Spinal Cord Stimulation for Gastrointestinal Disorders
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current direct electrical stimulation methods for the gastrointestinal tract do not provide relief for all patients with gastrointestinal and/or eating disorders, necessitating an alternative approach.
Innovation Solution
Spinal cord stimulation at specific thoracic vertebral segments, using electrical or chemical stimulation, or a combination of both, to treat gastrointestinal and eating disorders, including obesity, abdominal pain, and gastroparesis, by modulating gastric motility and glucagon-like peptide 1 activity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If direct electrical stimulation is applied to the gastrointestinal tract, then gastric emptying is improved, but the treatment is ineffective for patients with certain gastrointestinal disorders
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary approach by stimulating the spinal cord rather than directly stimulating the gastrointestinal tract. The spinal cord acts as a mediator that transmits stimulation signals to modulate gastrointestinal function, providing effective treatment for disorders where direct stimulation fails.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces direct mechanical/electrical stimulation of the gastrointestinal tract with neural stimulation of the spinal cord. This substitution changes the mechanism of action from direct tissue stimulation to indirect neural pathway modulation, expanding treatment effectiveness across different gastrointestinal disorders.
2Reliability
If spinal cord stimulation is used to treat gastrointestinal disorders, then treatment effectiveness is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a universal spinal cord stimulation approach that can treat multiple different gastrointestinal disorders through a single system. By targeting the spinal cord, which regulates various gastrointestinal functions, the device achieves multi-functionality across different conditions without requiring separate specialized devices for each disorder.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention involves a method and a system for using electrical stimulation to treat gastrointestinal and/or eating disorders. More particularly, the method comprises surgically implanting an electrical stimulation lead that is in communication with predetermined thoracic vertebral segments to cause spinal nervous tissue stimulation, thus treating a wide variety of gastrointestinal disorders.