Needle Electrode Array for Localized Low-Pain Nerve Stimulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing peripheral nerve stimulation devices face challenges with locally unspecific stimulation, difficulty in affixing electrodes, pain during insertion, and high energy consumption, limiting their chronic use and comfort.
Innovation Solution
An electrode array with multiple short needle-shaped electrodes, each up to 0.6 mm long, arranged in a grid on a planar carrier, providing localized stimulation with reduced invasiveness and energy consumption, and featuring a conical tip and thicker section for enhanced stability and painless insertion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If long needle electrodes are used for percutaneous stimulation, then skin resistance is overcome and specific nerve stimulation is achieved, but insertion pain increases and fixation difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides a single long needle electrode into multiple short needle electrodes (0.2-0.6 mm length) arranged in an array. This segmentation maintains the ability to penetrate skin and stimulate nerves while reducing insertion pain and improving fixation stability, as each short needle is less invasive individually but collectively provides effective stimulation.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple short needle electrodes are combined into a single array structure that functions as one stimulation device. The collective effect of multiple needles compensates for the reduced penetration depth of individual needles, achieving reliable nerve stimulation while avoiding the drawbacks of long single needles.
2Reliability
If large-area surface electrodes are used for transcutaneous stimulation, then skin resistance is overcome with high energy, but stimulation becomes locally unspecific and energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode array segments the stimulation interface into multiple discrete needle contacts, allowing current to be focused at specific points rather than distributed over a large area. This enables locally specific stimulation with lower energy requirements compared to large surface electrodes.
Solution Approach 2:
The needle electrodes concentrate stimulation at local points of nerve contact rather than distributing it over a large area. This local quality approach achieves specific nerve stimulation while minimizing energy consumption, as current is delivered precisely where needed rather than across a broad surface.
3Reliability
If needle electrodes are inserted deep into skin for specific stimulation, then nerve fiber excitation is achieved, but fixation becomes difficult and chronic use is limited
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the electrode into multiple short needles rather than one long needle, the array achieves nerve stimulation specificity while improving fixation. The shorter needles are easier to secure stably in the skin, and the distributed array structure provides better mechanical anchoring than a single deep-inserted needle.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a single-point deep insertion (one-dimensional approach) to a distributed array of shallow insertions (two-dimensional approach). This dimensional change maintains stimulation specificity through precise spatial arrangement while improving fixation ease through distributed mechanical support.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If short needle electrodes are used to reduce invasiveness, then wearing comfort increases, but nerve stimulation effectiveness may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple short needle electrodes are combined into an array that collectively achieves the stimulation effectiveness of a single long needle. The merged structure of multiple contacts compensates for the reduced penetration depth of individual needles, maintaining therapeutic efficacy while reducing invasiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the parameter of electrode length from long (invasive) to short (less invasive), while compensating for the potential loss in stimulation effectiveness by changing another parameter: the number of electrodes. This parameter transformation maintains therapeutic effect while improving comfort.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrode array for peripheral nerve stimulation, in particular for auricular punctual stimulation of the vagus nerve, including a planar carrier and a plurality of needle-shaped electrodes protruding from the carrier and at least one electrical terminal, which is electrically conductively connected to the electrodes or to a subgroup of electrodes, for electrical connection to a stimulation device, the electrodes having a maximum length of 0.6 mm, preferably 0.4 mm