External field generator, probe based on external field driving and neural electrode system

Abstract

The invention discloses an external field generator, a probe based on external field driving and a neural electrode system. Wherein the neural electrode system comprises an external field generator and a probe which are in signal connection; the probe is used for being fixed in a designated brain area and collecting action potentials of neurons in the brain, and the probe is provided with a composite coating containing an external field response material and a conductive material. The external field generator is used for driving the external field response material in the composite coating to drive the conductive material to perform gradient migration along the short axis of the scar so as to form a continuous conductive micro-channel. The external field response conductive material is used between the glial cells to construct the conductive micro-channel, so that the insulated glial scar is converted into the artificial neural pathway, the total impedance of an electrode-tissue interface is reduced by a plurality of orders of magnitude, the fidelity of electroencephalogram signals is remarkably improved, and the service life of the electrode is prolonged.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of invasive brain-computer interface technology, specifically relating to an external field generator, an external field-driven probe, and a neural electrode system. Background Technology

[0002] In modern neuroscience research and clinical neuromodulation applications, neural electrodes are a key tool widely used in brain-computer interfaces, neural signal recording, deep brain stimulation, and other fields.

[0003] However, when the electrode is inserted into the brain tissue, local microvessels are damaged, triggering an inflammatory cascade. Microglia and astrocytes are activated within hours and continue to proliferate over the next four weeks. The resulting scar is usually an elongated ellipsoid or spindle centered on the electrode wire. Its long axis is consistent with the trajectory and direction of the probe implantation, and its short axis is perpendicular to the long axis, representing the lateral extent of the scar tissue perpendicular to the implantation direction. This reflects the thickness or density of the scar. This scar not only increases the acquisition impedance by several orders of magnitude, but also leads to an increase in the signal-to-noise ratio of the EEG signal, which greatly limits the long-term stability and effectiveness of the neural electrodes.

[0004] The existing solutions fall into the following two categories: Inhibiting glial scar growth, such as suppressing inflammatory responses through drug-eluting coatings and optimizing the micro-nano structure of electrode surfaces, can slow down scar formation to some extent, but cannot fundamentally solve the signal transduction barrier.

[0005] Microelectrodes are fixed to probes using fibers and hydrosols. During operation, the hydrosol dissolves, allowing the microelectrodes to diffuse in the tissue, thereby reducing the impact of insulating scars. However, in this method, the microelectrodes diffuse passively, making it difficult to guarantee long-term stable and high-fidelity signal transmission. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This invention addresses the shortcomings of existing technologies by providing an external field-driven probe, an external field generator, and an external field-driven neural electrode system. Compared with existing methods that passively diffuse microelectrodes, this invention significantly improves the fidelity of EEG signals and extends the lifespan of the electrodes.

[0007] In a first aspect, the present invention provides an external field-driven probe for a neural electrode system, comprising a probe body and a composite coating; The composite coating comprises an external field responsive material and a conductive material; The probe body includes a flexible base, a rod, and a rigid tip arranged sequentially along the axis of the probe body, and the composite coating is applied to the outer surface of the rod. The rod is equipped with a microelectrode array and a generator array; The microelectrode array is used to collect action potentials of neurons in the brain. The source array is used to respond to external control signals to drive the external field response material in the composite coating to cause the conductive material to migrate along the short axis of the scar gradient, so as to form a continuous conductive microchannel.

[0008] As one possible implementation method: The pole is also equipped with a monitoring array; The monitoring array is used to monitor the physical or chemical changes corresponding to the external response material in real time and generate corresponding migration data to be sent to the outside.

[0009] As one possible implementation, the composite coating comprises: Biocompatible materials are used to match the electrical potential and biological properties of brain tissue and inhibit the non-specific adsorption of proteins. Conductive materials; An external field responsive material is used to respond to the external field generated by the source array, carrying the conductive material to migrate away from the probe body, forming the microelectrode array and the conductive microchannel of the brain tissue.

[0010] As one possible implementation method: External fields can include vibrational fields, magnetic fields, thermal fields, optical fields, and electric fields; When the external field is a vibration field, elemental particles that can convert vibration energy into their own mechanical motion or deformation are used as the corresponding external field response materials. When the external field is a magnetic field, elemental particles that can undergo magnetization, magnetic guidance, or magnetostriction under the action of a magnetic field are used as the corresponding external field response materials. When the external field is a thermal field, elemental particles whose physical properties or chemical states change reversibly with temperature are used as the corresponding external field response materials. When the external field is an optical field, elemental particles capable of absorbing photon energy and triggering corresponding photophysical or photochemical processes are used as the corresponding external field response materials. When the external field is an electric field, elemental particles capable of electrostriction, electrophoresis, or electrowetting under the action of the electric field are used as the corresponding external field response materials.

[0011] Secondly, the present invention provides an external field generator connected to a target probe signal, wherein the target probe is any of the external field-driven probes described above; The external field generator is used to control the operation of the source array in the target probe, so as to drive the external field response material in the composite coating of the target probe to drive the conductive material to migrate along the long axis of the scar, forming a continuous conductive microchannel.

