Self-Wetting Neuromodulation Electrodes for Stable Skin Contact
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wearable neuromodulation devices face challenges in maintaining effective electrical conductivity between electrodes and the skin over extended wear times, leading to discomfort and skin irritation due to evaporation of conductive agents, and intermittent disconnections during daily activities.
Innovation Solution
The use of self-wetting electrodes with antistatic materials that bloom to form a conductive lubricant, combined with resistive heating elements and thermoelectric cooling, and a reservoir system for wetting agents, along with concentric and in-line electrode configurations to reduce neural activation thresholds and prevent disconnections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a wetting agent (water or gel) is used to ensure low resistance connection between electrode and skin, then electrical conductivity is improved, but skin irritation and discomfort increase due to evaporation over time
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode utilizes the patient's own sweat as the wetting agent to maintain electrical conductivity. The sweat reservoir is positioned between the electrode and skin, allowing the patient's natural sweat production to continuously replenish the conductive medium, eliminating the need for external gels or waters that cause irritation and evaporate.
Solution Approach 2:
The system recovers and utilizes the patient's natural sweat resource that would otherwise be lost to evaporation. By capturing sweat in a reservoir and delivering it to the electrode-skin interface, the system transforms a harmful evaporative loss into a beneficial continuous supply of conductive fluid.
2Duration of action of moving object
If the length of therapy or wear time is increased, then treatment effectiveness is improved, but electrode-skin conductivity deteriorates due to evaporation of wetting agent
Solution Approach 1:
The sweat reservoir provides continuous replenishment of the wetting agent throughout the therapy session. As sweat is produced continuously by the sweat glands and collected in the reservoir, it is delivered to the electrode interface to maintain constant electrical conductivity for extended wear periods without evaporation-related degradation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system leverages the patient's own continuous sweat production to maintain conductivity throughout the therapy duration. The body's natural physiological process provides an self-sustaining supply of conductive fluid that does not evaporate or degrade over time.
3Device complexity
If conventional electrodes are used, then device simplicity is maintained, but intermittent disconnections occur during daily activities
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode incorporates a flexible gel layer that can deform and conform to skin movements during daily activities. This flexible medium maintains continuous contact between the electrode and skin despite motion, preventing intermittent disconnections while adding minimal complexity to the electrode structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The sweat reservoir and gel combination creates a self-adjusting interface that automatically compensates for skin movement and pressure changes. The gel softens under pressure and the sweat reservoir maintains constant contact, ensuring stable electrical connection during dynamic activities without requiring complex mechanical adjustment mechanisms.
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
These solutions ensure consistent skin conductivity, reduce patient discomfort, and enhance the durability and comfort of wearable neuromodulation devices by maintaining effective electrical contact and minimizing skin irritation.
Implementation Method 1
The antistatic material may be incompatible with silicone electrodes which advantageously causes the antistatic material to bloom to the surface of silicone electrode when exposed to the warm skin of the patient
Implementation Method 2
The warm skin causes the antistatic material to naturally bloom to the skin surface creating a non-sticky, moisturizing, conductive lubricant
Implementation Method 3
Another modality for inducing sweat is the placement of a resistive heating element and/or thermoelectric cooling element on the patient's skin. The resistance heating element creates a temperature differential which naturally induces sweating.
Implementation Method 4
Another modality for inducing sweat is the placement of a resistive heating element and/or thermoelectric cooling element on the patient's skin.
Implementation Method 5
The amplitude of the stimulation signal can be selected to activate C-type sudomotor neurons in a target nerve(s) that innervate downstream (anterograde) sweat glands to increase the degree of sweating.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are systems, devices, and methods for peripheral nerve stimulation. A wearable neuromodulation (e.g., neurostimulation) device can accomplish target nerve stimulation using circumferential electrode configuration, in-line electrode configuration, or concentric electrode configuration. In some embodiments, the electrodes may obtain a self-wetting capability by comprising an antistatic material, which may bloom to the surface of the electrode and serve as a layer of conductive lubricant to improve electrical conductivity between the electrode and skin. In some embodiments, the device may deliver stimulation through the electrodes to induce sweat and the induced sweat may serve as a wetting agent to improve electrical conductivity. In some embodiments, reservoirs capture a user's sweat or hold other wetting agents filled by the user, and the captured sweat and/or other wetting agents may be delivered to the area between the electrode and skin by using capillary action, osmosis, or micropump.