Flexible Cranial Electronics for Scalp Erosion Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current deep brain stimulation (DBS) systems and brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) face complications such as hardware-related issues like scalp erosion, lead migration, and infection due to bulky and rigid devices, which limit their effectiveness and increase morbidity in patients, and there is a need for more reliable and convenient signal-acquisition hardware for BCIs.
Innovation Solution
A cranial electronics device with a flexible body made from biocompatible polymers like silicone or polyurethane, designed to conform to the patient's skull shape, allowing for implantation between the scalp and skull, with a thin profile and tapered edges to reduce pressure points and prevent erosion, and equipped with hermetically sealed electronic nodes connected via flexible connectors, enabling wireless or wired communication with external devices and potentially incorporating pharmaceutical delivery systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If bulky and rigid devices are used for DBS systems, then structural strength and stability are improved, but scalp erosion and hardware-related complications increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies this principle by using a flexible printed circuit board (FPC) as the substrate for the electronics housing, replacing traditional bulky rigid structures. The FPC can conform to the curved surface of the skull, distributing pressure evenly across the scalp to prevent erosion while maintaining structural integrity. The flexible nature allows the device to adapt to individual patient anatomy without creating focal pressure points.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies this principle by designing the electronics housing to have a curved contour that matches the curvature of the skull surface. This curved design distributes mechanical stress evenly across the scalp-contacting surface, preventing the formation of high-pressure points that would cause scalp erosion. The housing is specifically shaped to conform to the cranial geometry while maintaining structural strength.
2Reliability
If lead wires are used to connect electrodes, then electrical connection is established, but lead migration and fracture occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies this principle by integrating the electronics housing directly with the FPC substrate, eliminating separate lead wires. The electronic components are mounted directly on the flexible circuit board, creating a unified structure where electrical connections are made through rigid traces on the FPC rather than through vulnerable wire connections. This integration prevents lead migration and fracture while maintaining reliable electrical connectivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies this principle by replacing the mechanical wire-based electrical connection system with a rigid trace-based circuit system on the FPC. The electrical connections are established through etched conductive patterns on the flexible substrate rather than through physical wire connections, eliminating the mechanical vulnerability of lead wires to migration and fracture while maintaining electrical functionality.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If thin profile devices are used, then scalp erosion is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies this principle by using a thin flexible printed circuit board as the foundation of the electronics housing. This FPC substrate provides a thin, conformable structure that can be customized to fit the patient's skull geometry, reducing the overall profile of the device and minimizing scalp pressure while maintaining all necessary electronic functionality through integrated circuits on the flexible substrate.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If hermetically sealed nodes are used, then protection from infection is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies this principle by using the FPC itself as the hermetic barrier. The flexible circuit board is constructed with multiple laminated layers that create inherent moisture and chemical resistance, providing hermetic sealing for the electronic components mounted on it. This approach achieves infection protection through the intrinsic properties of the flexible substrate material and its lamination structure, avoiding the need for additional complex hermetic sealing processes.
Data Source
AI summary
A cranial electronics device includes electronics and a flexible body via which the electronics are carried. The flexible body and the electronics are formed such that the device has a lower surface approximating a contour of an outer surface of a portion of a patient's skull. The cranial electronics device is configured to be implanted between the patient's scalp and the portion of patient's skull.