Transcutaneous Nerve Stimulator with Objective Feedback Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Minimally invasive nerve stimulators face challenges in optimizing treatment protocols and delivering effective electrical impulses without objective patient feedback, leading to suboptimal treatment and patient dissatisfaction due to reliance on patient perception and lack of progress tracking.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a stimulator with electrodes and an energy source for transcutaneous nerve stimulation, coupled with a software application that senses physiological parameters and user status information to adjust stimulation parameters, providing objective feedback and tracking capabilities for improved treatment efficacy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If non-invasive nerve stimulators are used for self-treatment, then patient convenience and accessibility are improved, but treatment effectiveness deteriorates due to lack of objective feedback and progress tracking
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements objective feedback mechanisms through physiological sensors that monitor treatment response and progress tracking features that record usage patterns and outcomes. This allows the stimulator to automatically adjust parameters based on measured efficacy, resolving the contradiction by providing data-driven feedback loops that maintain treatment reliability while preserving patient self-administration convenience.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables patients to self-adjust treatment parameters based on objective feedback from physiological measurements and progress tracking data. This allows patients to independently optimize their treatment without requiring healthcare provider intervention, maintaining convenience while improving effectiveness through data-guided self-management.
2Ease of operation
If stimulation parameters are adjusted based on patient perception, then ease of adjustment is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates due to subjective bias
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces subjective patient perception with objective physiological measurements using sensors that detect electrical, mechanical, or chemical responses from the body. This substitution of measurement mechanisms eliminates subjective bias while maintaining ease of operation through automated parameter adjustment based on sensor data.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses physiological feedback from sensors to automatically adjust stimulation parameters, replacing the need for patients to subjectively assess their own response. This creates an objective measurement loop that improves precision while keeping the system easy to operate through automated control.
3Device complexity
If fixed stimulation protocols are used, then device complexity is reduced, but adaptability deteriorates due to inability to optimize for individual patients
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from fixed static protocols to dynamic adaptive protocols that automatically adjust stimulation parameters based on real-time physiological measurements and individual patient responses. This allows the device to maintain simplicity in basic operation while providing sophisticated customization through algorithm-driven parameter optimization tailored to each patient's unique characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables automatic modification of stimulation parameters (amplitude, frequency, pulse width) based on physiological feedback and treatment outcomes, allowing the protocol to adapt to individual patient needs without requiring complex manual configuration. This maintains ease of use while achieving high adaptability through automated parameter optimization.
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
The system enhances treatment effectiveness by optimizing stimulation protocols based on objective data, improving patient satisfaction and compliance by providing clear progress tracking and adjusting parameters automatically or through user alerts.
Implementation Method 1
The energy source is configured to generate at least one electrical impulse and to transmit the electrical impulse transcutaneously from the electrode through the outer skin surface of the patient to a selected nerve
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, devices and methods are provided for delivering energy impulses (and/or fields) to bodily tissues for therapeutic purposes. A system for stimulating a nerve within a patient comprises a stimulator having an electrode configured for contacting the outer skin surface at, or near the target location and an energy source coupled to the stimulator, The energy source is configured to generate at least one electrical impulse and to transmit the electrical impulse transcutaneously from the electrode through the outer skin surface of the patient to a selected nerve in the patient adjacent to, or near, the target location. The system further comprises a software application configured for downloading onto a user interface. The software application controls parameters of the stimulator, which may be based on a physiological parameter of the patient and/or user status information related to the effectiveness of the therapy.