In-vivo acute multichannel electrophysiological recording nerve probe device and cleaning method

Abstract

The invention discloses an in-vivo acute multichannel electrophysiological recording nerve probe device and a cleaning method, the nerve probe device comprises a shell, a probe assembly, an elastic assembly and a cleaning cover, the probe assembly is arranged in the shell, the probe assembly comprises a circuit board and a probe body electrically connected with the circuit board, the elastic assembly is installed on the shell, and the cleaning cover is arranged in the shell. The driving assembly is arranged on the shell and used for driving the probe assembly to move in the length direction of the shell so that the probe body can stretch out of or retract into the shell, the cleaning cover is detachably arranged on the shell, and the probe body can stretch into the cleaning cover. According to the in-vivo acute multichannel electrophysiological recording nerve probe device, transverse or longitudinal acting force on the electrode part of the nerve probe can be avoided to the greatest extent in the processes of moving, mounting, recording, cleaning and the like, the damage probability of the nerve probe is reduced, and the experiment cost is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of experimental equipment, and in particular to an in vivo acute multi-channel electrophysiological recording neural probe device and a cleaning method. Background Art

[0002] In vivo multi-channel electrophysiological recording technology, also known as in vivo multi-channel synchronous recording technology of central neuron discharge, is an extracellular recording method that uses animals in a more natural state to observe the electrical activity of central neurons. Using acute in vivo multi-channel electrophysiological neural probes (silicon electrodes) to record the electrical activity of central neurons in the brains of head-fixed (anesthetized, awake) and freely moving experimental animals is an important technology and method in the field of neuroscience to study and analyze the electrical characteristics of neurons. It mainly includes steps such as animal surgery, electrode implantation, signal recording and acquisition, and data analysis.

[0003] In actual use, the multi-channel neural probe needs to be installed and fixed on the clamp first, and then after the target brain area is determined, a high-precision electric micro-thruster is used to slowly push the neural probe downward so that it enters the brain tissue. After the recording is completed, the multi-channel neural probe needs to be slowly withdrawn, removed from the clamp after leaving the brain tissue, and then cleaned using a simple fixture and container. During the entire actual operation process, any error in any step or detail may cause the expensive electrophysiological multi-channel neural probe to break, or even the entire multi-channel neural probe to be scrapped. This kind of damage is very likely to occur and cannot be repaired at all, so a new multi-channel neural probe can only be purchased, resulting in high costs and high time costs, which seriously affects the progress of scientific research. Summary of the invention

[0004] The first purpose of the present invention is to provide an in vivo acute multi-channel electrophysiological recording neural probe device, which can avoid the electrode part of the neural probe from being subjected to lateral or longitudinal forces to the greatest extent during the processes of movement, installation, recording, cleaning, etc., thereby reducing the probability of damage to the neural probe and reducing the experimental cost.

[0005] The second purpose of the present invention is to provide a cleaning method for an in vivo acute multi-channel electrophysiological recording neural probe device, which can be used to clean the probe while ensuring the safety of the probe and avoid damage to the probe during the cleaning process.

[0006] In order to achieve the above technical effects, the technical solution of the present invention is as follows:

[0007] The present invention discloses an in vivo acute multi-channel electrophysiological recording neural probe device, comprising: a shell; a probe assembly, the probe assembly is arranged in the shell, the probe assembly comprises a circuit board and a probe body electrically connected to the circuit board; an elastic assembly, the elastic assembly is installed on the shell and is used to drive the probe assembly to move along the length direction of the shell so that the probe body extends out of or retracts into the shell; and a cleaning cover, the cleaning cover is detachably arranged on the shell, and the probe body can extend into the cleaning cover.

[0008] In some embodiments, one of the cleaning cover and the shell is provided with a fixing hole, and the other of the cleaning cover and the shell is provided with a fixing protrusion that cooperates with the fixing hole.

[0009] In some specific embodiments, there are multiple fixing protrusions and multiple fixing holes, and they are evenly spaced along the outer contour of the cleaning cover.

[0010] In some embodiments, the cleaning cover is provided with a first threaded hole, one end of the shell has a plug-in portion, and the plug-in portion is provided with a first external thread that matches the first threaded hole.

[0011] In some embodiments, the housing is provided with an escape opening, and the circuit board is provided with a connecting terminal extending through the escape opening, and the connecting terminal is used to connect to an external device.

