Electrical Stimulation Circuit Eliminates Switch Arrays
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current implantable electrical stimulation devices require complex switch arrays to select and switch electrode polarities, increasing device volume and power consumption due to the need for additional reference electrodes to provide reference voltage.
Innovation Solution
An electrical stimulation device with a power management circuit generating two voltages to power an electrical stimulation generation circuit, which uses a working-electrode contact and a reference-electrode contact to produce AC pulses for stimulation, eliminating the need for a separate reference electrode and simplifying electrode polarity selection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a complex switch array is used to select and switch electrode polarities, then the device can accommodate different nerve stimulation requirements, but the device volume and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the complex switch array from the device architecture. Instead of using switches to select electrode polarities, the system directly outputs differential signals that inherently provide the required polarity configurations, thereby eliminating the volume-consuming switch components while maintaining adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The differential output stage is designed to universally handle multiple electrode configurations and polarity requirements through a single circuit architecture. This multi-functional approach allows the same circuit to serve various stimulation needs without requiring additional switching components, thus reducing device volume while preserving versatility.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a complex switch array is used to select and switch electrode polarities, then the device can accommodate different nerve stimulation requirements, but the power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the power-consuming switch array from the system. The differential output circuit directly generates the required electrode polarity configurations without requiring active switching components, thereby significantly reducing power consumption while maintaining the capability to accommodate different stimulation requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The universal differential output stage handles all electrode polarity selection requirements through a single low-power circuit design, eliminating the need for multiple switching operations that would consume energy. This multi-functional approach achieves versatility with minimal power expenditure.
3Reliability
If an additional reference electrode is provided on a lead or extension, then the device can provide appropriate reference voltage levels, but the device complexity and volume increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the need for an additional reference electrode from the system architecture. The differential output circuit inherently provides stable reference voltage levels through its balanced signal generation, removing the complexity and volume associated with separate reference electrode components.
Solution Approach 2:
The reference voltage function is merged into the differential output stage itself. The same circuit that generates the stimulation signals also provides the reference voltage levels, combining multiple functions into a single integrated structure and thereby reducing overall device complexity.
4Reliability
If an additional reference electrode is provided on a lead or extension, then the device can provide appropriate reference voltage levels, but the device volume increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the volume-consuming reference electrode component from the device. The differential output circuit generates stable reference voltage levels intrinsically, eliminating the need for separate reference electrode hardware and thereby reducing overall device volume while maintaining reliable voltage provision.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical stimulation device is provided. The electrical stimulation device includes a power management circuit and an electrical stimulation generation circuit. The power management circuit generates a first voltage and a second voltage to power the electrical stimulation generation circuit. The electrical stimulation generation circuit includes a working-electrode contact and a reference-electrode contact. The electrical stimulation generation circuit generates a first electrical signal at the working-electrode contact and further generates a second electrical signal at the reference-electrode contact. The first electrical signal comprises a plurality of first alternating-current (AC) pulses configuring to for electrically stimulate a target region of a target object.