In-vivo and in-vitro communication method and system based on biological neural pathway

Abstract

The invention discloses an in-vivo and in-vitro communication method and system based on a biological neural pathway, and aims to solve the problems of poor biocompatibility and complex operation of in-vivo and in-vitro communication in the prior art. The in-vivo and in-vitro communication method based on the biological neural pathway comprises the steps that information needing to be transmitted is modulated through a transmitting end, and bullfrog sciatic nerves are electrically stimulated through electrodes to generate composite action potential (CAPs); the composite action potential is conducted to nerve endings along sciatic nerve fibers, so that neurotransmitters are promoted to be released, end plate potential (EPP) is triggered, muscle contraction is caused, and surface electromyogram signals (sEMG) are generated; and the receiving end detects the change of the sEMG signal through the surface electrode, and amplifies, filters and judges the sEMG signal to obtain information sent by the transmitting end. According to the method, in-vivo and in-vitro information transmission is achieved through the biological neural channel, and the method has the advantages of being high in biological compatibility, natural in communication mode and small in trauma.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of biomedical information, and particularly relates to a method and system for in-vivo and in-vitro communication based on biological neural pathways. Background Art

[0002] With the development of biomedical technology, there is a new need to achieve information exchange between the inside and outside of the body.

[0003] Due to the severe attenuation of radio communication by human tissues and the biocompatibility problems of radio devices, traditional wireless electromagnetic communication has limitations in this field. Therefore, currently, the communication between the inside and outside of the body mainly relies on invasive hardware devices with poor biocompatibility and highly complex external detection devices. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a method and system for in-vivo and in-vitro communication based on biological neural pathways, which solves the problem that the current communication between the inside and outside of the body in the prior art is limited by invasive hardware devices with poor biocompatibility and highly complex external detection devices.

[0005] The present invention adopts the following technical solutions to solve the above technical problems: A method for in-vivo and in-vitro communication based on biological neural pathways, After modulating the information to be transmitted by a transmitting end, it is applied to an electrode, and the electrode is used to electrically stimulate biological nerve fibers to generate compound action potentials; The compound action potentials are conducted along the biological nerve fibers to the nerve endings, where neurotransmitters are released from the presynaptic membrane, triggering endplate potentials and promoting muscle contraction to generate surface electromyographic signals; The receiving end detects the surface electromyographic signals and decodes them according to their amplitude changes to restore the information sent by the transmitting end.

[0006] When the transmitting end transmits bit "1", one kind of electrical stimulation is applied to the biological nerve, and when transmitting bit "0", another kind of electrical stimulation is applied.

[0007] The receiving end processes the surface electromyographic signals through a signal amplifier and a filter; according to the differences in the surface electromyographic signals, the signals are demodulated into bit sequences of bit "1" and bit "0". The electrical stimulation signal is in the form of a square wave.

[0008] The surface electromyographic signals captured by the receiving end through the electrode are first subjected to signal amplification and filtering to remove noise interference in the environment, and then decoding operations are performed.

[0009] Power frequency interference is eliminated through a band-stop filter.

[0010] An in-vivo and in-vitro communication system based on a biological neural pathway, comprising a transmitting end, a receiving end, and a biological neural channel; wherein, the transmitting end includes a signal encoding and modulating device and a transmitting electrode; the receiving end includes a signal demodulating device and a receiving electrode; the biological neural channel is a nerve-muscle specimen with biological activity; the transmitting electrode is in contact connection with the nerve-muscle specimen, and the receiving electrode is in contact connection with the muscle surface.

[0011] The receiving end displays and records the waveform of the surface electromyogram signal in real time through a data acquisition device.

[0012] A computer-readable storage medium, on which computer-readable instructions are stored, and when the computer-readable instructions are executed by a processor, all or part of the steps of the method are called.

[0013] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: 1. The in-vivo and in-vitro communication method based on a neural channel uses a biological nerve as an information transmission channel, converts an external electrical stimulation signal into an electrical signal that can be conducted within nerve fibers, and finally converts it into a surface electromyogram signal (sEMG) to be received by a receiving device on the muscle surface, thereby realizing information transmission in the biological channel.

[0014] 2. The biological nerve as a communication channel ensures good biocompatibility of information transmission and provides a more natural and less invasive in-vivo and in-vitro information transmission method. Description of the Drawings

[0015] Figure 1 It is a flowchart of the in-vivo and in-vitro communication method based on a biological neural pathway of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 2 It is a composition diagram of the in-vivo and in-vitro communication system based on a biological neural pathway of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 3 It is a connection diagram of the in-vivo and in-vitro communication system based on a biological neural pathway of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 4 It is a membrane potential waveform diagram of the receiving end of the in-vivo and in-vitro communication system based on a biological neural pathway of the present invention. Detailed Embodiments

[0019] The structure and working process of the present invention will be further described below with reference to the drawings.

