Staggered Temporal Patterns for Spinal Cord Stimulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional spinal cord stimulation (SCS) methods require higher frequencies and power to manage chronic pain, leading to side effects like paresthesias and less favorable clinical outcomes, as they fail to optimize asynchronous activation of dorsal column fibers for pain relief.
Innovation Solution
The method involves delivering temporal patterns of electrical stimulation to spinal cord electrodes with staggered or randomized pulse intervals, using a remote control device to program and communicate with a stimulation device, which applies different patterns to various electrodes based on time delays, optimizing asynchronous activation at lower frequencies than conventional SCS.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional synchronized SCS is used to manage chronic pain, then pain relief is achieved, but higher frequencies and power consumption are required leading to side effects like paresthesias
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the stimulation delivery by dividing the electrode array into multiple groups and delivering different temporal patterns to each group. This segmentation allows asynchronous activation of dorsal column fibers, achieving pain relief without the synchronized excitation that causes paresthesias in conventional SCS
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic temporal patterns where pulse intervals vary between different electrode groups and over time. This dynamic approach creates asynchronous activation that inhibits nociceptive transmission without producing the intense sensory sensations associated with synchronized high-frequency stimulation
2Reliability
If higher frequencies of SCS are used to overcome neuronal excitation, then pain relief is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temporal parameters of stimulation by delivering patterns with varying pulse intervals to different electrode groups. This parameter variation achieves effective pain relief through asynchronous activation at lower average frequencies, thereby reducing power consumption compared to conventional high-frequency synchronized stimulation
3Ease of operation
If synchronized stimulation at single frequency is delivered to all dorsal column fibers, then simple control is maintained, but asynchronous activation is not optimized for pain relief
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic temporal patterns where pulse intervals vary between electrode groups and over time, creating asynchronous activation that optimizes pain relief efficacy while maintaining programmable control through a remote device
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 approach effectively suppresses nociceptive information transmission at lower frequencies than conventional SCS, reducing side effects and improving pain management efficacy and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
delivering temporal patterns of electrical stimulation pulses to respective electrodes of an array of electrodes
Data Source
AI summary
Delivering stimulation includes delivering temporal patterns of stimulation pulses to respective transducers of an array of transducers, wherein the delivery of the pattern to a particular transducer of the array is different from at least some of the deliveries of the patterns to the other transducers of the array at least according to a time delay. The patterns delivered may include regular temporal patterns each having a respective constant inter-pulse interval. The constant inter-pulse intervals may be about the same. The patterns may be staggered. The transducers may deliver electrical, optical, acoustic, thermal or magnetic stimulation.