Cannulated Subdural Electrode Guided by Flexible Catheter
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for placing subdural electrodes are invasive and risky due to the need for significant skull removal and difficulty in navigating electrodes through small drill holes, leading to poor surface coverage and potential brain injury.
Innovation Solution
The use of cannulated subdural electrodes guided by molded and flexible catheters allows for navigation through acute angles and minimal bone exposure, enabling placement of multiple electrodes through a small drill hole with a guiding mechanism that includes irrigation to facilitate insertion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If subdural electrodes are placed through small drill holes, then invasiveness is reduced, but it is difficult to advance the electrode into the subdural space due to sharp angle maneuvering
Solution Approach 1:
A flexible catheter is introduced as an intermediary device to guide the subdural electrode array through the drill hole and into the subdural space. The catheter's flexibility allows it to navigate the sharp angles required for percutaneous insertion while providing a smooth pathway for the electrode, eliminating the difficulty of direct electrode advancement through acute angles.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrode array is designed with a narrow profile that can be inserted through a small drill hole, changing the dimensional parameters from broad and flat to slender. This parameter change enables the electrode to pass through the restricted opening while maintaining functional effectiveness once positioned in the subdural space.
2Area of stationary object
If broad, flat electrode design is used, then surface coverage is improved, but crowding of components in the drill hole makes placement difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode array is segmented into multiple thin, flexible strips that can be individually inserted through the small drill hole. Each strip maintains the necessary surface area for effective recording when deployed in the subdural space, but their segmented, narrow design allows them to pass through the restricted opening without crowding, solving both the coverage and placement difficulty issues.
3Ease of operation
If significant skull removal is performed, then electrode placement is easier, but invasiveness and risk are considerable
Solution Approach 1:
The complex skull removal procedure is extracted and replaced with a simple drill hole creation. The flexible catheter and narrow-profile electrode array enable electrode placement through this minimal opening, eliminating the need for significant skull removal while maintaining placement feasibility. This extraction of the problematic step dramatically reduces invasiveness and associated risks.
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed are devices, electrodes, systems, methods, and other implementations, including a device that includes an electrode comprising an elongated body, a plurality of electrode contacts disposed on a first side of the elongated body, and a cannulation channel defined along a longitudinal axis of the electrode. The device further includes a guiding mechanism received within the cannulation channel, the guiding mechanism configured to guide the electrode for placement at a target area inside a body of a patient. In some embodiments, the cannulation channel is configured to receive irrigation fluids dispensed through a perforated end located near a leading tip of the elongated body.