MRI-Compatible Patch for Precise DBS Lead Placement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) systems face challenges in achieving optimal clinical efficacy due to the imprecision in locating electrodes within neural tissue, leading to reduced effectiveness in treating conditions like Parkinson's disease, as conventional methods rely on pre-operative imaging and may not accurately guide the precise placement of stimulation leads.
Innovation Solution
An MRI-compatible patch with flexible substrates and MRI-visible fiducial elements is used to identify precise locations on a patient's body surface, allowing for accurate placement of DBS leads by generating image data that helps determine the desired entry location and trajectory for instrumentation, enhancing the precision of surgical procedures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If pre-operative MRI and CT images are used to guide DBS lead placement, then the procedure can be planned in advance, but the precision of electrode location is insufficient leading to reduced clinical efficacy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces MRI-visible fiducial markers as intermediary objects that are placed on the patient's head and visualized during MRI scanning. These markers serve as mediators between the imaging system and the target brain location, enabling precise registration and localization of the DBS lead entry point and trajectory by providing reference points that appear in both pre-operative and intra-operative imaging
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by placing fiducial markers on the patient's head before the MRI scan and surgical procedure. This allows the imaging system to pre-establish a coordinate system and identify the precise entry point and trajectory on the patient's anatomy before the actual surgery, improving measurement precision for subsequent lead placement
2Measurement precision
If conventional imaging methods are used without MRI-visible markers, then the procedure is simpler, but the accuracy of locating target areas within the brain is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The fiducial markers act as intermediaries that bridge the imaging system and the patient's anatomy. These simple visual markers provide reference points that enhance the imaging system's ability to locate target areas without requiring complex imaging modifications, thereby improving target location accuracy while maintaining relative simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes MRI-visible fiducial markers that appear as distinct signals in MRI images. These markers create visual contrast changes in the imaging data, allowing easy identification and registration of the patient's head position and orientation, thereby improving measurement precision through enhanced visual detection
3Stability of the object's composition
If a rigid positioning system is used, then the structure is more stable, but the ability to conform to the patient's body surface is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible substrate as the base layer of the positioning system. This flexible film can conform to the curved surface of the patient's head while maintaining structural integrity. The flexibility allows adaptation to individual patient anatomy, whereas a rigid system would not be able to conform properly to the body surface
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies curvature by designing the flexible substrate to conform to the spherical/curved surface of the patient's head. Rather than using a flat rigid plane, the positioning system adapts its shape to match the natural curvature of the body surface, thereby achieving both stability and conformability
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 use of MRI-compatible patches with fiducial elements improves the accuracy of electrode placement, potentially increasing the clinical efficacy of DBS procedures by providing a more precise method for locating target areas within the brain, thereby enhancing treatment outcomes.
Implementation Method 1
MRI scanning the patient with the patch on the body surface to generate corresponding image data
Data Source
AI summary
An MRI-compatible patch (100) for identifying a location includes a flexible base layer (110), a flexible substrate (130) and at least one of MRI-visible fiducial element (146). The flexible base layer is mountable on and substantially conformable to a patient s body surface. The base layer has- opposed upper and lower primary surfaces. The flexible substrate is releasably attached to the upper primary surface of the base layer and substantially conformable to the patient s body surface. The at least one MRI-visible fiducial element is defined by or secured to the flexible substrate. The patch may include a plurality of the MRI-visible fiducial elements arranged in a defined pattern.