[0020] Based on the problems in the background art, the present application provides an in-vivo and in-vitro communication method based on a biological neural pathway. Using the sciatic nerve-gastrocnemius muscle as the information transmission channel, binary information is converted into nerve signals that can be conducted within nerve fibers through electrical stimulation, and finally received in the form of surface electromyogram (sEMG) signals, realizing information transmission in a biological channel. It has the advantages of novel communication methods and high biocompatibility, thus realizing information transmission between the inside and outside of the body.

[0021] Next, the technical solutions of the present application, as well as how the technical solutions of the present application solve the above technical problems, will be specifically described through embodiments in combination with the accompanying drawings. The embodiments can be combined with each other, and the same or similar concepts or processes may not be repeated in some embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all of the embodiments.

[0022] An in-vivo and in-vitro communication method based on a biological neural pathway After the information to be transmitted is modulated by the transmitter and applied to the electrode, the electrode is used to electrically stimulate the biological nerve fiber to generate a compound action potential. The compound action potential is conducted along the biological nerve fiber to the nerve terminal, the presynaptic membrane releases neurotransmitters, triggering an endplate potential and promoting muscle contraction to generate a surface electromyogram signal. The receiver detects the surface electromyogram signal and decodes it according to its amplitude change to restore the information sent by the transmitter.

[0023] When the transmitter transmits bit "1", one kind of electrical stimulation is applied to the biological nerve, and when transmitting bit "0", another kind of electrical stimulation is applied.

[0024] An in-vivo and in-vitro communication system based on a biological neural pathway includes a transmitter, a receiver, and a biological nerve channel; wherein, the transmitter includes a signal encoding modulator and a transmitting electrode; the receiver includes a signal demodulator and a receiving electrode; the biological nerve channel is a nerve-muscle specimen with biological activity; the transmitting electrode is in contact connection with the nerve-muscle specimen, and the receiving electrode is in contact connection with the muscle surface.

[0025] Specific Embodiment 1, as Figure 1 shown An in-vivo and in-vitro communication method based on the sciatic nerve-gastrocnemius muscle is provided. In this embodiment, the method may include the following steps: Step 100: The information to be transmitted is encoded and modulated by the transmitter, and an electrical stimulation is applied to the sciatic nerve of the bullfrog through the electrode to generate compound action potentials (CAPs).

[0026] Step 200: The compound action potential is conducted along the sciatic nerve fiber of the bullfrog to the nerve terminal, prompting the presynaptic membrane to release neurotransmitters; the neurotransmitters bind to the muscle cell receptors, triggering an endplate potential (EPP), causing the release of calcium ions, and then inducing muscle contraction and generating surface electromyogram signals (sEMG).

[0027] Step 300: After the sEMG is received by the surface electrode, the receiving end captures, amplifies, and filters the signal to eliminate environmental noise.

[0028] Step 400: The receiving end determines whether the signal voltage exceeds the threshold by comparing it with a preset threshold, and then decodes bit "1" or bit "0" to restore the original information sequence sent by the transmitting end.

[0029] Specifically, in step 100, the transmitting end uses on-off keying (OOK) modulation to encode information according to bits "1" and "0", applying an electrical stimulus to the sciatic nerve of the bullfrog when transmitting bit "1" and not applying an electrical stimulus when transmitting bit "0".

[0030] In a possible implementation, the receiving end performs decision demodulation based on the received surface electromyogram signal (sEMG). Specifically, when the signal voltage exceeds the preset voltage threshold, the received information is demodulated as bit "1"; when the signal voltage is lower than the threshold, the received information is demodulated as bit "0".

[0031] Specific embodiment two, as Figure 2 、 Figure 3 shown, Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the hardware platform of an in-vivo and in-vitro neural communication system based on a biological neural pathway shown in this embodiment, Figure 3 is a physical diagram of the in-vivo and in-vitro neural communication system shown in this embodiment.

[0032] Specifically: The transmitting end consists of an ALC-MPA biological signal analyzer and electrodes, which are used to apply electrical stimulus signals to the sciatic nerve of the bullfrog. Among them, the ALC-MPA biological signal analyzer controls the electrodes to generate electrical stimuli and contacts the nerve through the electrodes to apply square wave stimuli to trigger compound action potentials (CAPs). The transmitting end uses on-off keying (OOK) modulation to carry information on the neural channel, encoding information according to bit "1" or "0", corresponding to applying or not applying an electrical stimulus respectively. An electrical stimulus is applied to the sciatic nerve when transmitting bit "1", and no electrical stimulus is applied when transmitting bit "0".

