tDCS Cap with Visual Illusion for Neuropathic Pain
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current treatments for neuropathic pain following spinal cord injuries are often ineffective for long-term pain relief and require clinical supervision, limiting their accessibility and convenience for patients.
Innovation Solution
A portable transcranial direct current stimulation system with a cap, electrodes, and a computer device that allows self-operation at home, using visual illusions and augmented reality to correct motor-sensory mismatches, while ensuring safe and effective treatment through impedance and polarity checks, and remote medical supervision.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If clinical supervision is required for tDCS treatment, then treatment safety and correctness are ensured, but treatment accessibility and convenience are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables patients to independently operate the tDCS apparatus at home through self-application of electrodes and self-monitoring via mobile device feedback, eliminating the need for continuous clinical supervision while maintaining treatment safety through built-in guidance and monitoring features
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile application provides real-time feedback to patients during treatment, monitoring parameters such as electrode placement correctness, current intensity, and treatment duration, thereby ensuring treatment safety and correctness without requiring clinical presence
2Reliability
If repeated treatment sessions are conducted to achieve long-term pain relief, then therapeutic effectiveness is improved, but treatment time and patient burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system facilitates continuous treatment by enabling patients to perform repeated sessions at home without travel to clinical facilities, maintaining therapeutic effectiveness while reducing time loss through home-based accessibility and streamlined treatment protocols
3Ease of operation
If portable home-use tDCS apparatus is provided, then treatment convenience is improved, but device complexity and safety control requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile application serves as an intermediary between the patient and the tDCS apparatus, providing a user-friendly interface that simplifies device operation while implementing safety controls, thereby managing device complexity without compromising treatment convenience
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 effective, self-administered neuropathic pain rehabilitation with long-term pain relief by correcting motor-sensory mismatches and normalizing cortical maps, enhancing treatment accessibility and convenience for patients with spinal cord injuries.
Implementation Method 1
a transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) apparatus comprising: a cap sized to fit over a portion of a patient's head; two or more electrodes operatively associated with an inner surface of the cap; and a power supply in electrical communication with the electrodes
Implementation Method 2
at least a camera to capture at least a partial image of said patient; a screen to present to said patient a combination of said partial patient's own image and a complementary image
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
The system use a (tDCS) apparatus with a cap sized to fit over a portion of a patient's head; connecting points for electrodes operatively associated with an inner surface of the cap and a power supply in electrical communication with the electrodes and with a control interface, the system further comprising: - a computer device with a dedicated software and an associated control unit to provide a patient's self operation of said tDCS apparatus - at least a camera to capture at least a partial image of said patient; and a screen to present to said patient a combination of said partial patient's own image and a complementary image provided by an animated digital image representative of a movement of a body injured part of the patient capable of generating a visual illusion suitable to correct mismatching between motor commands and sensory feedback.