Implantable Electroacupuncture System Low Duty Cycle
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current treatments for depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, PTSD, schizophrenia, and OCD are often ineffective and invasive, with limitations in existing electroacupuncture methods such as the need for needles and long implanted wires, which are cumbersome and prone to complications.
Innovation Solution
An Implantable ElectroAcupuncture System (IEAS) with a small, hermetically-sealed device that applies electroacupuncture stimulation pulses wirelessly to specified tissue locations, including acupoints GV20, EXHN3, and Trigeminal nerve branches, using a low duty cycle and low intensity to treat mental disorders without the need for continuous needle insertion or long wires.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional acupuncture needles and long implanted wires are used, then electroacupuncture stimulation can be delivered to target tissue locations, but the treatment becomes invasive and prone to complications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential function of electroacupuncture stimulation from the traditional needle-and-wire system. The implantable device contains electrodes that can be positioned near target tissue without requiring long implanted wires extending outside the body, thereby eliminating the invasive nature of traditional wire-based systems while maintaining the therapeutic stimulation function
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a hermetically sealed implantable device as an intermediary between the power source and the target tissue. This device contains the electrodes and can be positioned subcutaneously near the target area, delivering stimulation without requiring direct wire insertion into the tissue or exposure of wires outside the body, thus reducing complications
2Reliability
If continuous electroacupuncture stimulation is applied, then treatment effectiveness is maintained, but power consumption increases and requires larger power sources
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic stimulation delivery through the implantable device. The device can deliver electroacupuncture stimulation in controlled sessions rather than continuously, allowing the small primary power source to sustain treatment over extended periods. The hermetically sealed device contains circuitry that can be activated on demand or according to programmed schedules, reducing overall power consumption while maintaining therapeutic effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes a small primary power source with high impedance characteristics that is optimized for low-power periodic operation. By changing the operational parameters from continuous to intermittent stimulation, the system can function with a much smaller power source that would otherwise be insufficient for continuous operation
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a small implantable device is used, then invasiveness is reduced, but the device complexity and manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a nested structure where the implantable device is contained within a hermetically sealed housing. The electrodes, circuitry, and power source are nested within the sealed container, which itself is implanted as a single unit. This nested arrangement protects the sensitive components and simplifies the implantation procedure, reducing the need for high-precision assembly of multiple separate components in the body
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a hermetically sealed housing that acts as a protective shell for the internal components. This sealed enclosure protects the electrodes and circuitry from body fluids while maintaining a compact, implantable form factor. The hermetic sealing allows the device to be manufactured with standard precision and then sealed as a complete unit, reducing the need for complex precision assembly in vivo
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 IEAS provides a less invasive, efficient, and safe treatment for mental disorders by delivering targeted electroacupuncture stimulation, reducing side effects and improving treatment outcomes with a small, self-sustaining power source and low risk of complications.
Implementation Method 1
a primary power source, pulse generation circuitry powered by the primary power source
Implementation Method 2
a sensor that wirelessly senses operating commands generated external to the housing
Implementation Method 3
a plurality of electrode arrays on an outside of the EA device housing that are electrically coupled to the pulse generation circuitry
Data Source
AI summary
A method of treating a mental disorder of a patient includes generating, by an implantable stimulator configured to be implanted beneath a skin surface of the patient, stimulation sessions at a duty cycle that is less than 0.05 and applying, by the implantable stimulator in accordance with the duty cycle, the stimulation sessions to a tissue location associated with the mental disorder. The duty cycle is a ratio of T3 to T4. Each stimulation session included in the stimulation sessions has a duration of T3 minutes and occurs at a rate of once every T4 minutes. The implantable stimulator is powered by a primary battery located within the implantable stimulator and having an internal impedance greater than 5 ohms.