[0012] In some embodiments, the elastic component includes: a cover body, which is connected to the outer shell and has a pressing hole on the cover body; a slider, which is slidably disposed in the cover body and connected to the circuit board, and has a pushing surface and a limiting groove on the slider; a spring sheet, one end of which is stopped on the pushing surface, and the other end is bent into a hook shape and hooked on the cover body; a pressing piece, which is rotatably disposed on the cover body, and one end of the pressing piece passes through the pressing hole and is pressed onto the spring sheet; wherein: by pressing the pressing piece, one end of the spring sheet drives the slider to slide, so that one end of the spring sheet is clamped in the limiting groove.

[0013] In some specific embodiments, the circuit board has a first stop step, a second stop step is provided inside the shell, and the elastic component also includes a spring, and the two ends of the spring respectively stop at the first stop step and the second stop step; when the pressing piece is pressed, the spring can drive the spring sheet to disengage from the limiting groove.

[0014] In some specific embodiments, one end of the cover body has a second threaded hole, one end of the shell has an insertion portion, and the insertion portion is provided with a second external thread that matches the second threaded hole.

[0015] In some specific embodiments, the pressing member has an arc-shaped pressing portion, and the arc-shaped pressing portion passes through the pressing hole and is pressed onto the spring sheet.

[0016] The present invention also discloses a cleaning method for the in vivo acute multi-channel electrophysiological recording neural probe device described above, comprising: driving the elastic component to retract the probe body into the shell; pouring cleaning liquid into the cleaning cover and installing the cleaning cover back into the shell; driving the elastic component to extend the probe body out of the shell and immerse it in the cleaning liquid to clean the probe body.

[0017] The beneficial effects of the in vivo acute multi-channel electrophysiological recording neural probe device of the present invention are as follows: in the actual working process, the probe body can be extended or retracted into the shell by pressing the elastic component, thereby making the probe body in a retracted state during movement, installation and recording, and the probe body is extended only during use, so as to protect the probe body and reduce the probability of damage to the probe body during movement, installation and recording. At the same time, when the probe body needs to be cleaned after use, the elastic component is first driven to retract the probe body into the shell, the cleaning liquid is poured into the cleaning cover, and the cleaning cover is installed back into the shell; the elastic component is driven to extend the probe body out of the shell and immersed in the cleaning liquid to clean the probe body. In this way, during the cleaning process, on the one hand, the probe body can be immersed in the cleaning liquid to ensure the cleanliness of the probe body, and on the other hand, the probe body will not be subjected to lateral or longitudinal forces during the cleaning process, thereby avoiding damage to the probe body during the cleaning process.

[0018] The beneficial effects of the cleaning method of the in vivo acute multi-channel electrophysiological recording neural probe device of the present invention are as follows: during the cleaning process, firstly, the elastic component is driven to retract the probe body into the housing, a cleaning liquid is poured into the cleaning cover, and the cleaning cover is installed back into the housing; the elastic component is driven to extend the probe body out of the housing, and the probe body is immersed in the cleaning liquid to clean the probe body. In this way, during the cleaning process, on the one hand, the probe body can be immersed in the cleaning liquid to ensure the cleanliness of the probe body, and on the other hand, the probe body will not be subjected to lateral or longitudinal forces during the cleaning process, thereby avoiding damage to the probe body during the cleaning process.

[0019] Additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will be given in part in the following description and in part will be obvious from the following description, or will be learned through practice of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an in vivo acute multi-channel electrophysiological recording neural probe device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2is a schematic structural diagram of a probe assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 3 is a flow chart of a method for cleaning an in vivo acute multi-channel electrophysiological recording neural probe device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Reference numerals:

[0024] 100, housing; 110, avoidance; 200, probe assembly; 210, circuit board; 220, probe body; 230, connecting terminal; 310, cover body; 311, pressing hole; 320, slider; 321, pushing surface; 322, limiting groove; 330, spring; 340, pressing piece; 341, arc-shaped pressing portion; 350, spring; 400, cleaning cover. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] In order to make the technical problem solved by the present invention, the technical solution adopted and the technical effect achieved more clearly, the technical solution of the present invention is further explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings and through specific implementation methods.

[0026] In the description of the present invention, it is to be understood that the terms “center”, “longitudinal”, “lateral”, “length”, “width”, “thickness”, “up”, “down”, “front”, “back”, “left”, “right”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “top”, “bottom”, “inside”, “outside”, “clockwise”, “counterclockwise”, “axial”, “radial”, “circumferential”, etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0027] In addition, features defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features, and are used to distinguish and describe features, without distinction of order or importance. In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more.

[0028] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0029] Reference below Figure 1-Figure 2The specific structure of the in vivo acute multi-channel electrophysiological recording neural probe device according to an embodiment of the present invention is described.

