Seminario: "Electrochemistry of Stimulating Electrodes Implications for Front-End System Design of Implantable Neurostimulators"
Electrical current in a metal is carried by electron flow while in tissue is carried by ion migration. At the electrode/electrolyte interface a conversion between charge carriers may occur during stimulation. Designing safe and more efficient implantable neurostimulators require basic understanding and consideration of electrochemical aspects that take place on the stimulating electrodes. Classical circuit design approaches, such as equal charge balancing schemes, may force electrode potentials into regions where tissue may get damaged or electrodes corroded. This is because the charge balancing pulse always overcompensates in returning the electrode potential to its pre-pulse level given the double-layer charge gets re-distributed during the interphase period and asymmetries in the electrochemical situations under each waveform phase are also present.
This talk will walk through key aspects in neurostimulator front-end system design from an industry perspective, utilizing Spinal Cord Stimulation as a use case but without losing generality, covering the aspects mentioned above. The talk will highlight irreversibility is actually achieved during transitory stimulation but the use of DC blocking capacitors enables the sliding of the cathode and anode potentials (within the water window) to accommodate the required charge injection maintaining safe excursions in steady state. The talk also highlights the importance of properly modelling the double-layer as a fractional pole capacitor to simulate accumulated charges during stimulation utilizing Spice-like simulators.
Date and Time
Location
Hosts
Registration
- Date: 18 Aug 2022
- Time: 08:30 AM to 09:30 AM
- All times are (UTC-03:00) Montevideo
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- Julio Herrera y Reissig 565
- Montevideo, Montevideo
- Uruguay
- Building: Facultad de Ingeniería
- Room Number: 502-Azul
- Contact Event Host
- Co-sponsored by Grupo de Microelectrónica, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de la República
Speakers
Marcelo Barú
Biography:
Marcelo Barú is Member of the Technic Staff at Biotronik® Neuro with over 25 years of experience conceiving, designing, and managing multi-disciplinary teams in the development of implantable active devices with focus on neuromodulation. Mr. Barú has developed IPGs for sacral roots stimulation, Peripheral Nerve Stimulation (PNS) using nerve cuff electrodes, transvenous nerve stimulation for mechanical-ventilated patients, and for the past 10 years has worked on Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS). Mr. Barú is a principal inventor of Biotronik’s novel Multiphase (a.k.a. Rotating CathodesTM) sub-perception SCS therapy for pain management and led the system architecture of the company’s first SCS-generation product, the Prospera™ SCS System with HomeStream™ Remote Management. In cardiac rhythm management, Mr. Barú has developed electronics for pacemakers including leadless, IPGs for heart-failure treatment, and implantable biomonitors. Mr. Barú also has experience in in-vitro diagnostics.
Mr. Barú has over 35 patents filed with more than half granted. He holds an Electrical Engineering degree from Universidad de la República, Uruguay, and a M.A.Sc. degree from Simon Fraser University, Canada, with focus on ultra-low-power analog IC design for implantable medical applications.