Varying Stimulus Sequences for Stable Neurostimulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current deep brain stimulation methods, such as coordinated reset stimulation, suffer from fluctuating therapeutic effects due to variations in stimulus intensity and body parameters, leading to inconsistent treatment outcomes for neurological and psychiatric diseases.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method utilizing a control unit and stimulation unit with multiple stimulation elements that apply time-delayed or phase-shifted electrical or optical stimuli to desynchronize pathologically synchronous neuronal activity, with slowly varying stimulus sequences to achieve more robust and long-lasting therapeutic effects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If standard high-frequency stimulation is applied continuously, then immediate therapeutic effect is achieved, but the treatment has no long-lasting effects and requires permanent stimulation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies periodic coordinated reset stimulation where stimulation is delivered in discrete epochs rather than continuously. Each epoch consists of multiple bursts with specific inter-burst intervals that allow neuronal networks to reset and reorganize, creating long-lasting therapeutic effects that outlast the actual stimulation period
Solution Approach 2:
The stimulation parameters are dynamically adjusted between epochs based on the desired therapeutic outcome. The inter-burst interval and epoch duration are optimized to induce plasticity changes in neuronal networks, enabling the treatment effect to persist without continuous stimulation
2Reliability
If stimulation intensity is increased to compensate for insufficient effect in some epochs, then therapeutic effect is improved, but side effects increase and power consumption rises
Solution Approach 1:
By delivering stimulation in periodic epochs with optimized inter-burst intervals, the method achieves consistent therapeutic effects at lower intensities. The periodic structure allows neuronal networks to undergo controlled plasticity changes that accumulate over time, reducing the need for high-intensity continuous stimulation
Solution Approach 2:
The method incorporates monitoring of neuronal activity to adjust stimulation parameters in real-time. This feedback mechanism ensures that stimulation intensity is optimized for each epoch, maintaining therapeutic effectiveness while minimizing side effects and power consumption
3Device complexity
If stimulation parameters are kept constant to simplify the device, then device complexity is reduced, but the treatment becomes highly dependent on initial conditions and body parameter fluctuations
Solution Approach 1:
The stimulation device dynamically adjusts parameters such as inter-burst interval and epoch duration based on monitored neuronal activity and body parameters. This dynamic adaptation maintains treatment consistency despite physiological variations, while the adjustment algorithms are designed to be computationally efficient for implantable devices
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors neuronal activity and adjusts stimulation parameters in real-time to maintain optimal therapeutic effect. This closed-loop control compensates for body parameter fluctuations and initial condition variations, ensuring reliable treatment outcomes
4Use of energy by moving object
If intermittent stimulation is used to reduce power consumption and side effects, then battery size can be reduced, but the therapeutic effect fluctuates significantly between stimulation epochs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs periodic stimulation epochs with optimized durations and inter-burst intervals that induce cumulative plasticity changes in neuronal networks. This periodic structure ensures that each epoch contributes to long-lasting therapeutic effects, reducing fluctuations between epochs while maintaining low power consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The stimulation parameters are dynamically optimized to maximize therapeutic effect per unit energy consumed. By adjusting epoch duration and inter-burst intervals based on neuronal network state, the method achieves stable therapeutic outcomes with minimal power consumption
Data Source
AI summary
A device is provided for stimulating neurons that includes an implantable stimulation unit that generates stimuli in multiple stimulation elements. The stimulation unit generates the stimuli to stimulate a neuron population in the brain and/or spinal cord of a patient using the stimulation elements. Moreover, the device includes a control unit that controls the stimulation unit to repeatedly generates sequences of the stimuli with the order of the stimulation elements in which stimuli are generated within a sequence being constant for 20 or more successively generated sequences before it is varied.