Single Insertion Tool for Electrical Stimulation Implant Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for implanting electrical stimulation implants within the body often require multiple tools and result in weak stimulation due to current attenuation as the signal travels through the body, necessitating improved insertion techniques and current delivery methods.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus using a single insertion tool with a distal end portion coupled to an electronic implant having a stimulation portion and a terminal portion, where the tool is inserted such that the stimulation portion is adjacent the target location and the terminal portion is beneath the skin, allowing for efficient delivery of the implant and enhanced current distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If multiple tools are used to insert different portions of the implant, then the implant can be positioned at the target location, but the device complexity and procedure time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple insertion tools into a single integrated tool that can insert both the stimulation portion and the pick-up end of the implant simultaneously or sequentially through one insertion pathway. This merging of functions reduces the number of tools required while maintaining the ability to position the implant precisely at the target location.
Solution Approach 2:
The single insertion tool is designed with multi-functionality to perform multiple insertion tasks. It can accommodate different portions of the implant (stimulation end and pick-up end) and deliver them through a single pathway, making the tool universal for the entire implantation process rather than requiring specialized tools for each component.
2Ease of operation
If current is conveyed transcutaneously from surface electrodes to target tissue, then stimulation can be delivered, but current attenuation results in weak stimulation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the implant from the external environment and places it internally within the body, specifically positioning the stimulation portion adjacent to the target tissue. This extraction eliminates the need for current to travel through the skin and superficial tissues, thereby removing the source of current attenuation and delivering stronger, more effective stimulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The implant acts as an intermediary device between the external power source and the target tissue. By positioning the stimulation portion directly adjacent to the target tissue through internal placement, the implant serves as a mediator that delivers current efficiently without the energy loss that occurs during transcutaneous transmission through skin and subcutaneous tissues.
3Manufacturing precision
If the pick-up end is inserted through a different pathway than the stimulation end, then both portions can be positioned correctly, but the procedure complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the insertion pathways for the stimulation end and pick-up end into a single common pathway. The single insertion tool delivers both portions of the implant through one route, eliminating the need for multiple separate pathways and the associated procedural complexity while maintaining precise positioning of both implant portions.
Data Source
AI summary
In some embodiments, a method includes inserting at least a distal end portion of an insertion tool within a body. The distal end portion of the insertion tool is coupled to an electronic implant having a stimulation portion, a terminal portion and a substantially flexible conductor disposed between the stimulation portion and the terminal portion. The distal end portion of the insertion tool is moved within the body such that the stimulation portion of the electronic implant is disposed adjacent a target location and the terminal portion of the electronic implant is disposed beneath a skin of the body.