Project Overview

Spinal cord stimulation through a neuromodulation system is a therapy used to treat chronic pain in patients in whom surgery or other previous treatments have not been effective. SCS is used for treat pain from many sources, such as previous spinal surgery, tumors, and phantom limb pain. Though SCS treatment specifics vary widely depending on individual and cause of pain, it tends to yield positive results, but there is considerable room for improvement. Currently, there are two types of cathodes that can be used in spinal cord stimulation: percutaneous leads and paddle leads. Although percutaneous leads can be inserted in a minimally invasive way through an epidural needle, they tend to migrate once placed, so multiple leads may need to be used in order to stimulate the area required to control pain. On the other hand, the paddle leads stimulate a greater area and do not migrate due to greater surface area of the cathodes, but require an invasive laminectomy to be placed. The purpose of the project is to create an inflatable spinal cord stimulation lead that encompasses the strengths of both these leads, thus made so it can be positioned in the epidural space with a 14 gauge needle and inflated to achieve the contact surface area and electrical stimulation level of a paddle lead.

Team Picture

Contact Information

Team Members

• Keshav Garg - Team Leader
• Tyler Bambrough - Communicator
• Andrew Baldys - BSAC
• Thomas Guerin - BWIG
• Gabriela Betancourt - BPAG

Advisor and Client

• Prof. Randolph Ashton - Advisor
• Dr. Alaa Abd-Elsayed - Client