[0030] The present invention discloses an in vivo acute multi-channel electrophysiological recording neural probe device (hereinafter referred to as the neural probe device), such as Figure 1 As shown, the neural probe device includes a housing 100, a probe assembly 200, an elastic assembly and a cleaning cover 400. The probe assembly 200 is arranged in the housing 100. The probe assembly 200 includes a circuit board 210 and a probe body 220 electrically connected to the circuit board 210. The elastic assembly is installed on the housing 100 and is used to drive the probe assembly 200 to move along the length direction of the housing 100 so that the probe body 220 extends out or retracts into the housing 100. The cleaning cover 400 is detachably arranged on the housing 100, and the probe body 220 can extend into the cleaning cover 400. It can be understood that in the actual working process, the probe body 220 can be extended or retracted into the housing 100 by pressing the elastic assembly, thereby making the probe body 220 in a retracted state during movement, installation and recording, and the probe body 220 is extended only during use, so as to protect the probe body 220 and reduce the probability of damage to the probe body 220 during movement, installation and recording. At the same time, when the probe body 220 needs to be cleaned after use, the elastic component is first driven to retract the probe body 220 into the housing 100, the cleaning liquid is poured into the cleaning cover 400, and the cleaning cover 400 is installed back into the housing 100; the elastic component is driven to extend the probe body 220 out of the housing 100 and immerse it in the cleaning liquid to clean the probe body 220. In this way, during the cleaning process, on the one hand, the probe body 220 can be immersed in the cleaning liquid to ensure the cleanliness of the probe body 220, and on the other hand, the probe body 220 will not be subjected to lateral or longitudinal forces during the cleaning process, thereby avoiding damage to the probe body 220 during the cleaning process.

[0031] In some embodiments, one of the cleaning cover 400 and the housing 100 is provided with a fixing hole, and the other of the cleaning cover 400 and the housing 100 is provided with a fixing protrusion that matches the fixing hole. It is understandable that, according to the above description, during the cleaning process, the cleaning liquid is poured into the cleaning cover 400, and the cleaning cover 400 is installed back into the housing 100. The housing 100 and the cleaning cover 400 match through the fixing hole and the fixing protrusion, which can facilitate the installation and removal of the housing 100 and the cleaning cover 400 on the one hand, and ensure the connection stability of the housing 100 and the cleaning cover 400 on the other hand, and avoid the leakage of the cleaning liquid.

[0032] It should be additionally explained here that, in some embodiments, a fixing hole is provided on the cleaning cover 400, and a fixing protrusion is provided on the outer shell 100; in some embodiments, a fixing protrusion is provided on the cleaning cover 400, and a fixing hole is provided on the outer shell 100; in some embodiments, a fixing hole and a fixing protrusion are provided on the cleaning cover 400, and a fixing hole and a fixing protrusion are also provided on the outer shell 100. The specific positions of the fixing protrusion and the fixing hole can be selected according to actual needs.

[0033] In some specific embodiments, there are multiple fixing protrusions and fixing holes, and they are evenly spaced along the outer contour of the cleaning cover 400. It can be understood that multiple fixing protrusions and fixing holes can improve the connection stability between the cleaning cover 400 and the housing 100.

[0034] In some embodiments, a first threaded hole is provided on the cleaning cover 400, and one end of the housing 100 has a plug-in portion, and a first external thread that matches the first threaded hole is provided on the plug-in portion. It can be understood that according to the above description, during the cleaning process, the cleaning liquid is poured into the cleaning cover 400, and the cleaning cover 400 and the housing 100 are connected by threads, which can facilitate the installation and disassembly of the housing 100 and the cleaning cover 400 on the one hand, and ensure the connection stability of the housing 100 and the cleaning cover 400 on the other hand, and avoid the leakage of the cleaning liquid.

[0035] In some embodiments, Figure 1 As shown, the housing 100 is provided with a relief opening 110, and the circuit board 210 is provided with a connection terminal 230 passing through the relief opening 110, and the connection terminal 230 is used to connect with an external device. It can be understood that the housing 100 is provided with the relief opening 110, and in the actual installation process, the connection terminal 230 is exposed from the relief opening 110 to facilitate the connection between the circuit board 210 and the external device.

