Interventional intracranial electrode bearing support

Abstract

The invention provides an interventional intracranial electrode bearing support, and belongs to the technical field of brain-computer interfaces in medical instruments. The stent comprises a stent body with a radial compression state and an expansion state, the stent body is used for being arranged at the set position of an intracranial blood vessel, a plurality of elastic supporting structures capable of deforming in various directions are arranged on the outer side wall of the stent body at intervals in the circumferential direction and / or the axial direction, and electrode plates are fixedly arranged at the ends, away from the stent body, of the elastic supporting structures; when the support body deforms, the elastic supporting structure is used for buffering deformation force in multiple directions so as to guarantee the position stability of the electrode plates. The electrode bearing support is mainly used for solving the technical problems that according to an existing electrode bearing support, the attaching stability of electrode plates is insufficient, the signal collection quality is affected, and the overall reliability of a system is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of brain-computer interface technology in medical devices, and specifically relates to an interventional intracranial electrode support stent. Background Technology

[0002] The intracranial electrode support scaffold is an implantable bioelectronic device. Positioned within intracranial blood vessels, it serves as a crucial bridge connecting the brain to external computing devices. Its core function is to capture raw neural electrical signals at the implantation site and transmit these vital bioelectrical data to a subcutaneously implanted pulse generator or signal processor. After initial processing, the data is sent, ultimately providing a stable, long-term neural electrical signal acquisition channel and a precise neural stimulation interface for specific brain regions. Currently, by distributing and integrating micro-sensing units on its main structure surface, the scaffold can achieve high-fidelity recording of localized brain electrical activity, ensuring the accuracy of neural electrical signal acquisition. Simultaneously, it can also serve as an execution carrier for neural modulation, applying precise and controllable electrical stimulation to target neural tissue. This provides indispensable hardware support for basic research and clinical treatment of central nervous system diseases, demonstrating significant application value in neuroscience and biomedical engineering.

[0003] In existing technologies, the electrode pads of intracranial electrode support stents are typically designed to be directly and integrally fixed to the stent body. The application process of this design is as follows: first, the electrode pads and the stent body are pre-assembled into an integrated structure; then, the integrated stent is delivered to the target intracranial blood vessel location using interventional surgical equipment. After the stent is released, it automatically expands due to its own structural characteristics, thereby allowing the electrode pads fixed to the stent surface to directly adhere to the inner wall of the blood vessel, completing the preparatory work for signal acquisition.

[0004] However, this design scheme, in which the electrode sheet is integrally fixed with the support body, has the following technical defects that urgently need to be addressed: First, the walls of intracranial blood vessels possess natural elasticity and undergo continuous periodic diastolic and systolic movements in sync with the heartbeat. When the integrated stent expands and adheres to the blood vessel wall, the elastic deformation and pulsation of the vessel wall are directly transmitted to the stent body, inevitably causing overall stent deformation. Because the electrode pads are rigidly connected to the stent body, the deformation of the stent directly drives the displacement of the electrode pads. This displacement results in a dynamic and unstable adhesion between a large number of electrode pads and the inner wall of the blood vessel, making it impossible to maintain continuous and tight contact.

[0005] Secondly, stable contact between the electrode pads and the blood vessel wall is a prerequisite for ensuring high-fidelity acquisition of neural electrical signals. The aforementioned displacement issues directly lead to a series of signal anomalies: First, frequent changes in the contact pressure between the electrode pads and the blood vessel wall cause fluctuations in contact resistance, which in turn cause irregular fluctuations in the amplitude and phase of the acquired signal. Second, the positional drift of the electrode pads causes their acquisition range to continuously deviate from the target neural tissue area, and the electrical signals of the originally focused specific brain region are covered by interference signals from irrelevant areas, resulting in a significant decrease in the signal-to-noise ratio. Third, in extreme cases, the electrode pads may temporarily detach from the blood vessel wall, causing signal interruption. These problems collectively result in the inability to guarantee the accuracy and reliability of neural electrical signal acquisition.

[0006] Finally, for implantable bioelectronic devices, long-term stability is one of the core requirements. Unstable electrode adhesion and signal fluctuations not only affect the scientific validity of data in basic research, but also have a direct impact on clinical treatment applications. Furthermore, existing stents, because their entire outer wall needs to be attached to blood vessels, will continuously scrape and damage the vascular intima, causing intimal hyperplasia or inflammatory response, resulting in signal attenuation due to tissue hyperplasia, which in turn reduces the safety and reliability of the entire neuromodulation system.

