a C-shaped mount, then the stability of therapy delivery is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The C-shaped mount is integrated within the control unit housing structure, nesting the mounting mechanism inside the existing device. This allows stable therapy delivery through secure ear mounting while minimizing external device complexity by incorporating the mounting structure within the control unit's existing form factor.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively communicates therapeutic electrical stimulation to the ear, providing relief for pain, depression, anxiety, and sleeplessness by completing an electrical circuit and ensuring consistent therapy delivery through a series of grounding terminals and treatment applicators.
Implementation Method 1
a grounding plate coupled to the control board and arranged to contact the patient's skin to cause an electrical circuit formed by the power source, the control board, and the grounding plate, the patient to be completed
Implementation Method 2
a control board arranged to lie in the component space and coupled to the power source to provide the treatment signal... providing a treatment signal in the range of 1 Hz to 100 Hz
Data Source
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Figure 3
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AI summary
A symptom-treatment system includes a control unit configured to provide a treatment signal and a treatment unit coupled to the control unit to receive the treatment signal. The treatment unit is coupled to a patient to communicate the treatment unit to the patient.