Percutaneous Impedance Circuit for Residue-Tolerant Bioelectrode Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing extracellular impedance control devices, such as tEIC, are ineffective when used on body areas other than the head due to increased contact impedance from dirt or keratin, necessitating thorough cleaning which is burdensome and often infeasible, and their effectiveness on brain activity is unclear.
Innovation Solution
A percutaneous extracellular impedance control (pEIC) device with adjustable negative impedance components that can operate effectively even with residual dirt or keratin, using a two-port circuit with a load circuit to adjust resistance and reactance, and a variable capacitor to cancel capacitive components caused by dirt or keratin.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If tEIC is used on body areas other than the head, then the application scope is expanded, but the effectiveness becomes unclear due to increased contact impedance from dirt or keratin
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a variable capacitor as an intermediary component between the electrode and the body surface. This capacitor compensates for the contact impedance introduced by dirt and keratin, allowing the system to maintain effectiveness when applied to body areas other than the head without requiring thorough cleaning
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs adjustable resistance and reactance components that can be dynamically tuned to match the specific electrical characteristics of different body areas. By changing the impedance parameters to compensate for contact impedance variations, the system maintains reliable effectiveness across diverse application sites
2Reliability
If thorough cleaning is performed to remove dirt or keratin, then the contact impedance is reduced and tEIC functions properly, but the operational burden increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The variable capacitor serves as an intermediary that compensates for contact impedance, eliminating the need for thorough cleaning operations. The device automatically adjusts to accommodate dirt and keratin presence, thereby maintaining low contact impedance without requiring manual cleaning intervention
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-adjustment through the variable capacitor and adjustable impedance components, automatically compensating for contact impedance variations caused by dirt or keratin. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for external cleaning operations by the operator
3Ease of operation
If negative impedance components are added to compensate for contact impedance, then the device can operate with surface residue, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses adjustable resistance and reactance components that can be tuned to provide the necessary negative impedance compensation. By dynamically adjusting these parameters rather than using fixed complex circuits, the device achieves the capability to operate with surface residue while minimizing structural complexity
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 pEIC device stabilizes voltage and current control, allowing effective modulation of neuronal activity and emotional arousal, even with surface residue, by amplifying or attenuating biological signals, thus providing therapeutic potential for emotional regulation.
Implementation Method 1
an electrode pair is to be connected to a subject's body surface to capture a subject's bioelectrical potential
Implementation Method 2
the device adds negative impedance of which resistance and reactance components are adjustable to the electrode pair
Data Source
AI summary
A device for controlling percutaneously extracellular impedance according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a terminal pair to which an electrode pair is to be connected, the electrode pair being attached to a subject's body surface to capture a subject's bioelectrical potential, wherein the device adds negative impedance of which resistance and reactance components are adjustable to the electrode pair via the terminal pair.