[0033] The receiving end consists of the receiving electrodes, signal amplifiers, and filters of the ALC-MPA biosignal analyzer, and is used to capture the surface electromyogram (sEMG) signals conducted to the muscle surface. The receiving end removes environmental noise through signal amplification and filtering for subsequent signal processing and display. By detecting and comparing the amplitude of the received signal within each bit period with a preset threshold, when the signal amplitude is higher than the preset threshold, the received information is demodulated as bit "1"; when the signal amplitude is lower than the preset threshold, the received information is demodulated as bit "0"; the transmitted bit information is decoded to restore the original information sent by the transmitting end.

[0034] The receiving end displays and records the waveform of the surface electromyogram (sEMG) signals in real time through a data acquisition device.

[0035] The nerve channel selects the sciatic nerve of the bullfrog as the communication channel. The compound action potential triggered by the conduction of electrical stimuli in the nerve fibers simulates the process of nerve signal transmission in the living body. The structure of the bullfrog sciatic nerve is similar to that of mammalian nerve fibers, with multiple nerve fibers of different diameters. This enables it to simulate the transmission process of mammalian nerve signals under electrical stimulation, providing a good experimental model for the nerve channel, with good biocompatibility and repeatability.

[0036] The reasons for choosing the bullfrog nerve as the nerve communication channel include: 1) The axon nerve is relatively long and easy to extract; 2) The survival time of the nerves of amphibians in vitro is much longer than that of mammals such as mice, rats, and rabbits; 3) The cost of bullfrogs is relatively low. In the experiment, the brain tissue outside the bullfrog will be damaged, and the sciatic nerve will be freed. The separation of the nerve trunk starts from the main trunk near the spinal cord and extends along the common peroneal nerve or tibial nerve all the way to near the ankle joint. After cutting off all the branches of the nerve, it is fixed on the muscle plate to make a sciatic nerve-gastrocnemius muscle specimen. After the specimen is made, it is immersed in Ringer's solution for several minutes until its excitability is stable.

[0037] The processing device for the bullfrog sciatic nerve includes a perfusion pump and a Ringer's solution cylinder. The perfusion pump is used to inject Ringer's solution into the Ringer's solution cylinder, and the bullfrog sciatic nerve is immersed in the Ringer's solution for processing.

[0038] After making the bullfrog sciatic nerve into a sciatic nerve-gastrocnemius muscle specimen, it is then immersed in Ringer's solution.

[0039] Figure 4 It is the membrane potential waveform diagram of the receiving end for transmitting "1011011101" on the communication platform.

[0040] On this platform, when the transmitting end sends the bit sequence "1011011101", the sciatic nerve of the bullfrog is stimulated to generate compound action potentials (CAPs). The CAPs are conducted along the sciatic nerve of the bullfrog to the terminals, prompting the release of neurotransmitters, binding to the muscle cell receptors, generating endplate potentials (EPPs), triggering the release of calcium ions and muscle contractions, and finally generating surface electromyogram signals (sEMG).

[0041] The receiving end processes the data through the surface electromyogram signal (sEMG). After amplification, filtering, and information decision-making, the original bit sequence "1011011100101" is successfully restored, thus achieving the goal of accurately transmitting the signal from inside the body to the outside, and expanding the application of nerve signal transmission in the field of biomedicine.

[0042] The communication process and principle of the above embodiments are as follows: Electrical stimulation is applied to the sciatic nerve of the bullfrog through the device, acting on the nerve fiber membrane and changing its potential. When the electrical stimulation causes the membrane potential to depolarize and reach the threshold, the sodium ion channels open, sodium ions flow inward, and action potentials are generated. Since the sciatic nerve is composed of nerve fibers of different thicknesses, the electrical stimulation will simultaneously stimulate these fibers to generate their respective action potentials. These single action potentials are superimposed within the nerve to form compound action potentials (CAPs). The CAPs are conducted along the nerve fibers, transmitting the electrical signal to the distal nerve terminals, triggering the release of neurotransmitters. This neurotransmitter binds to the receptors on the surface of muscle cells, initiating the opening of ion channels and causing changes in the membrane potential, which is called the endplate potential (EPP). Subsequently, the EPP promotes the release of calcium ions, and the calcium ions quickly bind to muscle actin, triggering muscle contractions. This contraction generates tiny currents and forms surface electromyogram signals (sEMG) on the surface of the muscle, which are detected by the surface electrodes placed on the muscle, achieving efficient information transmission.

