Non-Regular Stimulation Patterns for Neurological Disorders
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) at high frequencies generates stronger side-effects and increases power consumption, narrowing the therapeutic window and shortening battery life, while low frequency stimulation is often ineffective for treating neurological disorders.
Innovation Solution
An implantable system using a pulse generator to deliver non-regular pulse trains with varying inter-pulse intervals, generated through a genetic algorithm, which reduces average frequency and intensity of side effects, increasing efficacy and battery life.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high frequency stimulation is used to achieve therapeutic effects, then clinical efficacy is improved, but power consumption increases and side effects worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies periodic action by using burst stimulation patterns where high-frequency pulses are delivered in periodic bursts separated by silent intervals. This allows the system to achieve therapeutic effects during the burst periods while reducing average power consumption during the silent intervals, resolving the contradiction between maintaining clinical efficacy and reducing power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamic stimulation parameters by varying the frequency, amplitude, and duration of stimulation bursts based on physiological feedback and therapeutic response. This dynamic adjustment allows optimization of power consumption while maintaining effective symptom relief, addressing the contradiction between high frequency requirements and power consumption constraints.
2Reliability
If high frequency stimulation is used to achieve therapeutic effects, then clinical efficacy is improved, but side effects increase
Solution Approach 1:
By implementing periodic burst stimulation with high-frequency pulses during active phases and silent intervals between bursts, the system achieves effective symptom relief while allowing neural tissue to recover during silent periods, thereby reducing side effects such as tissue damage and patient discomfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes parameter changes by dynamically adjusting stimulation frequency, amplitude, and pulse width based on therapeutic response and side effect monitoring. This allows optimization of the therapeutic window by finding parameter combinations that maximize efficacy while minimizing harmful effects.
3Reliability
If high frequency stimulation is used to achieve therapeutic effects, then symptom relief is improved, but battery life decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The burst stimulation pattern delivers high-frequency therapeutic pulses in periodic bursts separated by silent intervals, achieving effective symptom relief during bursts while significantly reducing average power consumption during silent intervals, thereby extending battery life without compromising therapeutic benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies partial action by delivering stimulation in bursts rather than continuous high-frequency trains, providing sufficient therapeutic effect during active bursts while reducing overall energy consumption to extend battery operation.
Data Source
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AI summary
Systems and methods for stimulation of neurological tissue generate stimulation trains with temporal patterns of stimulation, in which the interval between electrical pulses (the inter-pulse intervals) changes or varies over time. Compared to conventional continuous, high rate pulse trains having regular (i.e., constant) inter-pulse intervals, the non-regular (i.e., not constant) pulse patterns or trains that embody features of the invention provide a lower average frequency.