A Closed-Loop Stimulation System Supplemented with Motoneurone Dynamic Sensitivity Replicates Natural Eye Blinks

2011 ◽  
Vol 146 (2) ◽  
pp. 230-233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alice Frigerio ◽  
Paolo Cavallari

Objective. The authors are designing an implantable device that will electrically stimulate a paretic eyelid when electrodes implanted into the contralateral healthy orbicularis oculi muscle detect a spontaneous blink activity. As a novelty, the stimulation pattern includes the dynamic sensitivity of motor units, thus obtaining complete eyelid closure, tailored on the kinematics of the natural eye blink. Study Design. A preliminary study was performed on 10 healthy subjects, to observe, first, the kinematics of their natural eye blink and, second, the eye blink stimulated by a dynamic vs nondynamic pattern. Setting. A microaccelerometer taped onto the left upper eyelid detected its kinematics. A dedicated LabView software built up and triggered the stimulation pattern. A webcam recorded the behavioral effect. Subjects and Methods. The kinematics of spontaneous eye blinks was detected. Then, an epicutaneous stimulation of the facial nerve branch for the left orbicularis oculi muscle was performed on the same subjects. Muscle recruitment curves were studied, and acceleration of the bionic blink was measured and compared with the natural one. Results. Kinematics of the natural eyelid is highly variable within subjects. The stimulation pattern frequency was set case by case in order to obtain the desired eyelid acceleration of the contralateral eye. A custom-fit dynamic stimulation leads to a symmetrical natural-like eye blink. Conclusions. By adding the dynamic pulse, the authors were able to tailor a bionic eye blink, which was hardly distinguishable from the subject’s natural one.

2010 ◽  
Vol 63 (5) ◽  
pp. 787-792 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lidewij E. Hoorntje ◽  
Berend van der Lei ◽  
Guido A. Stollenwerck ◽  
Moshe Kon

1995 ◽  
Vol 74 (1) ◽  
pp. 226-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Gruart ◽  
P. Blazquez ◽  
J. M. Delgado-Garcia

1. Upper eyelid position and velocity, and the electromyographic (EMG) activity of the orbicularis oculi muscle, were recorded bilaterally in alert cats during spontaneous, reflexively evoked, and conditioned eyelid movements. 2. Spontaneous blinks appeared randomly (0.2-0.5 per min) and consisted of a fast, large downward lid movement followed by a slower up phase. Blinks of smaller amplitude and slower velocity were also observed mainly accompanying behavioral movements, such as during peering and grimacing. 3. Eyelid response to air puffs applied to the cornea and tarsal lid skin consisted of a short-latency (9-16 ms), fast (up to 2,000 degrees/s) downward movement that lasted for 25-30 ms, followed by late, small downward sags that were sometimes still evident after stimulus offset. Blinks outlasted the duration of the stimulus by approximately 150 ms. Blinks elicited by flashes of light or tones showed longer latency (47.3 +/- 6.3 and 53.7 +/- 8.0 ms, mean +/- SD; respectively), smaller amplitude, and a quicker habituation than air-puff-evoked lid responses. 4. For the down phase of the blink, the peak velocity, but not its duration, increased linearly with blink amplitude. Because the rise time of the down phase remained constant, changes in blink amplitude seemed to be the result of increased blink velocity. The down phase of a typical 10 degrees blink was 10 times faster than the up phase of the same blink or than upward and downward lid saccades of the same amplitude. The peak velocity and duration of the up phases of reflex blinks and upward and downward lid saccades increased linearly with lid movement amplitude. 5. The initial down phase of air-puff-evoked blinks decreased in latency, increased in amplitude and peak velocity, and maintained the same rise time for increasing puff pressure. None of these parameters was dependent on puff duration. The duration of the blink also increased linearly with air puff duration. 6. The amplitude of air-puff-evoked blinks was inversely related to lid position, decreasing with further lid positions in the closing direction. In contrast, neither peak nor integrated EMG activity of the orbicularis oculi muscle was affected by lid position, being only a function of stimulus parameters and of the animal's level of alertness. 7. Air puffs > 20 ms and > 1 kg/cm2 evoked two successive bursts (R(ap) 1 and R(ap) 2) in the EMG activity of the orbicularis oculi muscle. Shorter and/or weaker stimuli evoked only the R(ap) 1 response.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)


Author(s):  
Yeop Choi ◽  
In-Beom Kim

Abstract Background The facial nerve that traverses the lateral border of the orbicularis oculi muscle is considered the primary motor for the muscle. Nevertheless, the lateral motor supply to the orbicularis oculi muscle has not yet been fully described. Objectives The aim of this study was to report detailed anatomic information about the lateral motor supply route to the orbicularis oculi. Methods Facial nerve branches that cross the lateral orbicularis oculi border were fully traced from the parotid border to the nerve destinations in 43 fresh hemifaces by microscopic surgical dissection and time-lapse photography. Results Through the lateral route, the anterior temporal and upper zygomatic branches supply the superior orbital and superior preseptal orbicularis oculi of the upper eyelid, as well as the lateral pretarsal and malar orbicularis oculi, excluding the upper medial pretarsal portion of the upper eyelid and most of the lower eyelid. The nerve supplying the lateral pretarsal orbicularis oculi muscle crosses the anterior area of the zygomatic arch. It then traverses an area 6 mm above and 4 mm below the lateral canthal crease. Conclusions The anterior area of the zygomatic arch and an area 6 mm above and 4 mm below the lateral canthal crease are the facial nerve danger zones. The present anatomic findings provide surgeons with further insights for performing blepharoplasty, midface lift, facelift, and facial nerve reconstructive surgery.


2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 030006051987041
Author(s):  
Ziying Dong ◽  
Pingping Meng ◽  
Lei Zhang ◽  
Zhenyu Chen

Objective This study was performed to evaluate a novel method of constructing double eyelids by fixation of the orbicularis oculi muscle and orbital septum to the pretarsal fascia and correction of blepharoptosis. Methods In total, 285 patients requesting aesthetic construction of double eyelids were divided into three groups: those treated by the modified method (Group A, n = 108), those treated by traditional construction of the upper eyelid (Group B, n = 85), and those treated by the Park method (Group C, n = 92). The patients were followed up for 3 to 12 months (average, 6 months). The surgical effects and degree of satisfaction were compared among the three groups. Results In Group A, the mean operative time was 1.0 ± 0.2 hours. The degree of satisfaction with the surgical effect was significantly different between Group A (95.37%) and Group B (87.06%). However, no significant difference in satisfaction was noted between Group A (95.37%) and Group C (91.30%) or between Group B (87.06%) and Group C (91.30%). Conclusions The modified technique is simple and effective for construction of double eyelids and correction of blepharoptosis. All patients were satisfied with the surgical and aesthetic effects.


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