[0012] As one possible implementation method: The field generator includes a field detection module, a feedback processing module, and a parameter adjustment module; The field detection module is used to collect the field strength data of the corresponding field in real time and send it to the feedback processing module. The feedback processing module is used to receive field strength data detected by the field detection module, and generate corresponding field strength uniformity index and stability coefficient based on the field strength data. It is also used to receive migration data monitored by the monitoring array in the target probe and generate corresponding deviation based on the migration data. Furthermore, it is used to generate corresponding feedback data based on the field strength uniformity index, stability coefficient, and deviation and send it to the parameter adjustment module. The parameter adjustment module is used to control the operation of the source array in the target probe based on the feedback data.

[0013] As one possible implementation, the parameter adjustment module is used to determine the corresponding external field parameters based on the received feedback data and according to a preset adjustment algorithm, and to control the operation of the generator array based on the external field parameters; The adjustment algorithm includes: Uniformity adjustment rules are used to adjust the intensity and / or source location based on the field strength uniformity index; Stability adjustment rules are used to adjust the field generation frequency based on the stability coefficient; The migration path optimization rule is used to optimize the field source parameters of the corresponding external field source 1122 based on the offset using the gradient descent method, so as to obtain the corresponding external field parameters.

[0014] As one possible implementation, it also includes a data analysis module; The feedback processing module is also used to determine the migration trend based on the migration data, and to perform data analysis and judgment based on the migration trend; When the feedback processing module determines that no data analysis is to be performed, it generates corresponding feedback data based on the field strength uniformity index, stability coefficient, and deviation and sends it to the parameter adjustment module. When the feedback processing module determines that data analysis is to be performed: The feedback processing module sends the migration trend to the data analysis module; The data analysis module outputs corresponding optimization actions based on the migration trend; The feedback processing module generates corresponding feedback data based on the field strength uniformity index, stability coefficient, deviation, and optimization action, and sends it to the parameter adjustment module. When the parameter adjustment module receives feedback data containing optimization actions, it will determine the corresponding field parameters based on the optimization actions and according to the preset adjustment algorithm.

[0015] Thirdly, the present invention provides a neural electrode system based on external field driving: Includes an external field generator and probe connected to the signal; The probe is used to fix itself in a designated brain region and collect action potentials of neurons in the brain. The probe has a composite coating containing an external field responsive material and a conductive material. The external field generator is used to drive the external field response material in the composite coating to cause the conductive material to migrate along the short axis of the scar gradient, thereby forming a continuous conductive microchannel.

[0016] This invention, by adopting the above technical solutions, has significant technical effects: This invention transforms insulating glial scars into artificial neural pathways by constructing conductive microchannels between glial cells using external field-responsive conductive materials. This reduces the total impedance of the electrode-tissue interface by several orders of magnitude, significantly improves the fidelity of EEG signals, and extends the lifespan of electrodes. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a neural electrode system according to the present invention; Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the probe structure; Figure 3 yes Figure 1 The diagram shows the workflow of the neural electrode system in practical applications. Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the module connection of an external field generator according to the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the embodiments. The following embodiments are explanations of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0020] As one possible implementation of the field-driven probe 100 proposed in this application, refer to Figures 1 to 3The probe 100 is used to fix itself in a designated brain region and collect action potentials of neurons in the brain. The probe 100 includes a probe body 110 and a composite coating 120, the composite coating 120 comprising an external field responsive material and a conductive material. The probe has a certain length and needs to be inserted to a certain depth in practical applications. Figures 1 to 3 The white areas represent repetitive, negligible regions (repetitive brain regions and parts of probe 100).

[0021] The probe body 110 is used to fix itself in a designated brain region and collect action potentials of neurons in the brain. The composite coating 120 is used to inhibit non-specific protein adsorption and serves as a substrate for the growth of conductive microchannels. Reference Figure 1 In this embodiment, the probe body 110 includes a flexible base 111, a rod 112 and a rigid tip 113 arranged sequentially along the axis of the probe body 110. The composite coating 120 is applied to the outer surface of the rod portion 112; Note that the composite coating 120 is applied to the outer surface of the rod 112. For the sake of neatness in the drawing, Figures 2 to 3 The figure only shows the composite coating 120 corresponding to the establishment of conductive microchannels. The red spikes in the figure correspond to the growth substrate of the conductive microchannels.

[0022] Probe body 110: Reference Figure 1 In this embodiment, the probe body 110 includes a flexible base 111, a rod 112, and a rigid tip 113 arranged sequentially along the axis of the probe body 110. The flexible base 111 is mounted on the external field generator 200. That is, one end of the rod 112 is connected to the flexible base 111, and the other end is connected to the rigid tip 113. The composite coating 120 is coated on the outer surface of the rod 112.

[0023] The rigid tip 113 is used to penetrate the brain tissue 1000, guide the overall direction of the probe 100, ensure that the probe 100 is inserted into the designated brain region, and ensure stable performance during long-term use. In this embodiment, the rigid tip 113 is a biocompatible metal tip with an anti-oxidation and anti-corrosion surface treatment. Those skilled in the art can choose a biocompatible metal to make the rigid tip 113 according to actual needs, or choose a biocompatible metal tip. This specification does not limit it in detail.

