Background

Problem Overview

Parkinson’s disease is a neurological condition where the affected person suffers from tremors and movement disorders, making many daily tasks infinitely more difficult. Currently, about 12.3 per 100,000 people are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease [1], or about ten million worldwide. While experts cannot determine its definite cause, it is associated with neurons that die and stop sending dopamine to the part of the brain that controls motor skills [1]. Symptoms begin worsen with time, eventually limiting any conscious efferent neuron function.

Existing Solutions

Like many neurological conditions, there is no cure for Parkinson's disease, however, the most effective way to reduce its symptoms are with medicine and treatment. Out of these, the most common is a surgical treatment called deep brain stimulation. First, surgical teams determine the target location of the brain with several different types of brain scans. From this information, they then decide specifically where to implant the electrode. This electrode will deliver a pulse to the brain stimulating crucial areas in an attempt to subside Parkinson’s tremors. This neuro-stimulation “caused significantly greater improvements than drugs alone…” [2].

This process is not as efficient as it could be though. Often sending a long probe through part of the brain causes many adverse side effects. A study showed that out of 49 patients who underwent the deep brain stimulation, there were 58 “adverse events” in these patients caused by the surgery. Side effects included infections, sleep difficulty, and even an increase in Parkinson’s symptoms [3].

Project Objectives

The goal of this project was to provide a POC design for a magnetically controlled brain implant that could theoretically move in a non-linear path through the brain. It would be an improvement over existing methods because it has a smaller occlusion within the brain tissue, is less invasive, and would allow surgeons to have finer control over which parts of the brain were damaged. Additionally, an online simulation providing numerical estimations for the strength and geometry of the magnetic field array will be presented. The online calculator used for the apparatus optimization is based off a series of finite element analysis studies for a pair of equal sized disc/cylinder magnets in free space and further verified with experimental data [4]. In conjunction with the testing model, we are able to provide directions of inquiry for further developments in this method.

Project References

[1]           S. Karceski, “Early Parkinson disease and depression,” Neurology, vol. 69, no. 4, 2007.

[2]           J. Guridi, M. C. Rodriguez-Oroz, and J. A. Obeso, “Deep Brain Stimulation of the Globus Pallidus Pars Interna and Subthalamic Nucleus in Parkinson's Disease: Pros and Cons,” Deep Brain Stimulation in Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders, pp. 277–289, Sep. 2008.

[3]           M. C. Rodriguez-Oroz, “Bilateral deep brain stimulation in Parkinson's disease: a multicentre study with 4 years follow-up,” Bilateral deep brain stimulation in Parkinson's disease: a multicentre study with 4 years follow-up, vol. 128, no. 10, pp. 2240–2249, 2005.

[4]       "K&J Magnetics - Magnetic Gap Calculator". Kjmagnetics.com. K&J Magnetics Inc., 2017.