Optical Vestibular Stimulator for Targeted Nerve Activation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vestibular prostheses using electrical stimulation often cause collateral damage due to the need for surgical implantation near nerves, affecting large nerve areas and lacking refined or focused stimulation.

Innovation Solution

An optical stimulator system that uses laser-induced optical radiation to stimulate vestibular nerves, minimizing tissue damage by focusing on specific areas with optical fibers and a control module that generates signals based on motion information or jamming signals to counteract non-stationary signals.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If electrical stimulation is used to stimulate vestibular nerves, then the vestibular system can be activated to improve balance, but large nerve areas are affected and surgical implantation causes collateral damage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebalance controlVSAvoidcollateral damage to nerve tissue

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces electrical stimulation with optical stimulation using laser radiation. The optical stimulator delivers focused light energy to specific vestibular nerve areas through optical fibers, eliminating the need for electrical electrodes and their associated surgical implantation requirements. This substitution of stimulation modality resolves the contradiction by achieving reliable vestibular activation without the harmful effects of electrical current dispersion and surgical trauma.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The optical stimulator provides highly localized stimulation to specific vestibular nerve areas through focused optical fibers. Unlike electrical stimulation that affects large nerve areas, the optical approach can be precisely targeted to deliver stimulation only where needed, minimizing collateral damage to surrounding healthy nerve tissue while maintaining effective balance control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Manufacturing precision

If electrical electrodes are implanted near vestibular nerves, then focused stimulation is achieved, but surgical implantation causes considerable collateral damage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestimulation focusVSAvoidsurgical collateral damage

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical surgical implantation of electrical electrodes with a non-invasive or minimally invasive optical fiber insertion. The optical stimulator can be positioned near the vestibular nerves without requiring extensive surgical exposure, and the focused optical delivery maintains precise stimulation targeting while avoiding the collateral damage associated with electrode implantation surgery.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces optical fibers as an intermediary medium to deliver stimulation energy to the vestibular nerves. These optical fibers can be inserted with minimal surgical intervention and provide a flexible, controllable pathway for delivering focused optical energy, thereby achieving precise stimulation focus while minimizing surgical trauma compared to rigid electrical electrode implantation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If electrical stimulation is used to provide stationary signal for Meniere's disease, then symptoms are alleviated, but large nerve areas are affected reducing refinement

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesymptom reliefVSAvoidstimulation refinement

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The optical stimulator provides highly localized and refined stimulation to specific vestibular nerve areas involved in Meniere's disease pathology. By using focused optical fibers rather than electrical electrodes, the system can precisely target only the affected nerve regions, providing refined symptom relief without the dispersion effects that cause large nerve areas to be affected by electrical stimulation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

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 optical stimulator provides targeted and focused stimulation, reducing the risk of collateral damage and improving balance and stability by generating precise nerve signals, effectively addressing the limitations of electrical stimulation methods.

Implementation Method 1

an optical source including a laser device

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectLaser: Laser

Implementation Method 2

an optical fiber coupled to the optical source and disposed proximate to the nerve area

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectOptical fiber transmission: Optical Fibre

Data Source

PatentUS7488341B2Optical vestibular stimulator

Publication Date: 2009.02.10 MASSACHUSETTS EYE & EAR INFARY

AI summary

An apparatus to stimulate the vestibular system of an individual. The apparatus comprises an optical stimulator configured to optically stimulate a nerve area affecting a person's balance, and a control module coupled to the optical stimulator, the control module being configured to control the optical stimulator.