Cranial Nerve Stimulation for Depression During Sleep
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Solution Overview
Problem
Efficacy of depression treatment therapies is difficult to quantify, and existing methods do not effectively utilize sleep cycle information to adjust cranial nerve stimulation for improved treatment outcomes during sleep.
Innovation Solution
An implantable medical device (IMD) monitors sleep cycle information to adjust cranial nerve stimulation parameters, such as vagus nerve or trigeminal nerve stimulation, based on sleep stage transitions and REM sleep duration to enhance serotonin production and alleviate depressive states.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cranial nerve stimulation is applied to treat depression, then depressive symptoms may be reduced, but the efficacy of the treatment is difficult to quantify
Solution Approach 1:
The system monitors sleep cycle information and uses it to adjust stimulation parameters in real-time, creating a closed-loop feedback system. The IMD determines sleep stage transitions and adjusts cranial nerve stimulation accordingly, allowing the treatment to adapt to the patient's physiological state and improving both reliability and measurability of efficacy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes stimulation parameters (amplitude, pulse width, frequency) based on detected sleep stages. By dynamically adjusting these parameters according to sleep cycle information, the system optimizes treatment delivery and creates measurable outcomes through parameter modulation
2Reliability
If fixed cranial nerve stimulation parameters are used, then device operation is simple, but treatment efficacy is reduced due to inability to adapt to sleep stage transitions
Solution Approach 1:
The IMD autonomously monitors sleep cycles and automatically adjusts stimulation parameters without requiring external intervention. The device self-regulates by detecting sleep stage transitions and modifying cranial nerve stimulation accordingly, eliminating the need for manual programming while maintaining adaptive efficacy
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from static fixed parameters to dynamic adaptive parameters that change in response to physiological conditions. The stimulation parameters are continuously adjusted based on real-time sleep stage detection, making the treatment adaptable to the patient's changing neurological state
3Productivity
If cranial nerve stimulation parameters are adjusted based on sleep cycle information, then treatment efficacy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The IMD performs multiple functions: it monitors sleep cycles, determines sleep stages, adjusts stimulation parameters, and delivers cranial nerve stimulation. By combining these functions in a single integrated device, the system achieves high treatment effectiveness without requiring multiple separate components, thereby limiting the increase in complexity
Data Source
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AI summary
A method includes determining sleep cycle information related to a sleep cycle of a patient based on body parameter data. The method also includes adjusting a cranial nerve stimulation parameter based on the sleep cycle information. The method further includes applying a cranial nerve stimulation therapy to treat depression based on the adjusted cranial nerve stimulation parameter.