Deep Brain Electrode Sensing During Electrical Stimulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing implantable medical systems fail to accurately reflect the brain condition of a patient during electrical stimulation due to the lack of synchronized electrical signal collection during treatment delivery.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising multiple electrodes, a treatment delivery circuit, a sensing circuit, and a controller that synchronizes electrical activity sensing with treatment delivery, allowing for the calculation of voltage and impedance between electrodes to reflect the brain condition during treatment, using a processing circuit to determine optimal electrode combinations for improved therapeutic effect.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If electrical signal collection is performed only when the patient does not receive a stimulus, then the measurement system is simple, but the collected electrical signal cannot reflect the brain condition during the stimulus
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the treatment delivery function and electrical signal sensing function into a single integrated system. The same electrodes used for delivering electrical stimulation are also used for sensing electrical signals, allowing simultaneous measurement of brain activity during treatment without requiring separate sensing equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables continuous electrical signal collection during the entire treatment process, including when the patient receives stimuli. This continuous monitoring provides uninterrupted data about brain conditions throughout treatment delivery, rather than only during idle periods.
2Loss of information
If electrical activity is sensed during treatment delivery, then the brain condition during treatment is accurately reflected, but the system complexity increases due to synchronized sensing and treatment delivery
Solution Approach 1:
The electrodes are designed to serve multiple functions: both delivering treatment signals and sensing electrical signals. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate sensing electrodes, reducing overall system complexity while enabling comprehensive monitoring during treatment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where electrical signals sensed during treatment are processed and used to inform treatment adjustments. The controller receives sensing data and can modify treatment parameters based on real-time brain condition information, creating a closed-loop control system.
3Reliability
If multiple electrodes are used for both treatment delivery and electrical activity sensing, then the therapeutic efficacy can be enhanced through better electrode selection, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically selects and switches between different electrode combinations based on real-time sensing data and treatment requirements. The controller can adjust which electrodes are used for stimulation and which are used for sensing, optimizing therapeutic efficacy for different brain conditions and treatment stages.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrode system is divided into multiple independent electrodes that can be individually controlled and selected. This segmentation allows the system to choose optimal electrode pairs for both treatment delivery and signal sensing, enabling flexible configuration without requiring a single fixed complex arrangement.
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
Provided is a system (40) including multiple electrodes, a treatment delivery circuit (10), a sensing circuit (20) and a controller (30). The multiple electrodes are capable of being positioned within a brain of a patient to deliver a treatment to the patient or sense an electrical activity. The treatment delivery circuit (10) is operably coupled to the multiple electrodes to deliver the treatment to the patient. The sensing circuit (20) is operably coupled to the multiple electrodes to sense the electrical activity. The controller (30) includes a processing circuit system operably coupled to the treatment delivery circuit (10) and the sensing circuit (20). The controller (30) is configured to: control, through the treatment delivery circuit (10), one or more electrodes among the multiple electrodes to deliver the treatment to the patient; sense, through the sensing circuit (20), potentials of the multiple electrodes in a process of delivering the treatment; and calculate, based on the potentials of the multiple electrodes, a difference value between potentials of any two electrodes among the multiple electrodes to obtain a voltage between the any two electrodes. The system (40) can collect the electrical signal of the deep brain of the patient in a case where the patient receives the stimulus.