Brain Stimulation Device Using Periodic Burst Patterns
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current electrical stimulation therapies for treating conditions like Parkinson's disease and epilepsy often struggle to effectively desynchronize overly synchronized brain regions, leading to inadequate management of movement disorders, neurodegenerative impairments, and seizure disorders.
Innovation Solution
A medical device configured to deliver specific patterns of electrical stimulation, including bursts of pulses, interleaved pulses, and concurrent pulses, to different regions of the brain. The device determines sets of parameters for these signals based on sensed neural activity to help desynchronize brain regions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional electrical stimulation therapy is delivered to brain regions, then some therapeutic effect is achieved, but the therapy fails to effectively desynchronize overly synchronized brain regions, leading to inadequate management of movement disorders and neurodegenerative impairments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies periodic action by delivering stimulation in burst patterns rather than continuous stimulation. The processor delivers multiple pulses within a burst window at a high pulse frequency, then pauses between bursts. This periodic delivery pattern enables the therapy to effectively desynchronize overly synchronized brain regions by interrupting pathological oscillations, thereby improving therapeutic effectiveness for movement disorders and neurodegenerative impairments while maintaining safe energy delivery levels.
2Reliability
If electrical stimulation parameters are increased to improve desynchronization effect, then therapeutic outcome improves, but energy consumption and potential side effects increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic action by delivering stimulation in controlled bursts with specific timing parameters. The processor delivers pulses within defined burst windows separated by inter-burst intervals, rather than continuous high-energy stimulation. This approach achieves effective desynchronization of brain regions while managing energy consumption, as the periodic delivery allows tissue recovery periods and reduces overall energy expenditure compared to continuous stimulation at equivalent peak intensities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies dynamics by making stimulation parameters adjustable and adaptive. The system allows modification of burst window duration, inter-burst interval length, pulse frequency within bursts, and amplitude levels. This dynamic parameter adjustment enables optimization of therapeutic effect while controlling energy consumption, as clinicians can tailor the stimulation pattern to individual patient needs and adjust based on therapeutic response, avoiding excessive energy use while maintaining effective desynchronization.
Data Source
AI summary
A medical device for providing electrical stimulation to a brain of a patient includes one or more processors. The one or more processors are configured to determine a first set of parameters of a first electrical signal that is delivered via a first electrode configured to apply electrical stimulation to a first region of the brain and to determine a second set of parameters of a second electrical signal based on the first set of parameters. The second electrical signal is delivered via a second electrode configured to apply electrical stimulation to a second region of the brain. The one or more processors are further configured to deliver, with the first electrode, the first electrical signal having the first set of parameters and to deliver, with the second electrode, the second electrical signal having the second set of parameters.