[0024] One end of the flexible base 111 is connected to the external field generator 200, and the other end is connected to the rod 112. In this embodiment, the flexible base 111 is used to fix the initial position of the probe 100 without damaging the meninges, preventing the probe 100 from dislodging or wandering. During the insertion of the probe 100 into the target brain region, the rigid tip 113 guides the rod 112 to slowly insert into the designated area of ​​the brain tissue 1000, and the flexible base 111 partially follows the rod 112 into the brain tissue 1000, so that the probe 100 is in a floating state in the brain tissue 1000. After the probe 100 is inserted, the flexible base 111 is fixed, for example, by using medical-grade silicone rubber glue, thereby fixing the probe 100 to the surface of the skull and ensuring that the probe 100 is stable in position during long-term use. Those skilled in the art can choose from existing and disclosed flexible bases 111 according to actual needs, or select appropriate materials as flexible bases 111 based on the required flexibility, as long as the initial position of probe 100 can be fixed without damaging the meninges. This specification does not limit it in detail.

[0025] Reference Figure 2 The rod 112 includes a rod body, and a microelectrode array, a generator array, and a monitoring array disposed on the rod body; The rod body is made of metal. Those skilled in the art can determine the appropriate metal as the rod body based on actual needs, given its electrical conductivity and flexibility. This embodiment will not describe it in detail. In this embodiment, a microelectrode array and a generator array are fabricated on the surface of the rod body using photolithography. The microelectrode array is used to collect action potentials of neurons in the brain and includes several microelectrodes 1121; The source array is used to respond to external control signals to drive the external field response material in the composite coating 120 to drive the conductive material to migrate along the short axis of the scar to form a continuous conductive microchannel. In this embodiment, the source array includes several external field sources 1122 used to respond to external (external field generator 200) commands to drive the external field response material, that is, the external field source 1122 corresponds to the external field response material in the composite coating 120.

[0026] As one possible implementation, a monitoring array is also fabricated on the surface of the rod body using photolithography. The monitoring array is used to monitor the physical or chemical changes corresponding to the external field response material in real time, and generate corresponding detection data to be sent to the outside. In this embodiment, the monitoring array includes several grating sensors 1123. Specifically, a fiber Bragg grating sensor 1123 is used to monitor the physical or chemical changes of the material in response to the external field in real time; For example, when the external field response material undergoes a stretching effect under the action of an external field, its microstructure changes, causing the Bragg wavelength of the grating sensor 1123 to shift. Since it essentially detects the strain change along the optical fiber axis, it can accurately detect the migration length of the external field response material along the optical migration axis, that is, along the short axis of the scar. Therefore, those skilled in the art can accurately evaluate whether the external field effectively drives the migration of the external field response material based on the characteristic curve of the external field response material.

[0027] Reference Figures 1 to 3 In this embodiment, the probe 100 is a strip-shaped / sheet-shaped axisymmetric structure. The microelectrode array is located at the axis of symmetry of the probe 100. The source array is symmetrically arranged on both sides of the microelectrode array. The monitoring array is symmetrically arranged on both sides of the microelectrode array and located outside the source array (the inner side is the microelectrode array).

[0028] Further: The source array includes source subarrays symmetrically distributed on both sides of the microelectrode array. Each source subarray includes several groups of source units arranged sequentially along the axis of the probe body 110. In this embodiment, the source units correspond one-to-one with the grating sensor 1123. The source units drive the external field response particles to carry conductive particles to establish conductive microchannels at the corresponding grating sensor 1123. Knowing the location of the conductive microchannel (at the corresponding grating sensor 1123) and its growth direction (axial direction of the grating sensor 1123 / scar short axis), those skilled in the art can set up the source array and monitoring array according to their selected external field and external field response particles.

[0029] In this embodiment, each generation source unit includes a first outer generation source pair, an intermediate generation source, and a second outer generation source arranged sequentially along the axis of the probe body 110 and based on a preset interval. In this embodiment, the first outer generation source pair and the second outer generation source each contain two external field generation sources 1122, and the intermediate generation source is one external field generation source 1122.

[0030] In this embodiment, a composite coating 120 is coated on the outer surface of the rod 112. At this time, each microelectrode 1121 can receive electrical signals through the composite coating 120. The composite coating 120 covers each external field source 1122, which can improve its driving effect. Each grating sensor 1123 measures the boundary of the corresponding area of ​​the composite coating 120 from the composite coating 120 to determine the coating position, so as to monitor the physical or chemical changes of the corresponding external field response material.

[0031] Those skilled in the art can set the quantity and distribution of each microelectrode 1121, external field source 1122 and grating sensor 1123 according to actual needs, and this specification does not need to limit them in detail.

[0032] Composite coating 120: The field-responsive composite coating 120 comprises: Biocompatible materials are used to match the 1000 potential and biological properties of brain tissue and inhibit the non-specific adsorption of proteins. Conductive materials are used to form the conductive pathways of the microelectrode array and brain tissue 1000. In this embodiment, an ion-electron hybrid conductive material is used. An external field response material is used to respond to the external field generated by the source array, and carries the conductive material to migrate away from the probe body 110 to form the conductive microchannels of the microelectrode array and brain tissue 1000.