[0036] In some embodiments, Figure 1As shown, the elastic component includes a cover body 310, a slider 320, a spring piece 330 and a pressing piece 340. The cover body 310 is connected to the housing 100. A pressing hole 311 is provided on the cover body 310. The slider 320 is slidably disposed in the cover body 310 and is connected to the circuit board 210. A pushing surface 321 and a limiting groove 322 are provided on the slider 320. One end of the spring piece 330 stops on the pushing surface 321, and the other end is bent into a hook shape and hooked on the cover body 310. The pressing piece 340 is rotatably disposed on the cover body 310, and one end of the pressing piece 340 passes through the pressing hole 311 and is pressed on the spring piece 330. It is understandable that in the actual working process, the experimenter presses the pressing piece 340 so that one end of the spring 330 stops on the pushing surface 321, and the spring 330 will slide down along the pushing surface 321, while pushing the slider 320 to move, and the circuit board 210 to move along with it. When the spring 330 slides down to the limit groove 322, it stops, and the probe body 220 is extended out of the shell 100.

[0037] In some specific embodiments, Figure 1 As shown, the circuit board 210 has a first stop step, the housing 100 is provided with a second stop step, and the elastic component further includes a spring 350, the two ends of the spring 350 respectively stop at the first stop step and the second stop step; when the pressing member 340 is pressed, the spring 350 can drive the spring 330 to disengage from the limit groove 322. It can be understood that when the probe body 220 needs to be pushed out, the experimenter only needs to press the other end of the pressing member 340, and the circuit board 210 automatically rebounds under the action of the spring 350, so that the probe body 220 retracts into the housing 100, and the slider 320 and the spring 330 are also reset under the action of the spring 350.

[0038] In some specific embodiments, one end of the cover 310 has a second threaded hole, and one end of the housing 100 has an insertion portion, and the insertion portion is provided with a second external thread that matches the second threaded hole. It can be understood that the cover 310 and the housing 100 are matched through threads, which, on the one hand, facilitates the installation and removal of the cover 310 and the housing 100, and on the other hand, ensures the connection stability of the cover 310 and the housing 100.

[0039] In some specific embodiments, the pressing member 340 has an arc-shaped pressing portion 341, and the arc-shaped pressing portion 341 passes through the pressing hole 311 and is pressed on the spring piece 330. It can be understood that, according to the foregoing, in the actual working process, it is necessary to press the arc-shaped pressing portion 341 to drive the probe body 220 to extend or retract the housing 100. The arc-shaped pressing portion 341 provided on the pressing member 340 can ensure that when the experimenter presses the pressing member 340, the arc-shaped pressing portion 341 can stably drive the spring piece 330 to move.

[0040] Example:

[0041] Reference below Figure 1-Figure 2 The specific structure of an in vivo acute multi-channel electrophysiological recording neural probe device according to a specific embodiment of the present invention is described.

[0042] like Figure 1-Figure 2 As shown, the neural probe device includes a housing 100, a probe assembly 200, an elastic assembly and a cleaning cover 400. The probe assembly 200 is arranged in the housing 100. The probe assembly 200 includes a circuit board 210 and a probe body 220 electrically connected to the circuit board 210. The housing 100 is provided with an escape opening 110, and the circuit board 210 is provided with a connection terminal 230 passing through the escape opening 110. The connection terminal 230 is used to connect to an external device. The elastic component includes a cover 310, a slider 320, a spring 330, a pressing member 340 and a spring 350. The cover 310 is connected to the housing 100. The cover 310 is provided with a pressing hole 311. The slider 320 is slidably arranged in the cover 310 and connected to the circuit board 210. The slider 320 is provided with a pushing surface 321 and a limiting groove 322. One end of the spring 330 stops on the pushing surface 321, and the other end is bent into a hook shape and hooked on the cover 310. The pressing member 340 is rotatably arranged on the cover 310, and one end of the pressing member 340 passes through the pressing hole 311 and is pressed on the spring 330. The circuit board 210 has a first stop step, and the housing 100 is provided with a second stop step. The elastic component also includes a spring 350, and the two ends of the spring 350 stop on the first stop step and the second stop step respectively. The housing 100 is provided with a fixing hole, and the cleaning cover 400 is provided with a fixing protrusion matched with the fixing hole.

[0043] The present invention also discloses a method for cleaning the in vivo acute multi-channel electrophysiological recording neural probe device as described above: Figure 3 As shown, the cleaning method includes: driving the elastic component to retract the probe body 220 into the housing 100; pouring cleaning liquid into the cleaning cover 400, and installing the cleaning cover 400 back into the housing 100; driving the elastic component to extend the probe body 220 out of the housing 100 and immerse it in the cleaning liquid to clean the probe body 220.

