Implantable Nerve Stimulation for Bladder Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Patients with spinal cord injuries lose the ability to voluntarily control bladder function, leading to issues such as low bladder volume and urinary incontinence, which can cause urine to back up into the kidneys, and existing catheter solutions pose infection risks and are inconvenient for travel.

Innovation Solution

An implantable nerve stimulation device with a pulse generator and electrodes is used to apply electrical stimulation to the patient's nervous system to control bladder function, allowing for voluntary urination through a voiding cycle, monitored by a remote control and bladder sensor.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a catheter is used to manage bladder function, then urinary incontinence is controlled, but infection risk increases and mobility is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebladder function controlVSAvoidinfection risk

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical catheter system with an electrical nerve stimulation system. Electrical stimuli are delivered via electrodes to specific nerves (pudendal, sacral, or hypogastric nerves) to control bladder contraction and relaxation, thereby managing urinary incontinence without requiring a physical catheter in the bladder, thus eliminating the associated infection risk and improving patient mobility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If a catheter is used to manage bladder function, then urinary incontinence is controlled, but patient mobility and convenience are reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebladder function controlVSAvoidpatient mobility

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Volume of stationary object

If electrical stimulation is applied to relax the bladder, then bladder capacity increases and urination is prevented, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebladder capacityVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of stationary objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The nerve stimulation system is designed to perform multiple functions through a single device platform. The same pulse generator and electrode system can stimulate different nerves (pudendal for bladder contraction, sacral for relaxation, hypogastric for sphincter control) to achieve both bladder emptying and capacity management, reducing the need for multiple separate devices and simplifying the overall system

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts stimulation parameters based on real-time feedback from bladder pressure sensors and patient needs. The controller modifies pulse frequency, amplitude, and duration to transition the bladder between contracted and relaxed states, optimizing bladder capacity management while maintaining system simplicity through adaptive control algorithms

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

4Ease of operation

If nerve stimulation is used to enable voluntary urination, then bladder control is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebladder controlVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system incorporates bladder pressure sensors that provide real-time feedback to the controller about bladder fullness and pressure levels. This feedback loop enables the controller to automatically adjust stimulation parameters to achieve optimal bladder control, allowing patients to urinate on demand while the system manages the complex coordination of nerve stimuli and sensor data processing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

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 system effectively manages bladder function, increasing bladder capacity, preventing involuntary urination, and reducing the need for catheters, thereby minimizing infection risks and enhancing patient mobility.

Implementation Method 1

A first electrical stimulation is applied, by a controller using a pulse generator to generate electrical waveforms and one or more electrodes positioned in electrical contact with a nervous system of a patient, to relax a bladder of the patient

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectrical stimulation: Electrical Impedance Tomography

Data Source

PatentUS20250205485A1Spinal cord injury treatment

Publication Date: 2025.06.26 INCUBE LABS LLC

AI summary

Controlling urinary function of a patient is provided. A first electrical stimulation is applied, by a controller using a pulse generator to generate electrical waveforms and one or more electrodes positioned in electrical contact with a nervous system of a patient, to relax a bladder of the patient to allow filling of the bladder and to prevent urination. Responsive to a readiness trigger being indicated to empty the bladder, the controller adjusts the operation of the pulse generator to apply a second electrical stimulation to the nervous system using the one or more electrodes to facilitate a voiding cycle of the bladder. Responsive to completion of the voiding cycle, the controller resumes applying, by readjusting the operation of the pulse generator, the first electrical stimulation to the nervous system using the one or more electrodes to again relax the bladder of the patient and to prevent urination.