Nerve regulation and control device based on photoelectric effect

Abstract

The invention provides a nerve regulation and control device based on a photoelectric effect, which comprises a transparent embedded plate, a photoelectric conversion material layer arranged on the inner surface of the transparent embedded plate and a focusing laser system, the transparent embedded plate adopts a profiling structure of at least one part of a skull, and the focusing laser system provides a regulation and control light signal for the transparent embedded plate. And the photoelectric conversion material layer is used for converting the regulation and control optical signal into an electric signal. According to the nerve regulation and control device, the photoelectric conversion material absorbs the laser to generate the light current, the photoelectric conversion material layer only makes contact with the surface of the cerebral cortex and does not need to be implanted into the brain, the advantages of electrical stimulation and light regulation and control are fused, the nerve regulation and control range is remarkably widened by improving the signal penetration depth through semi-intrusive light-to-electrical stimulation, and the nerve regulation and control efficiency is improved. Meanwhile, the problem of obvious brain tissue damage caused by a traditional method is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of neuromodulation technology, and in particular to a neuromodulation device based on the photoelectric effect. Specifically, the present invention relates to the fields of neuroscience, material science and biomedical engineering, and aims to achieve precise regulation of neuronal activity through advanced photoelectric conversion technology, and to provide a technical solution with broad application prospects in neurological research and clinical treatment. Background Art

[0002] Existing neuromodulation technologies mainly include two methods: electrical stimulation and light regulation. Electrical stimulation technology achieves regulation by directly applying electrical signals to the nervous system. Its advantage is that it can quickly and accurately control neural activity. However, electrical stimulation technology usually requires the implantation of electrodes, which causes significant damage to brain tissue and has strict requirements on the biocompatibility and long-term in vivo stability of the electrodes, resulting in complex surgery and low patient acceptance. In addition, the range of electrical stimulation is limited to the area near the electrode implantation, and the regulation range is limited.

[0003] In contrast, light control technology uses light of a specific wavelength to activate or inhibit neuronal activity, which is non-invasive, less traumatic, and has high spatial resolution. However, the main disadvantage of light control technology is that short-wavelength light signals have poor penetration, and optical fibers need to be implanted into designated brain areas to reduce light loss. The implantation of optical fibers will cause problems similar to brain tissue damage caused by electrodes in electrical stimulation, and the range of light control is limited.

[0004] In the field of neuromodulation, existing technologies have the following main problems:

[0005] 1. Risk of injury from invasive operations: The electrical stimulation method requires the implantation of electrodes to achieve regulation by directly applying electrical signals to the nervous system. This method not only places high demands on the quality and durability of the electrodes, but also, due to the invasiveness of surgical implantation, it will inevitably cause damage to brain tissue, increasing the risk of infection and other complications. Patient acceptance is low, and the surgery is complex and the recovery period is long.

[0006] 2. Penetration limitation of light regulation method: Light regulation technology uses light of a specific wavelength to activate or inhibit neuronal activity, which is non-invasive and has high spatial resolution. However, short-wavelength light has poor penetration, and optical fibers usually need to be implanted to reduce the loss of incident light. The implantation of optical fibers can also cause damage to brain tissue, leading to similar problems as electrical stimulation methods, making it difficult to be widely used in clinical practice.

[0007] 3. Limitations of existing materials and technologies: Although photoelectric materials have been used in the field of photoelectric conversion, it is still a challenge to effectively form a stable neural control device based on this material. In addition, how to ensure the stability and safety of photoelectric conversion materials in the body and how to accurately control the transmission of light and electrical signals are also urgent issues to be solved.

[0008] 4. System integration and operational complexity: Existing photoelectric conversion systems often have deficiencies in the integration of materials and equipment, and cannot form an efficient, stable, and easy-to-operate overall system. This not only affects the effect of neural regulation, but also increases the complexity of operation and the uncertainty of experiments. Summary of the invention

[0009] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a neuromodulatory device based on the photoelectric effect, which significantly improves the range of neuromodulation and reduces the problem of significant brain tissue damage caused by traditional methods.

[0010] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention provides a neural regulation device based on the photoelectric effect, comprising a transparent embedded plate, a photoelectric conversion material layer arranged on the inner surface of the transparent embedded plate, and a focusing laser system, wherein the transparent embedded plate adopts a contoured structure of at least a part of the skull, the focusing laser system is configured to provide a regulation light signal to the transparent embedded plate, and the photoelectric conversion material layer is used to convert the regulation light signal into an electrical signal.

