An Implantable Device for Electrical Nerve Stimulation

Abstract

Neural stimulation is currently subject to heavy research for the control of obesity using Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS). The available devices for such research is however developed for human use only, causing unnecessary complications when testing in smaller animals models due to the physical size of the device. A device for use in small animal models based on commercially available components would serve as a low-cost and more optimal solution to VNS research and similar disciplines.The design of an small electrical nerve stimulator was developed based on a comprehensive literature study combined with a detailed analysis of the requirements given by the end user. The system is described using a modular architecture with explicit interfaces, supporting easy verification and reproduction of the essential parts of the system.The result is a prototype design for an implantable electrical nerve stimulator with the ability to be miniaturized into 1/4 of the size of similar stimulating systems. The design meets the requirements from the end user, but must be miniaturized and encapsulated together with a connector for the electrode pin to be ready for implementation in animals.This thesis describes a novel prototype design of an implantable stimulator with a primary use in VNS applications, compatible with the bipolar 304 leads from Cyberonics Inc. The stimulator is designed with commercially available components resulting in a low-cost and portable solution. A modular architecture describes the system with respect to specifications given by end user and limitations from a literature study.