[0033] External fields can include vibration fields, magnetic fields, thermal fields, optical fields, and electric fields.

[0034] When the external field is a vibration field, elemental particles that can convert vibration energy into their own mechanical motion or deformation are used as the corresponding external field response materials. For example, piezoelectric particles with a core-shell structure of iron oxide / silicon dioxide can be used.

[0035] When the external field is a magnetic field, elemental particles that can undergo magnetization, magnetic guidance or magnetostriction under the action of a magnetic field are used as the corresponding external field response materials. For example, neodymium iron boron / gold core-shell structure magnetic particles can be used. When the external field is a thermal field, elemental particles whose physical properties or chemical states change reversibly with temperature are used as the corresponding external field response materials, such as poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) thermosensitive microgel particles. When the external field is a light field, elemental particles that can absorb photon energy and trigger corresponding photophysical or photochemical processes are used as the corresponding external field response materials. For example, gold nanorod / titanium dioxide core-shell structure photosensitive particles can be used. When the external field is an electric field, elemental particles that can produce phenomena such as electrostriction, electrophoresis or electrowetting under the action of an electric field are used as the corresponding external field response materials. For example, polyvinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene ferroelectric particles can be used.

[0036] Those skilled in the art can select the external field and the corresponding external field response material according to actual needs. The external field response material can migrate according to the external field to establish conductive microchannels.

[0037] Specifically, the preparation method of the composite coating 120 includes: S100, Preparation of biocompatible materials; Based on agarose and artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF) solvent, a first biocompatible mixture was prepared by thoroughly stirring and dissolving them in a water bath at 75±2℃. The agarose and artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF) solvent were mixed in a mass ratio of 1:50~70, and in this embodiment, the mass ratio was 1:60. When the first biocompatible mixture is cooled to 40°C, gelatin is added and stirred until completely dissolved to obtain a second biocompatible mixture. The gelatin and the first biocompatible mixture are mixed in a mass ratio of 1:10 to 20. In this embodiment, the mass ratio of gelatin to the mixture is 1:15. The second biocompatible mixture is cooled to 37°C and a ribose crosslinking agent is added. The mixture is stirred to form a uniform biocompatible base solution, i.e., a biocompatible material. The mass ratio of the ribose crosslinking agent to the mixture is 1:10 to 20. In this embodiment, the mass ratio of the ribose crosslinking agent to the mixture is 1:15.

[0038] S200, Preparation of conductive materials; Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SCHNTs) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) in an ethanol solution were dispersed using an ultrasonic disruptor (power set to 300-600 W, 400 W in this embodiment). A SCHNT suspension was obtained, which was homogeneous and stable, meaning it contained no insoluble agglomerated particles and showed no visible stratification or precipitation after standing for 24 hours, indicating complete dispersion. The mass ratio of SCHNTs, ethanol, and DMSO was (0.5-2):(70-90):(10-30), and in this embodiment, the ratio was 1:80:20. The single-walled carbon nanotube suspension and PEDOT:PSS stock solution were mixed at a volume ratio of 1:2 to 4 to obtain the corresponding conductive mixture. In this embodiment, the single-walled carbon nanotube suspension and PEDOT:PSS stock solution were mixed at a volume ratio of 1:3. The resulting conductive mixture was ground into a nanoscale conductive slurry in a planetary ball mill to obtain the corresponding ion-electron hybrid conductive material.

[0039] Note: PEDOT / PSS is a conductive polymer composite material composed of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) / poly(p-styrenesulfonic acid).

[0040] S300, Determine the materials for field response; Selected elemental particles are used as external field response materials.

[0041] S400, Preparation of External Field Response Composite Hydrogel Sodium alginate / chitosan composite hydrogel was used as a carrier and mixed with an external field response material at a mass ratio of 0.8~1.2:1 (1:1 in this example) to obtain an external field response composite hydrogel.

[0042] S500, Preparation of conductive substrate solution; The conductive material prepared in step S200 and the biocompatible material prepared in step S100 are thoroughly mixed at a mass ratio of 1:5 to 8 to obtain the conductive substrate solution. The conductive material will be uniformly distributed in the conductive substrate solution. In this embodiment, the conductive material and the biocompatible material are thoroughly mixed at a mass ratio of 1:6 to ensure that the conductive material is uniformly distributed in the obtained conductive substrate solution.

[0043] S600, Preparation of the composite; The field-responsive composite hydrogel prepared in step S400 is mixed and bonded with the conductive substrate solution prepared in step S500 at a mass ratio of 1:1 to 3 to obtain a composite material. In this embodiment, the field-responsive composite hydrogel and the conductive substrate solution are mixed and bonded at a mass ratio of 1:2. S700, the obtained composite is coated on the outer surface of the rod 112, thereby forming a composite coating 120 on the outer surface of the rod 112; In this embodiment, the thickness of the composite coating 120 is approximately 10 μm. In this embodiment, the design of the composite coating 120 enables the external field responsive material in the composite coating 120 to effectively respond to the external field while driving the conductive material to migrate together.