[0011] The photoelectric conversion material layer is directly grown on the inner surface of the transparent embedding plate; the material of the photoelectric conversion material layer includes a photoelectric conversion material capable of hydrothermal synthesis, or a metal oxide capable of being oxidized at high temperature.

[0012] The photoelectric conversion material layer is made of one or more semiconductor materials having a photovoltaic effect in the near-infrared band; and / or the photoelectric conversion material layer is based on a metal oxide semiconductor and is modified with a material for improving conductivity.

[0013] The transparent embedding plate is embedded in the skull of a living being when in use.

[0014] The material of the transparent embedded plate is conductive glass, ordinary quartz glass, or acrylic; and / or a growth substrate is further provided between the transparent embedded plate and the photoelectric conversion material layer, and the growth substrate is polyimide, PDMS or PET.

[0015] The focusing laser system has a light outlet for emitting a control light signal. The light outlet is fixedly mounted on the outer surface of the transparent embedded plate, or is spaced apart from the transparent embedded plate and faces each other.

[0016] The focused laser system includes a laser light source and an optical fiber connected to each other.

[0017] The focusing laser system further includes a light spot focusing device connected to the optical fiber, the number of the optical fiber is one or more, and each optical fiber can only correspond to one light spot focusing device; and / or the focusing laser system further includes an optical path fine-tuning device.

[0018] The laser light source is connected to a control planning module, which includes: a laser light source planning module, which is configured to: before using the non-invasive neural control device, pre-plan and determine the output parameters of the control light signal of the laser light source according to the control target; the output parameters of the control light signal include, for example, at least one of laser illumination, laser power, frequency, irradiation time, and laser pulse width; and a laser light source control module, which is configured to: when the non-invasive neural control device is working, drive the laser light source to work according to the output parameters of the control light signal provided by the laser light source planning module.

[0019] The focusing laser system also includes an optical path fine-tuning device, and the control planning module also includes: an optical path fine-tuning device planning module, which is configured to: before using the non-invasive neural control device, pre-plan and determine the position parameters of the focused light spot according to the control target; and an optical path fine-tuning device control module, which is configured to: when the non-invasive neural control device is working, drive the optical path fine-tuning device to work according to the position parameters of the focused light spot provided by the optical path fine-tuning device planning module.

[0020] The neuroregulatory device based on the photoelectric effect of the present invention generates photocurrent after the photoelectric conversion material absorbs laser light, and the photoelectric conversion material layer only contacts the surface of the cerebral cortex and does not need to be implanted inside the brain. It combines the advantages of electrical stimulation and light regulation, and significantly improves the range of neuroregulation by increasing the signal penetration depth through semi-invasive light-to-electric stimulation, while reducing the problem of significant brain tissue damage caused by traditional methods. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 The figure is an overall structural diagram of a neuroregulatory device based on the photoelectric effect according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2 For Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the positions of a transparent embedding plate and a photoelectric conversion material layer of a neuroregulatory device based on the photoelectric effect is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] like Figure 1 and Figure 2The figure shows a neuromodulator based on the photoelectric effect according to an embodiment of the present invention, which includes a transparent embedded plate 10, a photoelectric conversion material layer 20 provided on the inner surface of the transparent embedded plate 10, and a focusing laser system. The transparent embedded plate 10 adopts a contour structure of at least a part of the skull to replace at least a part of the skull that has been dug out and cover the outside of the neural tissue such as the cerebral cortex. The focusing laser system is configured to provide a control light signal to the transparent embedded plate 10, and the photoelectric conversion material layer 20 is used to convert the control light signal into an electrical signal.

[0024] (I) Photoelectric conversion material layer 20:

[0025] like Figure 2 As shown, in the present invention, the photoelectric conversion material layer 20 is directly grown on the inner surface of the transparent embedding plate 10. Since the photoelectric conversion material layer 20 is grown on the transparent embedding plate 10, the transparent embedding plate 10 covers the surface of the cerebral cortex.

