Neuromuscular Microstimulators

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Neuromuscular Microstimulators

• Chris Morino BME 281

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Neuroplasticity

• The brain ability to actively rewire itself in
  response to external stimuli
• This ability inspired people to create the
  microstimulator

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History

• 1960 Libersons drop foot stimulator
• 1989 AMF began working on the mircostimulator
• late 1990s Mayo clinic performs Occipital nerve
  stimulation for medically refractory headache
  pain
• 2008 AMF develops working prototypes of
  injectable microstimulators without exoskeleton
  system

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Old verse new

• Old

• New

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How does it work?

• Send little electrical shocks to muscles to
  induce movement
• Contains the pulse generator and the electrode
  together in a package the size of a matchstick
• Controlled wirelessly with a cell phone like
  controller that tells each independent implant
  when to stimulate

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Inside look
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Different types
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How is it implanted?

• Bion insertion tool
• Makes the small implants into precisely localized
  sites within the body a simple task for surgeons

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Reason for Microstimulartors

• Over 32 million (70 women) suffer from
  migraines
• 11, 000 suffer a spinal cord injury
• 750,000 people suffer a stroke
• 5.3 million with after affects of traumatic brain
  injury

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What they have to offer

• Can be implanted directly into the damage muscle
  tissue
• Helps reteach the brain how to reuse damaged
  muscles
• No side affects for having it implanted for long
  period of time

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Experimentation

• Alfred Mann Foundation funded research for this
  device
• Dr. Ross Davis responsible for the implantation
• Dr. Daniel Merrill consultant on the research
• Goal to examine the effect of home based
  electrical stimulation using closed- loop control
  of implanted microstimulators on upper limb
  function

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Results

• 5 out of 6 patients said it changed their lives
• Over a 12 week period patients had dramatic
  change
• Improved their function with the impaired upper
  limbs
• Although external components were inconvenient
  for patients

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Availability

• The internal device is unfortunately restricted
  to investigational use only
• Although similar experiments were performed in
  the United Kingdom using the internal device
• Results came back positive after 12 weeks of
  stimulating

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Future

• Working on stimulators that can also sense
  changes in pressure, limb angle, muscle activity
  and temperature
• Application for lower extremities
• Get past the investigative stage in the United
  States to truly tap the potential this device is
  capable of.

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References

• URI BME 281 BME Seminar II ltwww.ele.uri.edu/course
  s/bme281gt.
• Burridge, Jane H., Ruth Turk, Daniel Merrill,
  Bridget Dibb, Ann-Marie Hughes, Owen Sparrow,
  Helen Roberts, and Ross Davis. "A Personalized
  Sensor-Controlled Microstimulator System for Arm
  Rehabilitation Poststroke. Part 2 Objective
  Outcomes and Patients' Perspectives." Neuromodulat
  ion Technology at the Neural Interface (2010)
  No. Print.
• "Microstimulators Hold Promise for Some
  Medically Refractory Headaches."Microstimulators
  Hold Promise for Some Medically Refractory
  Headaches. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2013.
• http//aemf.org/our-research/current-focus/neurom
  uscular-disorders/
• "SpringerImages." SpringerImages. N.p., n.d.
  Web. 19 Sept. 2013.
• http//link.springer.com/article/10.10072Fs10439
  -009-9739-5