[0044] In this embodiment, the design of the probe 100 allows for the external control of the source array to drive the external field response material in the composite coating 120 to migrate with conductive particles, thereby constructing an artificial neural pathway for the microelectrode array in the insulating gel scar. This reduces the total impedance of the electrode-tissue interface by several orders of magnitude, significantly improves the fidelity of the EEG signal, and extends the lifespan of the electrode.

[0045] As one possible implementation of the field generator 200 proposed in this application, the field generator 200 is signal-connected to the target probe 100, the target probe 100 being any of the field-driven probes 100 disclosed in the above embodiments. The field generator 200 is used to control the operation of the source array in the target probe 100 to drive the field response material in the composite coating 120 of the target probe 100 to drive the conductive material to migrate along the short axis of the scar gradient, forming continuous conductive microchannels within the dense gelatinous scar.

[0046] Those skilled in the art can determine the growth reference period of glial scars through previous studies and preliminary animal experiments. The growth reference period is used to indicate the mapping relationship between the insertion time of probe 100 and the growth stage of glial scars. Those skilled in the art can also adjust the field response material according to the characteristics of the selected field response material and the corresponding adjustment strategy set in the previous animal experiments and the growth stage. In this embodiment, the adjustment strategy is used to indicate the working mode of each field source 1122 to guide the field response material to migrate along the gradient along the short axis of the scar.

[0047] Reference Figure 4 The field generator 200 includes a field detection module 210, a feedback processing module 220, and a parameter adjustment module 230, specifically: Field detection module 210: The field detection module 210 is used to collect the field strength data of the corresponding field in real time and send it to the feedback processing module 220 to indicate spatial uniformity and stability. In this embodiment, the field strength data includes the external field strength corresponding to each detection point at each detection time.

[0048] Those skilled in the art can use the corresponding field strength sensor as the corresponding field detection mode based on the existing technology according to the external field corresponding to the target probe 100, without needing to provide a detailed introduction.

[0049] Feedback processing module 220: Used to receive field strength data detected by the field detection module 210, and generate corresponding field strength uniformity index and stability coefficient based on the field strength data; It is also used to receive migration data monitored by the monitoring array in the target probe 100, wherein the migration data is the migration detection length of the corresponding position detected by each grating sensor 1123, and to generate a corresponding deviation based on the migration data; It is also used to generate corresponding feedback data based on the field strength uniformity index, stability coefficient and deviation and send it to the parameter adjustment module 230; The method for calculating the field strength uniformity index can be as follows: based on preset rules, extract the external field strength corresponding to each detection point at several detection times from the field strength data, calculate the degree of dispersion of the external field strength at each detection time, and generate the corresponding field strength uniformity index based on the obtained degree of dispersion. The method for calculating the stability coefficient can be as follows: extract the external field intensity sequence corresponding to each detection point from the field intensity data based on preset rules, calculate the data fluctuation of each detection point in the target time range, and generate the corresponding stability coefficient based on the data fluctuation. The method for calculating the deviation can include: calculating the difference between the target migration length corresponding to each grating sensor 1123 and the obtained migration detection length as the deviation; Parameter adjustment module 230: Used to control the operation of the source array in the target probe 100 based on the feedback data; Those skilled in the art can construct corresponding adjustment algorithms based on historical research data and prior animal experiments, according to the characteristics of the selected field-responsive material and the growth stage and state of the gelatinous scar. In actual use, based on the obtained feedback data, the field parameters can be adjusted quickly and accurately according to the adjustment algorithm to ensure that the field-responsive material migrates in the expected manner.

[0050] Since the growth cycle of glial scars does not change much, the growth stage of glial scars can be determined based on the insertion time of probe 100, and the target parameters (target migration length) and adjustment algorithms corresponding to each growth stage can be pre-constructed. The adjustment algorithms corresponding to each growth stage include: The uniformity adjustment rule is used to adjust the intensity and / or the location of the source according to the field strength uniformity index. Specifically, it is used to determine whether correction is needed based on the field strength uniformity index of the field corresponding to the current field source 1122. If correction is needed, the intensity and / or location are adjusted according to the preset field strength adjustment rule. The stability adjustment rule is used to adjust the field generation frequency according to the stability coefficient. Specifically, it is used to determine whether correction is needed based on the stability coefficient of the external field corresponding to the current external field generator 1122. If correction is needed, the field generation frequency is adjusted according to the preset frequency adjustment rule. The migration path optimization rule is used to optimize the field source parameters of the corresponding external field source 1122 based on the offset using the gradient descent method. Specifically, it is used to optimize the field source parameters of the corresponding external field source 1122 based on the offset of each conductive microchannel using the gradient descent method to obtain the corresponding external field parameters. In practical applications, the gradient descent method will be used to further optimize the intermediate field source parameters after improving uniformity and field mutation in this iteration step. That is, the field source position, intensity and frequency obtained after adjustment based on uniformity adjustment rules and stability adjustment rules will be optimized.

