Towards the development of phased array systems for deep brain stimulation

Abstract

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a clinical technique adopted for the treatment of various neurological disorders. One major limitation of todaypsilas DBS systems is the inability to focus the electric field in the desired direction and provide a more efficient stimulation. This study adopted 2D and 3D FEM tools to explore the the application of phased array (PA) techniques to control the direction of the stimulation pattern delivered during DBS. Results illustrate that a PA DBS system can be used to steer the stimulation pattern from broadside to endfire, by driving the electrode contacts with high frequency sinusoids with phase delays varying from 0deg to 90deg. This study can provide a framework for future investigation in the development of more efficient DBS systems based on PA technology.