[0043] The sEMG captured by the receiving end through the electrodes first undergoes signal amplification and filtering processing to remove noise interference in the environment, especially effectively eliminating power frequency interference (such as 50Hz noise) through a band-stop filter. Then, the processed signal is compared with a preset threshold. If the signal voltage captured within a certain time period exceeds this threshold, it is judged as bit "1", otherwise it is judged as bit "0". Through this process, the nerve signal is successfully demodulated and restored to the original binary information sequence.

[0044] It should be understood that although the steps in the flowcharts involved in the above embodiments are shown in sequence according to the indication, these steps are not necessarily executed in the order indicated. Unless there is a clear indication in this article, there is no strict order restriction for the execution of these steps, and these steps can be executed in other orders. Moreover, at least a part of the steps in the flowcharts involved in the above embodiments may include multiple steps or multiple stages. These steps or stages are not necessarily executed at the same moment, but can be executed at different moments. The execution order of these steps or stages is not necessarily sequential, but can be executed alternately or in turn with at least a part of other steps or steps or stages in other steps.

[0045] The above-described embodiments merely represent several implementation manners of the present application. The description is relatively specific and detailed, but it should not be construed as a limitation on the scope of the invention patent. It should be noted that for those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the concept of the present application, several modifications and improvements can still be made, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the patent of the present application shall be subject to the appended claims.

[0046] The present application also discloses a computer-readable storage medium, on which computer-readable instructions are stored. When the computer-readable instructions are executed by a processor, all or part of the steps of the method are called.

[0047] If the above functions are implemented in the form of software function units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present invention, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a part of this technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for causing a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of the present invention. The foregoing storage medium includes: various media such as USB flash drives, mobile hard disks, read-only memories (ROM, Read-Only Memory), random access memories (RAM, Random Access Memory), magnetic disks, or optical discs that can store program codes.

Claims

1. A method for in-vivo and in-vitro communication based on biological neural pathways, characterized in that: Including, The information to be transmitted is modulated by the transmitting end and then applied to the electrode, and the bio - nerve fiber is electrically stimulated by the electrode to generate a compound action potential; The compound action potential is conducted along the bio - nerve fiber to the nerve terminal, and the presynaptic membrane releases neurotransmitters, triggering an end - plate potential and prompting muscle contraction to generate a surface electromyogram signal; The receiving end detects the surface electromyogram signal and decodes it according to its amplitude change to restore the information sent by the transmitting end.

2. The in-vivo and in-vitro communication method based on biological neural pathways according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the transmitting end transmits bit "1", one kind of electrical stimulation is applied to the bio - nerve, and when transmitting bit "0", another kind of electrical stimulation is applied.

3. The in-vivo and in-vitro communication method based on biological neural pathways according to claim 2, wherein: The receiving end processes the surface electromyogram signal through a signal amplifier and a filter; according to the difference of the surface electromyogram signal, the signal is demodulated into a bit sequence of bit "1" and bit "0".

4. The in-vivo and in-vitro communication method based on a biological neural pathway according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electrical stimulation signal is in the form of a square wave.

5. The in-vivo and in-vitro communication method based on biological neural pathways according to claim 4, characterized in that: The surface electromyogram signal captured by the receiving end through the electrode is first processed by signal amplification and filtering to remove noise interference in the environment, and then a decoding operation is performed.

6. The in-vivo and in-vitro communication method based on biological neural pathways according to claim 5, characterized in that: Power - frequency interference is eliminated by a band - stop filter.

7. An in-vivo and in-vitro communication system based on a biological neural pathway, characterized in that: Including a transmitting end, a receiving end and a bio - nerve channel; wherein, the transmitting end includes a signal encoding and modulating device and a transmitting electrode; the receiving end includes a signal demodulating device and a receiving electrode; the bio - nerve channel is a nerve - muscle specimen with biological activity; the transmitting electrode is in contact connection with the nerve - muscle specimen, and the receiving electrode is in contact connection with the muscle surface.

8. The in-vivo and in-vitro communication system based on a biological neural pathway according to claim 7, wherein: The receiving end displays and records the waveform of the surface electromyogram signal in real time through a data acquisition device.

9. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: Computer - readable instructions are stored on the computer - readable storage medium, and when the computer - readable instructions are executed by a processor, all or part of the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6 are called.

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