[0051] In practical applications, the corresponding external field source 1122 is iteratively controlled based on the above adjustment algorithm. Each iteration step improves the weak uniformity region by adjusting the position or intensity of the field source, while reducing the field generation frequency in the high rate of change region to reduce field abrupt changes. Finally, the field source parameters are optimized using the gradient descent method, so that the obtained migration detection length gradually approaches the target migration length until all indicators meet the preset conditions (such as the migration detection length reaching the target migration intensity), thus completing the establishment of the conductive microchannel in the current generation stage.

[0052] In this embodiment, the parameter adjustment module 230 controls the power drive circuit of the external field generator 1122 through a PWM signal, thereby achieving precise adjustment of parameters such as the type, intensity, and frequency of the external field. Those skilled in the art can control the migration detection length of the external field response material to reach the target migration length by using existing publicly available PWM signal control methods and feedback adjustment methods. This specification will not describe it in detail.

[0053] As one possible implementation, it also includes a data analysis module; The feedback processing module 220 is also used to determine the migration trend based on the migration data and to perform data analysis and judgment based on the migration trend. In this embodiment, when the migration trend indicates that the field migration length is shortened or the shortening value exceeds a preset value, it is determined to perform data analysis and judgment. That is, the migration trend is characterized by the difference between the previous migration detection length and the current migration detection length.

[0054] When the feedback processing module 220 determines that no data analysis is to be performed, it generates corresponding feedback data based on the field strength uniformity index, stability coefficient and deviation and sends it to the parameter adjustment module 230. When the feedback processing module 220 determines that data analysis is to be performed: The feedback processing module 220 sends the migration trend to the data analysis module; The data analysis module outputs corresponding optimization actions based on the migration trend. These optimization actions are used to indicate optimization items and directions, such as increasing field strength and decreasing frequency. The feedback processing module 220 generates corresponding feedback data based on the field strength uniformity index, stability coefficient, deviation, and optimization direction, and sends it to the parameter adjustment module 230. When the parameter adjustment module 230 receives feedback data containing the optimization direction, it will take the optimization direction (increased field strength) as the premise and optimize the corresponding external field parameters, such as the field source location, intensity and / or frequency, according to the preset adjustment algorithm (based on the optimization strategy using gradient descent method).

[0055] If the migration trend indicates growth, or the shrinkage value is relatively small, the parameter adjustment module 230 can control the effective migration of the external field response material by improving uniformity and field mutation. However, in practical applications, there may be encounters with unknown substances that cause significant deviations in the growth path. In this case, it is difficult to achieve effective growth through the preset adjustment algorithm. In response to such situations, this embodiment uses the design of a data analysis module to assist in decision-making. In this embodiment, the data analysis model uses a pre-trained neural network model. The input of the neural network model is the migration trend, and the output is at least one optimization action. Those skilled in the art can manually label the corresponding actions for various migration trends based on experiments, and select existing publicly available neural network models according to actual needs, and train them according to existing training methods. This specification does not impose detailed limitations on them.

[0056] As one possible implementation, a security alarm module is also included; The safety alarm module monitors the operation status of the field generator 200 and the entire system in real time. When it detects that the field intensity exceeds the preset safety range, or detects abnormal field distribution or other potential safety risks, it immediately issues an alarm signal and automatically stops the system to ensure safety during use.

[0057] As one possible implementation, it also includes a power supply module and an energy management module; The power module is used to power the field generator 200 and the target probe 100; The energy management module is used to manage the charging and discharging of the power module and to regulate the voltage of the power supply.

[0058] In this embodiment, the energy management submodule is also used to monitor the power consumption of each module in the field generator 200 and the target probe 100 in real time. By dynamically adjusting the working mode (working / standby) of each module, energy consumption is reduced and the working time of the system is extended while ensuring the normal operation of the system.

[0059] Those skilled in the art can configure existing power management methods for the energy management module according to actual needs.

[0060] As one possible implementation of the external field driven neural electrode system proposed in this application, it includes an external field generator 200 and a probe 100 connected by signals. The probe 100 is used to fix on a designated brain region and collect the action potentials of neurons in the brain. The probe 100 has a composite coating 120 containing an external field responsive material and a conductive material. The composite coating 120 is used to inhibit non-specific protein adsorption and serves as a substrate for the growth of conductive microchannels. The external field generator 200 is used to drive the external field response material in the composite coating 120 to cause the conductive material to migrate along the short axis of the scar, forming continuous conductive microchannels in the dense gelatinous scar.

[0061] The target probe 100 is any of the external field driven probes 100 disclosed in the above embodiments, and the external field generator 200 is any of the external field generators 200 disclosed in the above embodiments.

[0062] In this embodiment, the probe 100 is connected to the external field generator 200. Specifically, one end of the flexible base 111 in the probe 100 is connected to the rod 112, and the other end is fixed to the external field generator 200.

