Spinal Cord Stimulator with NIR Position Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing spinal cord stimulation techniques fail to accurately adjust for patient movement, leading to inconsistent pain relief and inefficient battery usage due to the lack of automatic adjustment mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a centrally positioned infrared emitter with adjacent photodetectors to detect spinal cord position changes, allowing for real-time adjustment of stimulation current to maintain a consistent electric field, using a calibration table to store optimal settings for various physiological positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If spinal cord stimulation uses a fixed electrode array position, then the device structure is simple, but pain relief becomes inconsistent during patient movement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic adjustment of stimulation parameters based on real-time detection of spinal cord position. The system continuously monitors the position of the spinal cord relative to the electrode array and automatically adjusts stimulation parameters to maintain effective pain relief, transforming a static system into a dynamic adaptive one.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs feedback mechanisms where the detected spinal cord position is fed back to the control system, which then adjusts the stimulation parameters accordingly. This closed-loop control ensures consistent pain relief by compensating for position changes caused by patient movement.
2Reliability
If spinal cord stimulation delivers continuous current to ensure pain relief, then pain management is effective, but battery power is depleted quickly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses periodic or pulsed stimulation delivered only when needed, rather than continuous stimulation. By detecting spinal cord position and delivering stimulation in response to detected positions that require pain management, the system reduces overall energy consumption while maintaining effective pain relief when necessary.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically changes stimulation parameters such as current amplitude, pulse width, and frequency based on detected spinal cord position. This allows the system to deliver effective pain relief with optimized energy consumption by adjusting parameters to match the actual therapeutic need.
3Reliability
If spinal cord stimulation uses high current to ensure adequate pain relief, then pain management is effective, but patient comfort decreases due to excessive sensation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adjusts stimulation parameters including current amplitude, pulse width, and frequency based on detected spinal cord position and therapeutic requirements. This allows delivery of adequate pain relief with optimized comfort by fine-tuning parameters to achieve effective stimulation without excessive intensity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies stimulation locally to specific regions of the spinal cord based on detected position, rather than uniform stimulation across all electrodes. This targeted approach ensures adequate pain relief in the affected area while minimizing discomfort in surrounding regions.
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
This solution ensures consistent pain relief during patient movement while conserving battery power by automatically adjusting spinal cord stimulation based on detected spinal cord position, maintaining a constant electric field across target cells.
Implementation Method 1
an infrared emitter... adjacent photodetectors to detect spinal cord position changes... Light emitted from the IR emitter is reflected from the spinal cord and detected by the photodetectors
Data Source
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Figure 5a~5b
AI summary
A spinal cord stimulation apparatus and method for automatic adjustments of SCS using near-infrared (NIR) reflectometry are provided. A positionally sensitive system for spinal cord stimulation including an electrode assembly with integrated optical components for sensing spinal cord position relative to a stimulating electrode array and an SCS controller for controlling electrode stimulation parameters is provided. The integrated optical components include an IR emitter and a pair of IR photodetectors. As light from the IR emitter reflects from the spinal cord, it is detected by each of the pair of IR photodetectors. As the spinal cord changes position so do the angles of incidence for detected light from the IR emitter, a ratio of optical intensities in combination with a total optical intensity is measured and used to interpolate a set of electrode stimulation settings from a calibration table. Electrode pulse characteristics are adjusted in real time to minimize changes in stimulation perceived by the patient during motion.