Vascular Electrode Triangulation for Precise Deep Brain Stimulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional deep brain stimulation (DBS) procedures involve significant surgical risks, including bleeding, stroke, infection, collateral brain damage, and side effects from improper electrode placement, with limited effectiveness and potential trade-offs in adjusting stimulation parameters.
Innovation Solution
A method using a combination of electrodes positioned in adjacent vascular locations to triangulate the region of interest, applying stimulation energy to various electrode combinations to identify the optimal target region, monitored by patient movement or brain activity scans, and anchored for stability, reducing invasive surgery and improving therapeutic efficacy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional DBS procedures use surgical penetration of the cranium to implant electrodes, then electrodes can be positioned in the brain, but surgical risks increase including bleeding, stroke, infection, and collateral brain damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses blood vessels as an intermediary pathway to deliver electrodes to the brain. Instead of directly penetrating the cranium and brain tissue, the device navigates through the vascular system (jugular vein, carotid artery, etc.) to reach the target area, thereby avoiding direct surgical trauma to brain tissue while still achieving electrode placement
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical surgical drilling and probe insertion system with a vascular navigation system. The electrode device is delivered through the vascular network using fluid dynamics and vascular anatomy as guides, substituting mechanical penetration with a non-invasive vascular access approach
2Manufacturing precision
If conventional DBS uses trial-and-error electrode positioning, then electrodes can be positioned in the area of interest, but multiple surgical attempts are required creating more collateral damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary mapping and planning using imaging techniques (MRI, CT scans) to identify the exact location of blood vessels and the area of interest before surgery. This preoperative visualization allows the surgical team to plan the optimal vascular pathway and electrode configuration in advance, avoiding the need for intraoperative trial-and-error adjustments and multiple surgical attempts
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates intraoperative monitoring and feedback mechanisms to verify electrode placement in real-time. By monitoring brain activity and comparing it with preoperative imaging, the system can confirm that electrodes are correctly positioned within the target area, eliminating the need for multiple surgical attempts and reducing cumulative tissue damage
3Productivity
If DBS electrodes stimulate areas outside the area of interest, then therapeutic effect is achieved, but side effects occur including breathing problems, nausea, heart problems, seizures, and confusion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs selective electrode activation and localized stimulation patterns. By using multiple electrodes positioned along the vascular pathway and activating specific combinations, the system can deliver stimulation precisely to the target area while minimizing spread to surrounding tissues. The device can independently control each electrode, allowing localized therapeutic effect without affecting distant brain regions that would cause side effects
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention involves methods of stimulating tissue using one or more series of electrodes to apply energy through a combination of electrodes to stimulate various regions within an area of interest. Such an approach can triangulate areas where stimulation and/or treatment is needed for deep brain stimulation (DBS). In addition, the triangulation system and methods described herein can be applied to any portion of a body where stimulation of a particular area is required while using the vascular network to access tissue surrounding that particular area so that a combination of electrodes can be used to identify the region of interest that requires stimulation.