Pancreatitis Pain Stimulator Using Nerve Blockade

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Solution Overview

Problem

Chronic pancreatitis causes severe abdominal pain due to ductal hypertension, pancreatic enzyme buildup, and ductal obstructions, which existing treatments fail to effectively alleviate.

Innovation Solution

A stimulator is configured to deliver electrical or drug stimulation to specific sites in the pancreas and surrounding nerves to block pain signals, suppress enzyme production, and reduce ductal pressure, thereby alleviating pain and preventing further tissue damage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If surgical intervention is performed to remove obstructing stones or perform ductal decompression, then pain relief may be achieved, but the procedure is invasive and carries surgical risks

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepancreatitis painVSAvoidsurgical intervention

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces mechanical surgical intervention with electrical stimulation therapy. A stimulator device delivers electrical impulses to targeted nerve structures (such as the celiac plexus or other abdominal nerves) to block pain signal transmission, thereby providing pain relief without the need for invasive surgery, stone removal, or ductal decompression procedures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary substance or mechanism - electrical stimulation - to interrupt the pain transmission pathway. The stimulator acts as an intermediary device that delivers controlled electrical signals to nerve structures, preventing pain signals from reaching the brain, thus mediating between the pain source and the patient's perception without direct mechanical intervention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If medical management with analgesics is used, then pain can be managed, but it does not address the underlying ductal hypertension and enzyme buildup

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepancreatitis painVSAvoidpain management effectiveness

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and targets the specific neural pathways responsible for pain transmission in pancreatitis. By identifying and stimulating specific nerve structures (such as the celiac plexus, sympathetic nerves, or other abdominal nerves), the therapy isolates and addresses the pain component separately from the underlying pancreatic pathology, providing targeted relief without requiring resolution of the root cause.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of attempting to resolve the underlying pancreatic pathology (ductal hypertension, enzyme buildup, or stone removal) to achieve pain relief, the patent inverts the approach by directly targeting and blocking the pain transmission pathway. This inversion allows pain management to be achieved through neural intervention rather than through correction of the primary pancreatic disease process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Duration of action of moving object

If the stimulator is implanted permanently, then continuous pain relief can be provided, but the procedure becomes more invasive and irreversible

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepain relief durationVSAvoidstimulator implantation

Core Design Contradiction:

Duration of action of moving objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a dynamic, adjustable stimulation system that can be programmed with various parameters (pulse width, frequency, amplitude) to optimize pain relief. The stimulator may be designed to deliver continuous stimulation for long-term pain management or can be adjusted to provide intermittent stimulation, allowing flexibility in the treatment duration and intensity without requiring permanent irreversible implantation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent may incorporate a trial or testing phase before permanent implantation, where the stimulator is temporarily placed to assess efficacy and adjust parameters. This preliminary action allows the medical team to optimize the stimulation protocol before committing to permanent implantation, reducing the invasiveness and irreversibility of the final procedure while ensuring effective long-term pain relief.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

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 method provides effective relief from pancreatitis pain by reducing ductal pressure, suppressing enzyme production, and minimizing tissue damage, with the added benefits of being minimally invasive and reversible.

Implementation Method 1

A stimulator is configured to deliver electrical or drug stimulation to specific sites in the pancreas and surrounding nerves

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectrical stimulation: Electric Field

Data Source

PatentUS8676322B2Methods and systems of treating pancreatitis pain

Publication Date: 2014.03.18 BOSTON SCI NEUROMODULATION CORP

AI summary

Methods and systems of treating a patient with pancreatitis pain include providing a stimulator, configuring one or more stimulation parameters to treat pancreatitis pain, programming the stimulator with the one or more stimulation parameters, generating a stimulus configured to treat pancreatitis pain with the stimulator in accordance with the one or more stimulation parameters, and applying the stimulus with the stimulator to one or more stimulation sites in accordance with the one or more stimulation parameters.