[0044] The cleaning method of the in vivo acute multi-channel electrophysiological recording neural probe device of the present invention is that when the probe body 220 needs to be cleaned after use, the elastic component is first driven to retract the probe body 220 into the housing 100, the cleaning liquid is poured into the cleaning cover 400, and the cleaning cover 400 is installed back into the housing 100; the elastic component is driven to extend the probe body 220 out of the housing 100, and the probe body 220 is immersed in the cleaning liquid to clean the probe body 220. In this way, during the cleaning process, on the one hand, the probe body 220 can be immersed in the cleaning liquid to ensure the cleanliness of the probe body 220, and on the other hand, the probe body 220 will not be subjected to lateral or longitudinal forces during the cleaning process, thereby avoiding damage to the probe body 220 during the cleaning process.

[0045] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "some embodiments", "other embodiments", etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representation of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described can be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

[0046] The above contents are only preferred embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, according to the concept of the present invention, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scopes. The content of this specification should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

Claims

1. An in vivo acute multi-channel electrophysiological recording neural probe device, characterized in that: include: Housing (100); A probe assembly (200), the probe assembly (200) being arranged in the housing (100), the probe assembly (200) comprising a circuit board (210) and a probe body (220) electrically connected to the circuit board (210); an elastic component, the elastic component being mounted on the housing (100) and being used to drive the probe component (200) to move along the length direction of the housing (100) so as to cause the probe body (220) to extend out of or retract into the housing (100); A cleaning cover (400) is detachably mounted on the housing (100), and the probe body (220) can extend into the cleaning cover (400).

2. The in vivo acute multi-channel electrophysiological recording neural probe device according to claim 1, characterized in that: One of the cleaning cover (400) and the housing (100) is provided with a fixing hole, and the other of the cleaning cover (400) and the housing (100) is provided with a fixing protrusion matched with the fixing hole.

3. The in vivo acute multi-channel electrophysiological recording neural probe device according to claim 2, characterized in that: There are multiple fixing protrusions and multiple fixing holes, and they are evenly spaced along the outer contour of the cleaning cover (400).

4. The in vivo acute multi-channel electrophysiological recording neural probe device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cleaning cover (400) is provided with a first threaded hole, one end of the housing (100) is provided with a plug-in portion, and the plug-in portion is provided with a first external thread that matches the first threaded hole.

5. The in vivo acute multi-channel electrophysiological recording neural probe device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The housing (100) is provided with a relief opening (110), and the circuit board (210) is provided with a connection terminal (230) extending through the relief opening (110), wherein the connection terminal (230) is used to be connected to an external device.

6. The in vivo acute multi-channel electrophysiological recording neural probe device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The elastic component comprises: A cover body (310), the cover body (310) is connected to the housing (100), and a pressing hole (311) is provided on the cover body (310); A slider (320), the slider (320) being slidably disposed in the cover body (310) and connected to the circuit board (210), the slider (320) being provided with a pushing surface (321) and a limiting groove (322); A spring sheet (330), one end of the spring sheet (330) being abutted against the pushing surface (321), and the other end of the spring sheet (330) being bent into a hook shape and hooked on the cover body (310); A pressing member (340), the pressing member (340) is rotatably disposed on the cover body (310), and one end of the pressing member (340) passes through the pressing hole (311) and is pressed onto the spring sheet (330); wherein: By pressing the pressing member (340), one end of the spring sheet (330) drives the sliding block (320) to slide, so that one end of the spring sheet (330) is clamped in the limiting groove (322).

7. The in vivo acute multi-channel electrophysiological recording neural probe device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The circuit board (210) has a first stop step, the housing (100) is provided with a second stop step, the elastic component further comprises a spring (350), and the two ends of the spring (350) respectively stop at the first stop step and the second stop step; when the pressing member (340) is pressed, the spring (350) can drive the spring sheet (330) to disengage from the limiting groove (322).

8. The in vivo acute multi-channel electrophysiological recording neural probe device according to claim 6, characterized in that: One end of the cover body (310) has a second threaded hole, and one end of the housing (100) has an insertion portion, wherein the insertion portion is provided with a second external thread that matches the second threaded hole.

9. The in vivo acute multi-channel electrophysiological recording neural probe device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The pressing member (340) has an arc-shaped pressing portion (341), and the arc-shaped pressing portion (341) passes through the pressing hole (311) and is pressed onto the spring sheet (330).

10. A method for cleaning the in vivo acute multi-channel electrophysiological recording neural probe device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: include: driving the elastic component so that the probe body (220) retracts into the housing (100); Filling the cleaning cover (400) with cleaning liquid, and installing the cleaning cover (400) back into the housing (100); The elastic component is driven to make the probe body (220) extend out of the housing (100) and be immersed in the cleaning liquid to clean the probe body (220).

Images