Dynamic Electro Enhanced Pain Control Device Impedance Measurement
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for delivering electrical pulses to treat tumors often apply too high an electric field strength and current, leading to inflammatory responses and immune suppression, which limit the effectiveness of the treatment.
Innovation Solution
A device that uses an impedance measuring module to determine conductance and phase angle values between electrodes and a reference electrode, allowing for the adjustment of electrical pulse parameters to ensure controlled current density and specific absorbed energy, thereby optimizing the delivery of electrical pulses to the target tissue.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high electric field strength and high current are applied to treat tumors, then tumor cell permeability is enhanced and therapeutic effect is improved, but inflammatory response and immune suppression occur that limit treatment effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the electrical parameters from conventional DC pulses to modulated AC pulses with frequency components in the range of 1 kHz to 1000 kHz. This parameter change allows achieving effective tumor cell permeabilization while controlling the current density and specific absorbed energy to avoid excessive inflammatory response and immune suppression, thus resolving the contradiction between therapeutic effectiveness and harmful side effects
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs periodic modulated AC pulses instead of continuous DC pulses. The periodic nature of the pulses with specific frequency components enables controlled interaction with tumor cells, achieving permeabilization effects while allowing tissue recovery periods, thereby reducing cumulative inflammatory response and immune suppression while maintaining therapeutic effectiveness
2Reliability
If conventional DC pulses with high voltage are used, then electroporation effect is achieved, but tissue damage increases particularly in head and neck treatments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the pulse waveform from DC to modulated AC with frequency components between 1 kHz and 1000 kHz. This parameter transformation maintains the electroporation effect by achieving sufficient cell membrane permeabilization while the alternating nature and frequency modulation reduce the risk of excessive tissue heating and damage, particularly in sensitive head and neck regions
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic modulation of the electrical pulse parameters including frequency variation within the 1 kHz to 1000 kHz range. This dynamic approach allows adaptive control of the electroporation effect, achieving sufficient cell permeability while dynamically adjusting to prevent excessive tissue damage, making the treatment more adaptable to different tissue types and treatment zones
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
This approach enables improved control of electrical pulses, reducing tissue damage and enhancing therapeutic effects while achieving pain relief and potentially improving treatment outcomes.
Implementation Method 1
Pulsed electric fields applied to biological cells and tissues create transverse channels or pores in the cell membrane, a phenomenon called electro-permeabilization or electroporation.
Implementation Method 2
The pulse generating device is configured to, by means of an impedance measuring module, determine conductance and phase angle values between one electrode of the electrode device and a reference electrode of the electrode device
Data Source
AI summary
A device for delivery of electrical pulses to a desired tissue of a mammal. The device comprises a pulse generating device and an electrode device connected to the pulse generating device. The pulse generating device is configured to determine conductance and phase angle values between one electrode and a reference electrode of the electrode device when the electrode device is inserted into the desired tissue and when pulses based on alternating currents having different frequencies are generated between the electrode and the reference electrode. Based on the determined conductance and phase angle values, the pulse generating device is configured to determine the type of tissue the electrode device penetrates, to determine one or more parameters of electrical pulses to be delivered to the desired tissue and to generate the electrical pulses having the determined one or more parameters.