Facial Nerve Electrode Clamping for Stable EMG Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional bell-shaped electrodes for stimulating the facial nerve are prone to movement and instability, making it difficult to continuously stimulate and monitor the facial nerve effectively due to their spherical shape and adhesive issues.
Innovation Solution
An electrode design featuring a thin flake-shaped extension unit made of silicon, which clamps between the facial nerve root and the anterior inferior cerebellar artery to stabilize the contact unit, combined with a recess, projection, or flat-shaped contact unit to ensure secure attachment to the facial nerve root, allowing for stable stimulation and monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a bell-shaped electrode is used for facial nerve stimulation, then the electrode can be placed at the starting part of the facial nerve, but the electrode is prone to movement and cannot be stably held
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode is divided into distinct functional segments: a contact portion for electrical stimulation, a guard portion for insulation, and an extension portion for mechanical engagement. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specific function optimally while working together to achieve stable positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The guard portion is nested within the extension portion, creating a compact structure where the insulated contact portion is protected and positioned by the extending mechanical component. This nested arrangement ensures both electrical isolation and mechanical stability.
2Ease of operation
If a bell-shaped electrode is used, then it can contact the facial nerve, but it is difficult to continuously stimulate a definite region due to movement when force is applied to the lead wire
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the contact function from the anchoring function into different portions, the design ensures that mechanical forces on the lead wire do not transmit to the contact portion, maintaining continuous stimulation of the same facial nerve region.
Solution Approach 2:
The extension portion acts as an intermediary that anchors the electrode to surrounding structures (facial nerve root and anterior inferior cerebellar artery), isolating the contact portion from mechanical disturbances and ensuring stable, continuous stimulation.
3Ease of operation
If a bell-shaped electrode is used, then it can be placed on the facial nerve, but it is difficult to hold adhesively and the stimulating position easily shifts
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode is segmented into a contact portion for placement and an extension portion for mechanical anchoring. This eliminates reliance on adhesive alone by providing a separate mechanical retention system through the extension portion that engages with anatomical structures.
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 electrode provides stable and continuous stimulation of the facial nerve root, enabling clear electromyogram monitoring with reduced background noise, enhancing recording sensitivity and specificity.
Implementation Method 1
The electrode is held by clamping the extension unit between the facial nerve root which comes out of the brainstem and the anterior inferior cerebellar artery which passes crossing the facial nerve root, so as to fix the contact unit to the facial nerve root
Implementation Method 2
an electrode unit to which weak electric currents electrically stimulating the facial nerve root are fed
Implementation Method 3
a contact unit which is electrically connected to the electrode unit and contacts to the facial nerve root
Data Source
AI summary
An electrode for continuously stimulating a facial nerve root capable of a stable holding required for an electrode that continuously stimulates a facial nerve root, and an apparatus for monitoring electromyograms of facial muscles using the electrode for continuously stimulating the facial nerve root, are provided. The electrode for continuously stimulating the facial nerve root comprises an electrode unit, a contact unit, a guard unit, an extension unit, and a wire unit. The electrode for continuously stimulating the facial nerve root is held by clamping the extension unit between the facial nerve root and the anterior inferior cerebellar artery or the small artery so that the contact unit closely contacts to the facial nerve root and is fixed.