Bilateral Electrical Stimulation for Bladder Dysfunction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current treatments for bladder dysfunction, such as overactive bladder and urinary incontinence, often fail to provide effective and sustained relief due to neuron habituation and adaptation, leading to reduced therapeutic efficacy over time.
Innovation Solution
A bilateral electrical stimulation therapy system that delivers first and second stimulation therapies, where the first therapy involves alternating stimulation to lateral sides of the bladder at different times, and the second therapy involves simultaneous bilateral stimulation to elicit a stronger inhibitory physiological response, reducing bladder contractions and preventing involuntary voiding events.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional electrical stimulation therapy is delivered continuously to treat bladder dysfunction, then initial therapeutic effect is achieved, but neuron habituation and adaptation occur over time leading to reduced efficacy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic action by alternating between bilateral stimulation (both lateral sides simultaneously) and unilateral stimulation (one lateral side at a time) in a cyclical manner. This periodic alternation prevents continuous identical stimulation patterns that cause neuron habituation, thereby maintaining therapeutic efficacy over extended periods. The system switches between different stimulation modes to keep neurons responsive.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies dynamics by making the stimulation therapy adaptive and variable rather than static. The system dynamically adjusts between bilateral and unilateral stimulation modes based on programmed protocols, creating varying stimulation patterns that prevent neural adaptation. This dynamic approach allows the therapy to evolve over time, maintaining effectiveness despite prolonged use.
2Force
If bilateral stimulation is delivered to both lateral sides simultaneously, then stronger inhibitory physiological response is elicited, but neuron adaptation occurs more rapidly reducing long-term benefit
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses periodic action to alternate between strong bilateral stimulation and unilateral stimulation. By cycling between these modes, the system maintains strong inhibitory responses when needed while preventing rapid adaptation through variation. The periodic switching ensures that neurons do not habituate to a single persistent pattern.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the bilateral stimulation into alternating phases of bilateral and unilateral delivery. Rather than continuous bilateral stimulation, the therapy is divided into segments where unilateral stimulation provides relief from adaptation while bilateral stimulation delivers strong inhibitory effects, creating a segmented approach that balances intensity and duration.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If alternating stimulation is delivered to lateral sides at different times, then neuron adaptation is reduced extending therapeutic benefit, but inhibitory physiological response strength is decreased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic action by rhythmically alternating between bilateral and unilateral stimulation modes. This periodic variation maintains neuron responsiveness over time (extending duration) while periodically delivering strong bilateral stimulation to maintain inhibitory response strength. The rhythm ensures both goals are achieved at different phases of the cycle.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges bilateral and unilateral stimulation approaches into a single integrated therapy protocol. Rather than choosing one or the other, the system combines both modes in an alternating sequence, allowing the therapeutic benefits of reduced adaptation (from unilateral) and strong inhibitory response (from bilateral) to work together in complementarity.
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 manages bladder dysfunction by reducing bladder contraction frequency and preventing involuntary voiding through alternating and simultaneous stimulation techniques, thereby extending the therapeutic benefit and reducing neuron adaptation.
Implementation Method 1
A stimulation generator is configured to generate and deliver electrical stimulation to a patient
Data Source
AI summary
A medical device is configured to deliver a first stimulation therapy to a patient, and, upon detecting a trigger event, deliver a second stimulation therapy to the patient. In some examples, the first stimulation therapy includes bilateral stimulation in which stimulation is delivered at different times to two lateral sides of the patient and the second stimulation therapy includes substantially simultaneous bilateral stimulation therapy to two lateral sides of the patient. In some examples, the second stimulation therapy may elicit a stronger inhibitory physiological response related to incontinence (e.g., inhibition of bladder contractions) than the first stimulation therapy. The trigger event may include, for example, any one or more of detection of a physiological condition indicative of an increased possibility of an involuntary voiding event or an imminent involuntary voiding event, input from the patient, a predetermined time of day, or expiration of a timer.