Spinal Stimulation Lead with Segmented Electrodes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current electrical and thermal stimulation leads for treating intervertebral discs and spinal conditions face challenges in precise placement, leading to invasive procedures, nerve tissue damage, and reduced effectiveness due to non-uniform disc density and metabolically inactive nature, necessitating a combination device that can deliver both electrical and chemical stimulation with high precision and durability.
Innovation Solution
A percutaneously placed stimulation lead with a bent tip designed to navigate through the nucleus of the disc, featuring circumferentially arranged electrodes and infusion ports along its length, allowing for precise electrical field generation and chemical delivery, along with a stiffening element for durability and a dissolvable matrix for extended treatment periods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If thermal stimulation leads are used to treat intervertebral discs, then tissue heating and collagen restructuring can be achieved, but the procedure becomes invasive and may cause nerve tissue damage
Solution Approach 1:
The stimulation lead is divided into multiple independently controllable electrode segments along its length, allowing selective activation of specific regions. This segmentation enables precise targeting of the intervertebral disc while avoiding adjacent nerve structures, thereby maintaining treatment effectiveness while reducing the risk of nerve tissue damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The lead incorporates electrodes with varying properties at different locations, with each electrode designed to deliver specific stimulation parameters tailored to the local tissue characteristics. This allows optimized heating and stimulation of the disc annulus while minimizing exposure of surrounding nerve tissue to harmful thermal and electrical effects.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If percutaneous placement is used to reduce invasiveness, then surgical intervention can be minimized, but precise placement becomes difficult due to non-uniform disc density
Solution Approach 1:
The lead incorporates a flexible yet sufficiently stiff structure that can dynamically adapt to the non-uniform density of the intervertebral disc during insertion. The lead's mechanical properties allow it to navigate through varying tissue densities while maintaining its intended trajectory, enabling precise percutaneous placement without requiring highly invasive surgical procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The lead design includes intermediate structural elements that facilitate controlled navigation through the disc tissue. These intermediate features act as mediators between the external placement force and the internal disc structure, allowing the lead to follow the natural pathways through non-uniform disc density and achieve precise placement percutaneously.
3Duration of action of moving object
If the stimulation lead is left in place for extended treatment periods, then treatment effectiveness can be improved, but structural integrity and flexibility become compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The lead is designed with continuous stimulation capability that can operate indefinitely without requiring removal or replacement. The structural design ensures that the lead maintains both flexibility for patient comfort and sufficient integrity to deliver continuous electrical and thermal stimulation throughout the extended treatment period, enabling prolonged therapeutic action without compromising structural stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The lead incorporates composite materials that combine flexible polymers with reinforcement elements, creating a structure that maintains both flexibility and structural integrity over extended periods. This composite construction allows the lead to withstand prolonged implantation while retaining the mechanical properties necessary for effective stimulation delivery throughout the extended treatment duration.
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
Enables precise and effective treatment of intervertebral discs by reducing invasive procedures, minimizing nerve tissue damage, and enhancing treatment success through targeted electrical and chemical stimulation, while maintaining structural integrity and flexibility during prolonged use.
Implementation Method 1
immersing certain cell types within an electrical field will cause these cells to proliferate thus facilitating tissue repair
Implementation Method 2
target tissue is stimulated by an electrical lead using radio-frequency energy to induce a thermal lesion in the target tissue
Implementation Method 3
electrical lead using radio-frequency energy to induce a thermal lesion
Implementation Method 4
Disc nutrition is tenuous at best and is provided by diffusion through the vertebral end plate
Data Source
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AI summary
A combined electrical and chemical stimulation lead is especially adapted for providing treatment to the spine and nervous system. The stimulation lead includes electrodes that may be selectively positioned along various portions of the stimulation lead in order to precisely direct electrical energy to ablate or electrically stimulate the target tissue.