[0063] As a specific case, such as Figure 3 As shown: Under aseptic surgical conditions, a stereotactic instrument is used to slowly insert the probe 100 into the target brain region. During this process, the rigid tip 113 guides the rod 112 to slowly insert into the designated area of ​​the brain tissue 1000. The insertion depth is determined according to the specific condition of the clinical patient. The flexible base 111 follows the rod 112 into the brain tissue 1000, and another part is connected to the external field generator 200, so that the probe 100 is in a floating state in the brain tissue 1000.

[0064] After the probe 100 is inserted, it is fixed to the surface of the skull by the flexible base 111 and medical-grade silicone rubber adhesive to ensure that the probe 100 is stable in position during long-term use.

[0065] Once the probe 100 is inserted, it will immediately trigger an inflammatory response in the brain tissue 1000. Glial cells 1001 will rapidly form around the probe 100. In practical applications, the source array in the rod 112 is controlled by the external field generator 200 to form a corresponding external field. As a result, the external field response material in the composite coating 120 on the surface of the rod 112 carries the conductive material and migrates according to the change of the external field.

[0066] Reference Figure 3 , Figure 3 The diagram, from left to right, illustrates the three stages of gelatinous scar formation and the migration of externally responsive materials in this case study. The specific process is as follows: The first stage, namely Figure 3 In the left image, the rigid tip 113 inevitably severs microvessels and damages neurons during the insertion of probe 100. This process disrupts the integrity of the blood-brain barrier and triggers an inflammatory response in the brain.

[0067] The second stage, namely Figure 3 In the middle image, within hours after probe 100 is implanted, microglia 1001 are activated, their shape changes from branched to amoebic, and they rapidly migrate and aggregate toward the implant. During this stage, the control field generator 200 starts to generate an external field according to a preset pattern, so that the external field response material will start to migrate according to the external field pattern. This case study uses magnetic fields and magnetic field-responsive materials as examples, referring to... Figure 3In this case, the outer source pairs (the first outer source pair and the second outer field source 1122 pair) in the source unit generate a magnetic field with a frequency of 100 Hz and an intensity of 0.05 T. The inner source (the middle source) alternately generates a magnetic field with a frequency of 100 Hz and an intensity of 0.03 T and a magnetic field with a frequency of 100 Hz and an intensity of 0.01 T. The magnetic field responsive particles in the composite coating 120 are subjected to magnetic force and migrate and align along the direction of the magnetic field. The magnetic field responsive particles carry biocompatible materials and ion-electron mixed conductive materials and diffuse uniformly before contacting the glial cells 1001, gradually forming conductive microchannels before being encapsulated by the glial cells 1001. During the migration of the external response material, the intensity of the external field generated by different field sources will change according to the field uniformity index to fill the areas with weak uniformity; the field occurrence frequency of the field source will be adjusted based on the stability coefficient to reduce field abrupt changes; the external field parameters corresponding to different field sources will be continuously coordinated and corrected according to the deviation to ensure that the external response material migrates along the predetermined route.

[0068] The third stage, Figure 3 In the right image, astrocytes 1001 begin to be activated, increase in size and proliferate, significantly upregulate the expression of their intermediate filament proteins, and release inflammatory factors, further exacerbating the inflammatory environment; During this stage, the external field generator 200 further increases parameters such as field strength and field frequency according to the preset adjustment algorithm, while activating more field poles to accelerate the migration of external field response particles away from the probe 100, ensuring that a sufficiently long stable conductive microchannel is completed before the glial scar completely isolates the probe 100 from the brain tissue 1000.

[0069] In summary, this application, through the coordinated operation of probe 100 and external field generator 200, utilizes external field responsive material to migrate through an external field during the formation of glial scars, thereby completing the formation of conductive microchannels in the glial scars. This ensures that even after the glial scars completely isolate probe 100 and brain tissue 1000, high signal-to-noise ratio electrical signal acquisition can still be performed.

[0070] As the device embodiment is basically similar to the method embodiment, the description is relatively simple, and relevant parts can be found in the description of the method embodiment.

[0071] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other.

[0072] Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of the present invention can be provided as methods, apparatus, or computer program products. Therefore, the present invention can take the form of a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, the present invention can take the form of a computer program product embodied on one or more computer-usable storage media (including, but not limited to, disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0073] This invention is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of the method, terminal device (system), and computer program product according to the invention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing terminal device to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing terminal device, generate instructions for implementing the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0074] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing terminal device to operate in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means, which are implemented in a process Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The function specified in one or more boxes.

[0075] These computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing terminal equipment, causing a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable terminal equipment to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable terminal equipment for implementing the process. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The steps of the function specified in one or more boxes.

[0076] It should be noted that: The phrase "an embodiment" or "an embodiment" used in this specification means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. Therefore, the phrase "an embodiment" or "an embodiment" appearing in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment.

[0077] Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been described, those skilled in the art, upon learning the basic inventive concept, can make other changes and modifications to these embodiments. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including the preferred embodiments as well as all changes and modifications falling within the scope of the invention.

[0078] Furthermore, it should be noted that the shapes and names of the parts and components described in the specific embodiments described in this specification may differ. All equivalent or simple variations made to the structure, features, and principles described in this patent concept are included within the protection scope of this patent. Those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains may make various modifications or additions to the described specific embodiments or use similar methods to replace them, as long as they do not depart from the structure of this invention or exceed the scope defined in these claims, they should all fall within the protection scope of this invention.

