Implantable Electroacupuncture System with Integrated Electrode Array
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current electroacupuncture devices are invasive and inefficient, requiring needles inserted through the skin and long insulated wires implanted into blood vessels for dyslipidemia and obesity treatment, posing limitations in effectiveness and patient comfort.
Innovation Solution
An Implantable ElectroAcupuncture System (IEAS) with a small, hermetically-sealed device that applies electroacupuncture stimulation pulses through electrode arrays at specified tissue locations, such as acupoints ST36, SP4, ST37, ST40, SP6, SP9, and LR8, using a low duty cycle and low intensity, eliminating the need for needles and long wires.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If needles and long insulated wires are used for electroacupuncture treatment, then electrical stimulation can be delivered to target tissue, but the treatment becomes invasive and patient comfort deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the electrode and pulse generator into a single integrated implantable device. The electrode array is positioned against the target tissue while the pulse generation circuitry is housed within the same device body, eliminating the need for separate needle insertion and wire implantation procedures. This merging maintains reliable electrical stimulation delivery while significantly reducing invasiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The implantable device serves multiple functions: it acts as both the electrode for electrical contact with target tissue and the pulse generator for stimulation delivery. The device can be programmed to deliver different stimulation patterns, frequencies, and intensities, making it a universal solution that replaces multiple separate components (needles, wires, external pulse generators) with a single multi-functional implantable unit.
2Ease of operation
If a small implantable device is used, then patient comfort and ease of implantation improve, but power source capacity and operational duration are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The device delivers electrical stimulation in periodic pulses rather than continuous operation. The pulse generation circuitry is designed to deliver controlled bursts of electrical stimulation at specific intervals, allowing the small battery to operate for extended periods. This periodic action pattern conserves energy while maintaining therapeutic effectiveness, enabling the small implantable device to function for years without replacement.
Solution Approach 2:
The device allows programming of various stimulation parameters including pulse frequency, duration, and amplitude. By optimizing these parameters for each treatment protocol, the device maximizes therapeutic effect while minimizing power consumption. The ability to adjust parameters enables the small battery to provide adequate power for the required operational duration.
3Measurement precision
If electrodes are positioned directly at acupoints, then treatment precision improves, but the complexity of precise positioning and implantation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device incorporates an array of multiple electrodes rather than a single electrode. This segmentation allows the practitioner to position the device generally at or near the target acupoint area, and then selectively activate specific electrodes within the array to achieve precise stimulation at the intended acupoint. The segmentation of the electrode array simplifies the implantation process while maintaining positioning accuracy.
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, more effective treatment for dyslipidemia and obesity by uniformly applying electroacupuncture stimulation, improving lipid profiles and reducing body fat with a small, implantable device that can operate for several years with a low power source, enhancing patient comfort and treatment efficacy.
Implementation Method 1
pulse generation circuitry...generates stimulation pulses in accordance with a specified stimulation regimen...Stimulation pulses generated by the pulse generation circuitry inside of the EA device housing are directed to the electrode arrays on the outside of the EA device housing
Data Source
AI summary
An illustrative method may include 1) generating, by an implantable stimulator, stimulation sessions, wherein the implantable stimulator comprises a central electrode of a first polarity centrally located on a first surface of a housing of the implantable stimulator and an annular electrode of a second polarity and that is spaced apart from the central electrode; and 2) applying, by the implantable stimulator, the stimulation sessions by way of the central electrode and the annular electrode to a location within a patient.