[0026] The material of the photoelectric conversion material layer 20 includes a photoelectric conversion material that can be hydrothermally synthesized, or a metal oxide that can be oxidized at high temperature, such as metal oxides of copper, titanium, zinc, etc. Considering that the transparent embedded plate 10 is suitable for growing materials by hydrothermal method, the photoelectric conversion material layer 20 can be grown in situ and directionally on the transparent embedded plate 10 by hydrothermal method.

[0027] The material of the photoelectric conversion material layer 20 has a high photoelectric conversion efficiency and can effectively convert the regulated light into an electrical signal. Preferably, the material of the photoelectric conversion material layer 20 adopts one or more semiconductor materials having a photovoltaic effect in the near-infrared band to ensure flexibility and applicability in different application scenarios. The maximum wavelength of the input light of the photoelectric conversion material layer 20 is between 780nm and 2526nm. Therefore, after the photoelectric conversion material absorbs near-infrared light, under the action of the photoelectric effect, the semiconductor material generates electron-hole pairs after absorbing the photon energy, thereby realizing photoelectric conversion.

[0028] Preferably, the photoelectric conversion material layer 20 is based on a metal oxide semiconductor, on which basis materials for improving conductivity can be modified, such as gold nanoparticles, upconversion nanoparticles, etc. Thus, the photoelectric conversion material layer 20 modifies other materials by doping, surface gold plating, etc. to improve their conductivity, increase their photoelectric conversion efficiency, form current, and achieve stimulation of the cortex.

[0029] The current intensity generated by the photoelectric material needs to be in the range of one nanoampere to one hundred milliamperes to ensure effective depolarization of neurons and generation of action potentials.

[0030] (ii) Transparent embedded plate 10:

[0031] The transparent embedding plate 10 adopts a structure that imitates at least a part of the skull, and is configured to be embedded in the skull of a living being when in use, so as to replace at least a part of the skull and cover the outside of the neural tissue such as the cerebral cortex.

[0032] In this embodiment, the transparent embedded plate 10 is made of conductive glass. In other embodiments, the transparent embedded plate 10 may be made of transparent light-transmitting materials such as ordinary quartz glass and acrylic in addition to conductive glass.

[0033] In addition, a growth substrate may be provided between the transparent embedding plate 10 and the photoelectric conversion material layer 20. The growth substrate may be polyimide, PDMS or PET, so that the photoelectric conversion material layer 20 is directly grown on the surface of the growth substrate rather than the conductive glass surface to reduce defects.

[0034] (III) Focused laser system:

[0035] See also Figure 1 The focusing laser system is configured to provide a control light signal to the transparent embedded plate 10 .

[0036] The focusing laser system has a light outlet for emitting a control light signal, and the light outlet is fixedly mounted on the outer surface of the transparent embedded plate 10, or is spaced apart from and directly opposite to the transparent embedded plate 10. Thus, the photoelectric conversion material layer 20 can obtain the control light transmitted from the focusing laser system through the transparent embedded plate 10.

[0037] In this embodiment, the focusing laser system includes a laser light source 31, an optical fiber 32 and a light spot focusing device 33 which are connected in sequence, so that the emission surface of the light spot focusing device 33 serves as the light outlet of the focusing laser system.

[0038] The function of the optical fiber 32 is to transmit the laser light generated by the laser light source 31 to the light spot focusing device 33. The number of optical fibers can be one or more. Each optical fiber 32 can only correspond to one light spot focusing device 33 and thus can only form one focused light spot.

[0039] The light spot focusing device 33 may be, for example, a collimator, a focuser, etc. The light spot focusing device 33 is configured to focus the laser beam to generate a focused light spot directly irradiated at a designated position on the transparent embedded plate 10, thereby accurately irradiating a specific brain area to achieve whole-brain illumination and neural regulation.

[0040] The focusing laser system may also include an optical path fine-tuning device such as a MEMS micro-array, so as to change the position of the focused light spot through the optical path fine-tuning device, thereby realizing the regulation of the light spot position. The optical path fine-tuning device may be arranged inside the light spot focusing device 33, or between the light outlet of the focusing laser system and the light spot focusing device 33. The optical path fine-tuning devices such as the MEMS micro-array are all mature commercial products.

[0041] In other embodiments, the light spot focusing device 33 may be omitted, so that the end of the optical fiber 32 is directly used as the light outlet of the focusing laser system.

