TMS Coil Positioner with Mechanical Registration Marks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for positioning transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) coils are either manual and imprecise or rely on expensive and complex imaging systems, making them unsuitable for clinical use due to lack of repeatability and cost-effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
A mechanical device that includes a headset assembly, coil positioner, and alignment mechanism to fix the patient's head and TMS coil in a coordinate system, allowing for precise and repeatable positioning of the coil by recording and reusing coordinates for subsequent sessions without expensive imaging equipment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual methods are used for coil positioning, then the operator can perform placement with simple equipment, but the positioning accuracy and repeatability are poor
Solution Approach 1:
A mechanical positioning device with adjustable arm and registration marks serves as an intermediary between the operator and the TMS coil. The device includes a base plate with registration marks that align to anatomical landmarks, an adjustable arm that can be positioned in three-dimensional space, and a coil holder that secures the TMS coil. This mechanical intermediary provides precise positioning without requiring complex imaging systems, resolving the contradiction between accuracy and simplicity.
2Measurement precision
If complex imaging systems are used for coil positioning, then precise three-dimensional spatial coordinates can be determined, but the cost and time consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts only the essential positioning function from complex imaging systems. Instead of using full MRI or CT imaging protocols, the device uses simple registration marks on a base plate that align to external anatomical landmarks (such as nasion and inion). The adjustable arm provides three-dimensional positioning through mechanical means with scales or digital readouts, extracting precise spatial coordination without the time-consuming imaging process.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning device uses inexpensive, disposable components such as a simple base plate with registration marks and a non-imaging mechanical arm. These replace expensive, reusable imaging equipment for the specific purpose of coil positioning. The system provides precise positioning at a fraction of the cost and time of MRI or CT-based systems.
3Ease of operation
If marks are applied to the patient for positioning reference, then the treatment position can be located easily in subsequent sessions, but the marks may wash off or cause cosmetic issues
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces a disposable headband or cap as an intermediary that wears the positioning marks instead of the patient's skin. The headband includes registration marks that correspond to anatomical landmarks and can be easily applied and removed. This transfers the potentially harmful marking action from the patient's skin (which may wash off or cause cosmetic issues) to a disposable accessory, resolving the contradiction between ease of positioning and cosmetic concerns.
Data Source
AI summary
A device provides simple positioning of the patient's head and simple positioning of the TMS coil relative to a coordinate system of the patient's head once the head is positioned. The TMS coil is fixed at a treatment position in the coordinate system of the patient's head and the position in the coordinate system is recorded for use in subsequent clinical sessions. A positioner assembly supports the weight of the TMS coil and allows the operator to freely move the TMS coil to search for the patient's motor threshold position (MTP) and/or the treatment position (TXP). If the TXP is in registration with the MTP, once the MTP is determined, the positioner assembly requires only a single adjustment of the magnet position to locate the TXP where the coil is locked in place for the duration of the TMS therapy. By recording the positions of the different adjustable components in the respective coordinate directions of the coordinate system of the patient's head, exact repositioning of the TMS coil for the patient during a subsequent clinical visit is made possible without use of expensive imaging equipment.