Claims

1. A field-driven probe for use in a neural electrode system, characterized in that, Includes the probe body and the composite coating; The composite coating comprises an external field responsive material and a conductive material; The probe body includes a flexible base, a rod, and a rigid tip arranged sequentially along the axis of the probe body, and the composite coating is applied to the outer surface of the rod. The rod is equipped with a microelectrode array and a generator array; The microelectrode array is used to collect action potentials of neurons in the brain. The source array is used to respond to external control signals to drive the external field response material in the composite coating to cause the conductive material to migrate along the short axis of the scar gradient, so as to form a continuous conductive microchannel.

2. The probe based on external field driving according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pole is also equipped with a monitoring array; The monitoring array is used to monitor the physical or chemical changes corresponding to the external response material in real time and generate corresponding migration data to be sent to the outside.

3. The probe based on external field driving according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The composite coating comprises: Biocompatible materials are used to match the electrical potential and biological properties of brain tissue and inhibit the non-specific adsorption of proteins. Conductive materials; An external field responsive material is used to respond to the external field generated by the source array, carrying the conductive material to migrate away from the probe body, forming the microelectrode array and the conductive microchannel of the brain tissue.

4. The probe based on external field driving according to claim 3, characterized in that: External fields can include vibrational fields, magnetic fields, thermal fields, optical fields, and electric fields; When the external field is a vibration field, elemental particles that can convert vibration energy into their own mechanical motion or deformation are used as the corresponding external field response materials. When the external field is a magnetic field, elemental particles that can undergo magnetization, magnetic guidance, or magnetostriction under the action of a magnetic field are used as the corresponding external field response materials. When the external field is a thermal field, elemental particles whose physical properties or chemical states change reversibly with temperature are used as the corresponding external field response materials. When the external field is an optical field, elemental particles capable of absorbing photon energy and triggering corresponding photophysical or photochemical processes are used as the corresponding external field response materials. When the external field is an electric field, elemental particles capable of electrostriction, electrophoresis, or electrowetting under the action of the electric field are used as the corresponding external field response materials.

5. An external field generator, characterized in that, The target probe is connected to the target probe signal, wherein the target probe is the external field driven probe as described in any one of claims 1-4; The external field generator is used to control the operation of the source array in the target probe, so as to drive the external field response material in the composite coating of the target probe to drive the conductive material to migrate along the long axis of the scar, forming a continuous conductive microchannel.

6. The field generator according to claim 5, characterized in that: The field generator includes a field detection module, a feedback processing module, and a parameter adjustment module; The field detection module is used to collect the field strength data of the corresponding field in real time and send it to the feedback processing module. The feedback processing module is used to receive field strength data detected by the field detection module, and generate corresponding field strength uniformity index and stability coefficient based on the field strength data. It is also used to receive migration data monitored by the monitoring array in the target probe and generate corresponding deviation based on the migration data. Furthermore, it is used to generate corresponding feedback data based on the field strength uniformity index, stability coefficient, and deviation and send it to the parameter adjustment module. The parameter adjustment module is used to control the operation of the source array in the target probe based on the feedback data.

7. The field generator according to claim 6, characterized in that, The parameter adjustment module is used to determine the corresponding external field parameters based on the received feedback data and according to a preset adjustment algorithm, and to control the operation of the generator array based on the external field parameters; The adjustment algorithm includes: Uniformity adjustment rules are used to adjust the intensity and / or source location based on the field strength uniformity index; Stability adjustment rules are used to adjust the field generation frequency based on the stability coefficient; The migration path optimization rule is used to optimize the field source parameters of the corresponding external field source 1122 based on the offset using the gradient descent method, so as to obtain the corresponding external field parameters.

8. The field generator according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that, It also includes a data analysis module; The feedback processing module is also used to determine the migration trend based on the migration data, and to perform data analysis and judgment based on the migration trend; When the feedback processing module determines that no data analysis is to be performed, it generates corresponding feedback data based on the field strength uniformity index, stability coefficient, and deviation and sends it to the parameter adjustment module. When the feedback processing module determines that data analysis is to be performed: The feedback processing module sends the migration trend to the data analysis module; The data analysis module outputs corresponding optimization actions based on the migration trend; The feedback processing module generates corresponding feedback data based on the field strength uniformity index, stability coefficient, deviation, and optimization action, and sends it to the parameter adjustment module. When the parameter adjustment module receives feedback data containing optimization actions, it will determine the corresponding field parameters based on the optimization actions and according to the preset adjustment algorithm.

9. A neural electrode system based on external field driving, characterized in that: Includes an external field generator and probe connected to the signal; The probe is used to fix itself in a designated brain region and collect action potentials of neurons in the brain. The probe has a composite coating containing an external field responsive material and a conductive material. The external field generator is used to drive the external field response material in the composite coating to cause the conductive material to migrate along the short axis of the scar gradient, thereby forming a continuous conductive microchannel.

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