[0042] The laser light source 31 uses a light source with a maximum power near the absorption peak of the material of the photoelectric conversion material layer 20. In addition, the laser light source 31 can provide a control light signal covering a larger wavelength band, such as light from the blue light band to the infrared band.

[0043] The laser light source 31 is connected to a control planning module (not shown) to obtain a neurocontrol planning scheme according to the control target before the neurocontrol device based on the photoelectric effect of the present invention is used. Therefore, the non-invasive neurocontrol device of the present invention can directly drive the laser light source 31 to work according to the neurocontrol planning scheme when in use, so as to achieve precise control of the output parameters of the control light signal. In some embodiments, the non-invasive neurocontrol device can also directly drive the optical path fine-tuning device to work according to the neurocontrol planning scheme when in use, so as to achieve precise control of the position parameters of the focused light spot.

[0044] The control target includes at least one neural tissue area that needs to be controlled, and the neural control planning scheme includes at least one of the following items: (1) output parameters of the control light signal of the laser light source 31, such as laser illumination, frequency and irradiation time; (2) position parameters of the focusing light spot adjusted by the optical path fine-tuning device, and the position parameters of the focusing light spot correspond to different brain areas.

[0045] The control planning module includes:

[0046] A laser light source planning module, which is configured to: before using the non-invasive nerve regulation device, pre-plan and determine output parameters of the control light signal of the laser light source 31 according to the control target; the output parameters of the control light signal include, for example, at least one of laser illumination, laser power, frequency, irradiation time, and laser pulse width; and

[0047] a laser light source control module, which is configured to: when the non-invasive nerve regulation device is working, drive the laser light source 31 to work according to the output parameters of the regulated light signal provided by the laser light source planning module; and / or

[0048] An optical path fine-tuning device planning module, which is configured to: before using the non-invasive neural regulation device, pre-plan and determine the position parameters of the focused light spot according to the regulation target; and

[0049] The optical path fine-tuning device control module is configured to: when the non-invasive nerve regulation device is working, drive the optical path fine-tuning device to work according to the position parameters of the focus light spot provided by the optical path fine-tuning device planning module.

[0050] The laser light source planning module is usually installed on a computer, and the laser light source control module is usually installed on a controller connected between the laser light source and the computer.

[0051] It has been found that laser power of about 1W, frequency of 0.5Hz to 20Hz, and pulse width of 10ms to 500ms can effectively activate neurons to emit action potentials and avoid the impact of thermal effects. Therefore, the laser output parameters provided by the laser light source planning module include: laser irradiation power of about 1W, frequency of 0.5Hz to 20Hz, and laser pulse width of 10ms to 500ms. Thus, the laser light source control module controls the laser to emit a laser of a certain frequency and pulse width to irradiate the irradiation area, and realizes precise control of the output parameters of the regulated light signal, such as the laser irradiation intensity, frequency and duration, so as to achieve the best neural regulation effect.

[0052] The neuroregulatory device based on the photoelectric effect of the present invention generates photocurrent after the photoelectric conversion material on the photoelectrode glass absorbs laser. Since the electroconversion material is in direct contact with the neural tissue to form a conductive pathway, the photocurrent generated by the photoelectric conversion material layer can directly stimulate the neurons in the cerebral cortex. Moreover, the photoelectric conversion material layer only contacts the surface of the cerebral cortex and does not need to be implanted inside the brain. It combines the advantages of electrical stimulation and photoregulation and realizes semi-invasive photoelectric-electrical stimulation, thereby significantly improving the range of neuroregulation by increasing the signal penetration depth, while reducing the problem of significant brain tissue damage caused by traditional methods. It has the advantages of low invasiveness and a wide range of regulation.

[0053] In addition, the laser light source of the neuroregulatory device based on the photoelectric effect of the present invention is connected to a control planning module, which can realize precise control of neurons, thereby forming an efficient, stable and easy-to-operate neuroregulatory device, overcoming the limitations of the prior art and realizing low-damage, large-range and programmable control of neuroregulation.

[0054] Specifically, the neuromodulator of the present invention has the following advantages:

[0055] 1) Low invasiveness: The present invention embeds the photoelectrode glass into the skull, so that the material contacts the cortical surface instead of being implanted inside the brain, thereby reducing the degree of invasiveness and the problem of severe brain tissue damage caused by traditional stimulation electrodes and light implants.

