Implantable Pulse Generator Residual Voltage Monitoring for Electrode Safety

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Solution Overview

Problem

Implantable pulse generators (IPGs) face challenges in ensuring safe delivery of electrical pulses due to potential electrode corrosion or damage from excessive charge injection, necessitating conservative hardware mitigations that increase device size and discomfort for patients, while existing fault detection methods are not personalized or adaptive to individual patient conditions.

Innovation Solution

The IPG is equipped with diagnostic circuitry to measure and estimate residual voltages (VRES) at the electrode/tissue interface, allowing for proactive detection of fault conditions and dynamic discharge mode selection based on actual VRES measurements, eliminating the need for large DC blocking capacitors and conservative programming.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conservative hardware mitigations are used to prevent electrode corrosion and damage, then patient safety is improved, but device size increases and patient comfort deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepatient safetyVSAvoiddevice size

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces conservative hardware mitigations (DC blocking capacitors) with a diagnostic-based software/firmware solution. The system uses residual voltage monitoring and fault detection algorithms to identify potential issues, allowing the use of smaller or no DC blocking capacitors while maintaining patient safety through proactive fault detection and response.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The IPG performs self-diagnosis by continuously monitoring residual voltages at the electrode-tissue interface and comparing them against expected values. The system automatically detects faults, identifies their locations, and can adjust therapy parameters or alert clinicians, eliminating the need for oversized protective hardware components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Reliability

If DC blocking capacitors are used to prevent charge accumulation, then electrode damage is prevented, but device complexity and size increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveelectrode protectionVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent substitutes physical DC blocking capacitors with an electronic monitoring and control system. The diagnostic circuitry measures residual voltages, and the controller processes this data to detect faults and adjust therapy delivery, replacing passive protective components with active intelligent control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously monitors residual voltages at the electrode-tissue interface and uses this feedback to detect faults. The controller adjusts therapy parameters based on the monitored data, creating a closed-loop system that protects electrodes through intelligent control rather than passive capacitive blocking.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If conservative programming is used to ensure safety, then patient safety is improved, but therapy effectiveness and adaptability to individual patients deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepatient safetyVSAvoidtherapy personalization

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system monitors residual voltages in real-time and uses this feedback to detect faults and adapt therapy delivery. The controller can adjust programming parameters based on individual patient responses and detected conditions, enabling personalized therapy while maintaining safety through continuous monitoring rather than conservative fixed limits.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent enables dynamic adjustment of therapy parameters based on real-time residual voltage measurements. The system can adapt programming on-the-fly according to individual patient conditions and detected faults, replacing static conservative programming with dynamic personalized control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

4Reliability

If larger DC blocking capacitors are used, then charge injection safety is improved, but battery life and device comfort deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecharge injection safetyVSAvoidbattery life

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces large DC blocking capacitors with a monitoring-based control system. By detecting faults through residual voltage measurements and adjusting therapy delivery accordingly, the system maintains charge injection safety without the energy storage requirements of large capacitors, thereby extending battery life.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS20260021307A1Implantable pulse generator with residual voltage monitoring for diagnostics for providing a medical therapy to a patient using electrical pulses

Publication Date: 2026.01.22 ADVANCED NEUROMODULATION SYSTEMS INC

AI summary

A system and method for residual voltage monitoring and extracting ETI load parametric data relative to one or more electrodes of an implanted stimulation lead system associated with an IPG for diagnostics and for providing a medical therapy to a patient using electrical pulses. Responsive to comparing the measured residual voltages against estimated residual voltages obtained based on the ETI load parametric data, appropriate corrective action may be effectuated.