Adjustable Brain Stimulation System for Chronic Pain Relief
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for treating chronic pain, such as deep brain stimulation, are ineffective for a larger subset of patients and have limitations like being irreversible and having side effects, necessitating a more effective neurosurgical alternative.
Innovation Solution
An electrical stimulation system that targets specific brain areas, including the somatosensory cortex, identified through brain mapping, using electrodes implanted in the skull to deliver tailored electrical pulses, adjusting neuronal activity to alleviate chronic pain.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If ablative procedures are used to treat chronic pain, then pain relief is achieved, but the procedure becomes irreversible and side effects cannot be prevented
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic, adjustable electrical stimulation system that can be modified over time. The neurostimulator delivers programmable electrical pulses with adjustable parameters (amplitude, frequency, pulse width) that can be tailored to individual patient needs and changed as symptoms evolve, providing reversible and adaptable pain management unlike fixed ablative procedures
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes stimulation parameters dynamically to optimize pain relief while minimizing side effects. The neurostimulator can adjust electrical stimulus characteristics including voltage, current, frequency, and duty cycle based on patient response and changing pain patterns, allowing fine-tuned control over therapeutic outcomes without irreversible tissue damage
2Reliability
If ablative procedures are used for chronic pain treatment, then pain relief is provided, but the procedure is essentially a one-shot treatment with no ability to adapt to progressing pathophysiology
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical stimulation system is designed to be dynamic and adaptable, allowing continuous adjustment of stimulation parameters as the patient's condition evolves. The programmable neurostimulator can modify pulse characteristics, electrode configurations, and stimulation patterns to match changing pain pathophysiology, providing ongoing therapeutic adaptation that ablative procedures cannot offer
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where patient response to stimulation is monitored and used to adjust future stimulation parameters. This closed-loop approach allows the treatment to adapt to disease progression and individual patient variability, optimizing pain relief while minimizing side effects over the long term
3Reliability
If deep brain stimulation electrodes are implanted to treat chronic pain, then neurological conditions can be addressed, but the procedure is invasive and carries surgical risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs segmented electrode arrays that can be selectively activated. Rather than requiring a single invasive electrode placement, the system uses multiple electrode contacts that can be independently controlled and programmed to stimulate specific neural pathways, reducing the need for deeply invasive single-point electrode insertion while maintaining treatment effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses electrical fields as an intermediary mechanism to deliver therapeutic effects without direct tissue destruction. The programmable electrical pulses modulate neural activity through field effects rather than thermal or mechanical damage, reducing surgical trauma and associated risks compared to ablative procedures
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 provides significant pain relief with minimal side effects, potentially offering continuous benefits by modulating neuronal function and preventing further progression of neuroplasticity effects associated with chronic pain.
Implementation Method 1
a pulse generating source operable to generate electrical stimulation pulses for transmission to the electrode to deliver the electrical stimulation pulses to the target tissue in the brain
Data Source
AI summary
According to one aspect, a stimulation system is provided for electrically stimulating a predetermined site to treat a neurological condition. The system includes an electrical stimulation lead adapted for implantation in communication with a predetermined site, wherein the site is brain tissue site. The stimulation lead includes one or more stimulation electrodes adapted to be positioned in the predetermined site. The system also includes a stimulation source that generates the stimulation pulses for transmission to the one or more stimulation electrodes of the stimulation lead to deliver the stimulation pulses to the predetermined site to treat a neurological disorder or condition.