Wireless Implantable Neural Modulator for Urological Disorders
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing implantable devices for neural tissue stimulation, such as those used for treating urological disorders, rely on battery-powered or charge storage components, which require frequent recharging or replacement, leading to invasive and costly surgical procedures when these components fail.
Innovation Solution
An implantable wireless device powered remotely through electrical radiative coupling, eliminating the need for internal batteries or charge storage by receiving electrical energy and pulses from an external source, allowing for minimally invasive placement and reducing the complexity of surgical procedures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If battery-powered or charge storage mechanisms are used in implantable devices, then the device can provide continuous electrical stimulation, but the device requires frequent recharging or replacement through invasive surgical procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the battery and charge storage components from the implantable device, extracting the power source entirely from the implanted system. The device body contains only the electrodes and minimal circuitry, while power is delivered wirelessly from an external source, eliminating the need for surgical replacement of power components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces wireless power transmission as an intermediary mechanism between the external power source and the implantable electrodes. This mediator enables energy transfer through the skin without physical connection or internal power storage, resolving the contradiction between continuous operation and surgical complexity.
2Reliability
If battery-powered implantable devices are used, then neural tissue modulation can be achieved, but the devices become non-functional when the battery cannot be recharged or charge cannot be stored
Solution Approach 1:
The implantable device serves itself by receiving power on-demand from an external source through wireless transmission. The device does not need to store energy or manage battery charge levels, as power is continuously or periodically replenished externally, ensuring indefinite operational reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The wireless power transmission system enables continuous or near-continuous operation by maintaining a constant or periodic supply of electrical energy from the external source, eliminating the interruptions and functional gaps that occur when batteries are depleted or require replacement.
3Ease of operation
If internal batteries or charge storage components are included in implantable devices, then the device can operate independently, but the device complexity and surgical intervention requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the power supply function from the stimulation function. The implantable device contains only the electrodes and minimal control circuitry for neural stimulation, while the power generation and transmission functions are separated into an external device. This segmentation reduces implant complexity while maintaining operational independence through wireless power reception.
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
This solution enables a more efficient and less invasive treatment of urological disorders by providing continuous neural modulation without the need for frequent surgical interventions, reducing costs and improving patient outcomes.
Implementation Method 1
An implantable wireless device powered remotely through electrical radiative coupling, eliminating the need for internal batteries or charge storage by receiving electrical energy and pulses from an external source
Data Source
AI summary
Some implementations provide a method for treating urological disorders in a patient, the method including: placing an introducer into a patient's body through an incision site on the patient's body, the patient suffering from an urological disorder; placing an implantable wireless device into an inner lumen of the introducer, the implantable wireless device suitable to fit into the inner lumen and configured to receive electromagnetic energy non-inductively from a source located outside the patient's body; through the inner lumen of the introducer, positioning the implantable wireless device adjacent to or near one or more excitable tissue in the patient, the one or more excitable tissue regulating a nerve activity associated with the urological disorder; and causing neural modulation of the one or more excitable tissue through one or more electrodes on the implantable wireless device.