[0056] 2) Wide range of regulation: By customizing conductive glass of special shapes, the skull of the animal can be completely replaced, so that the entire cerebral cortex can be in contact with the photoelectric material. Combined with a focused laser spot, the photoelectric material on a specific brain area can be accurately irradiated, causing the irradiated material to generate electrons to form an electric current, thereby achieving full-brain range and high spatial resolution neuronal stimulation.

[0057] 3) System uniqueness: The system device of the present invention organically combines photoelectric conversion materials, photoelectrode glass and focusing laser system to form a unique neural regulation device. The system fully utilizes the characteristics of each component to achieve efficient and stable neural regulation effects.

[0058] 4) Programmable control: The laser light source device can achieve precise control of laser intensity, frequency and irradiation time through the program control module, and can be adjusted according to different experimental requirements, with high flexibility and applicability.

[0059] The above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. The above embodiments of the present invention can also be modified in various ways. All simple, equivalent changes and modifications made according to the claims and the description of the present invention fall within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention. The contents not described in detail in the present invention are all conventional technical contents.

Claims

1. A neural control device based on photoelectric effect, characterized in that: The invention comprises a transparent embedded plate, a photoelectric conversion material layer arranged on the inner surface of the transparent embedded plate, and a focusing laser system. The transparent embedded plate adopts a contoured structure of at least a part of a skull. The focusing laser system is configured to provide a control light signal to the transparent embedded plate. The photoelectric conversion material layer is used to convert the control light signal into an electrical signal.

2. The neuromodulator based on photoelectric effect according to claim 1, characterized in that: The photoelectric conversion material layer is directly grown on the inner surface of the transparent embedding plate; the material of the photoelectric conversion material layer includes a photoelectric conversion material capable of hydrothermal synthesis, or a metal oxide capable of being oxidized at high temperature.

3. The neuromodulator based on photoelectric effect according to claim 1, characterized in that: The photoelectric conversion material layer is made of one or more semiconductor materials having a photovoltaic effect in the near-infrared band; and / or The photoelectric conversion material layer is based on a metal oxide semiconductor and is modified with a material for improving conductivity.

4. The neuromodulatory device based on photoelectric effect according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transparent embedding plate is embedded in the skull of a living being when in use.

5. The neuromodulatory device based on photoelectric effect according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material of the transparent embedded plate is conductive glass, ordinary quartz glass, or acrylic; and / or A growth substrate is also provided between the transparent embedding plate and the photoelectric conversion material layer, and the growth substrate is polyimide, PDMS or PET.

6. The neuromodulatory device based on photoelectric effect according to claim 1, characterized in that: The focusing laser system has a light outlet for emitting a control light signal. The light outlet is fixedly mounted on the outer surface of the transparent embedded plate, or is spaced apart from the transparent embedded plate and faces each other.

7. The neuromodulatory device based on photoelectric effect according to claim 1, characterized in that: The focused laser system includes a laser light source and an optical fiber connected to each other.

8. The neuromodulatory device based on photoelectric effect according to claim 7, characterized in that: The focusing laser system further comprises a light spot focusing device connected to the optical fiber, the number of the optical fiber is one or more, and each optical fiber can only correspond to one light spot focusing device; and / or The focusing laser system also includes an optical path fine-tuning device.

9. The neuromodulatory device based on photoelectric effect according to claim 7, characterized in that: The laser light source is connected to a control and planning module, and the control and planning module includes: A laser light source planning module, which is configured to: before using the non-invasive neural regulation device, pre-plan and determine output parameters of the control light signal of the laser light source according to the control target; the output parameters of the control light signal include, for example, at least one of laser illumination, laser power, frequency, irradiation time, and laser pulse width; and The laser light source control module is configured to: when the non-invasive nerve regulation device is working, drive the laser light source to work according to the output parameters of the regulation light signal provided by the laser light source planning module.

10. The neuromodulatory device based on photoelectric effect according to claim 9, characterized in that: The focusing laser system further includes an optical path fine-tuning device, and the control planning module further includes: An optical path fine-tuning device planning module, which is configured to: before using the non-invasive neural regulation device, pre-plan and determine the position parameters of the focused light spot according to the regulation target; and The optical path fine-tuning device control module is configured to: when the non-invasive nerve regulation device is working, drive the optical path fine-tuning device to work according to the position parameters of the focus light spot provided by the optical path fine-tuning device planning module.

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