Stimulation Lead Electrodes With Laser-Machined Trenches
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional neurostimulation systems face challenges in maintaining electrode chemical stability and preventing tissue adverse reactions due to corrosion and limited current density, which restricts effective stimulation of neural tissue for chronic pain management.
Innovation Solution
The development of stimulation leads with electrodes featuring a platinum-iridium alloy and laser-machined surface textures, including longitudinal trenches, to enhance charge transfer characteristics and increase effective surface area, allowing for higher current density and reduced risk of corrosion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional smooth-surface electrodes are used, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the charge transfer characteristics are limited and current density is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode surface is processed to create a porous or textured structure with increased surface area. This porous structure improves charge transfer characteristics by providing more active sites for electrochemical reactions, thereby enhancing the electrode's ability to deliver stimulation current while maintaining chemical stability in the aqueous physiological environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrode surface is transformed from a two-dimensional smooth plane to a three-dimensional textured structure with trenches, peaks, and valleys. This dimensional transformation increases the effective surface area without significantly increasing the electrode's footprint, thereby improving charge transfer characteristics while managing the complexity through controlled surface modification.
2Productivity
If higher current density is applied to stimulate neural tissue, then pain management effectiveness improves, but electrode corrosion and tissue adverse reactions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode surface parameters are changed by creating a textured structure with increased surface area. This parameter change allows the electrode to deliver higher total current while maintaining lower current density at the tissue interface, because the increased surface area distributes the current over a larger contact area, thereby reducing corrosion and adverse tissue reactions.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrode is constructed as a composite structure combining a conductive base material with a textured surface layer. This composite structure provides both the electrical conductivity needed for current delivery and the increased surface area needed to reduce current density, thereby enabling higher current delivery capacity while minimizing harmful effects.
3Quantity of substance
If electrode surface area is increased to improve charge transfer, then current delivery capacity increases, but the electrode geometry becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode surface is segmented into multiple features including trenches, peaks, and valleys rather than being a single smooth surface. This segmentation increases the effective surface area by creating multiple exposed surfaces that contact the tissue, while the segmented structure can be manufactured through controlled processing of the surface geometry.
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 enables more effective stimulation of neural tissue with increased current delivery capacity and reduced risk of electrode damage or adverse tissue reactions, facilitating better pain management with improved selectivity and coverage for chronic pain regions.
Implementation Method 1
laser-machined surface textures, including longitudinal trenches
Implementation Method 2
electrodes featuring a platinum-iridium alloy
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a method, of fabricating a stimulation lead for stimulating tissue of a patient, comprises: providing a lead body, the lead body comprising a plurality of conductors embedded within insulating material; providing a plurality of terminals; electrically coupling the plurality of terminals with the plurality of conductors; providing a plurality of electrodes, the plurality of electrodes comprising a plurality of substantially continuous longitudinal trenches on a surface of the electrodes, the electrodes comprising areas of reflow material forming microstructures substantially continuously along walls of the longitudinal trenches; and electrically coupling the plurality of electrodes with the plurality of conductors.