[0007] Therefore, there is a need to provide an improved technical solution that addresses the shortcomings of the existing technology. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The purpose of this invention is to provide an interventional intracranial electrode support stent to solve the technical problems of insufficient electrode fit stability, affected signal acquisition quality, and reduced overall system reliability in existing electrode support stents.

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, the interventional intracranial electrode support stent of the present invention provides the following technical solution: An interventional intracranial electrode support stent includes a stent body having a radially compressed state and an expanded state, for placement at a predetermined position on an intracranial blood vessel. The outer side wall of the stent body is provided with a plurality of elastic support structures that can deform in multiple directions at intervals in the circumferential and / or axial directions. An electrode sheet is fixedly disposed at the end of the elastic support structure away from the stent body. When the support body deforms, the elastic support structure is used to buffer the deformation forces in multiple directions to ensure the positional stability of the electrode sheet.

[0010] As a further optimized technical solution, the elastic support structure is formed by multiple support arms spaced circumferentially, with one end of the support arm fixedly connected to the bracket body and the other end fixedly connected to the electrode sheet.

[0011] As a further optimized technical solution, the support arm is inclined so that the elastic support structure is conical, and the electrode sheet is disposed at the small diameter end of the elastic support structure.

[0012] As a further optimized technical solution, the elastic support structure is a spiral winding structure.

[0013] As a further optimized technical solution, the diameter of the spiral winding structure gradually decreases from the end closer to the support body to the end farther away from the support body.

[0014] As a further optimized technical solution, the axis of the spiral winding structure is arranged radially along the support body.

[0015] As a further optimized technical solution, a flexible conductive gel layer is provided on the side of the electrode sheet facing away from the support body.

[0016] As a further optimized technical solution, the flexible conductive gel layer is provided with an array of protrusions.

[0017] As a further optimized technical solution, each of the electrode pads is an arc-shaped structure arranged coaxially with the stent body to fully conform to the blood vessel wall.

[0018] As a further optimized technical solution, the elastic support structure is made of superelastic nickel-titanium alloy or biocompatible flexible polymer material.

[0019] Beneficial effects: First, this invention, by setting an elastic support structure on the stent body, allows the electrode pads to be mounted on the stent body via this elastic support structure. Compared to existing methods where the electrode pads are directly mounted on the stent body, this provides further support for the electrode pads. In addition to the stent body, the elastic support structure further enhances the pressure of the electrode pads against the blood vessel wall, ensuring a better fit and higher signal acquisition quality. Secondly, the elastic support structure acts as a buffer, isolating and buffering the deformation force when the stent body deforms with blood vessel pulsation through multi-dimensional (radial, axial, circumferential) elastic deformation (such as bending, stretching, and torsion). This allows the electrode pads to function like a floating platform, adapting to the contour and movement of the blood vessel wall within a certain range, thus maintaining a continuous, stable, and constant-pressure ideal contact state. This is the physical basis for achieving high-quality signal acquisition.

[0020] Secondly, based on the fundamental improvement of the aforementioned elastic support structure, this invention can effectively eliminate a series of signal anomalies caused by contact instability. On the one hand, constant contact pressure ensures the stability of the electrode tissue interface impedance, thereby enabling the acquired neural electrical signals to exhibit high stability in amplitude and phase, avoiding irregular baseline drift and waveform distortion. On the other hand, the stability of the electrode position allows its sensing area to continuously focus on the target neural tissue, effectively reducing irrelevant bioelectrical signals (such as electrical noise from adjacent muscle groups) introduced by sensing area drift, thereby significantly improving the signal-to-noise ratio. Furthermore, it fundamentally avoids the instantaneous detachment of the electrode due to macroscopic displacement, ensuring seamless and continuous data flow, and providing a key guarantee for brain-computer interface applications that require real-time, uninterrupted signal input.

[0021] Finally, this invention effectively enhances the system safety and reliability of the implanted stent: the elastic support structure of this invention transforms direct contact rigid impact into flexible buffering, and effectively reduces the contact area between the stent body and the blood vessel wall, greatly reducing mechanical stimulation to the blood vessel wall. This not only reduces the risk of complications and improves implantation safety, but also avoids signal attenuation caused by tissue hyperplasia, thereby helping to maintain the long-term stability of electrode performance and extending the effective service life of the entire brain-computer interface system.

[0022] Furthermore, the flexible conductive gel layer on the side of the electrode pad facing away from the stent allows the flexibility of the flexible conductive gel layer to fully fill the irregular gaps between the electrode pad and the blood vessel wall, achieving a maximum effective contact area and significantly reducing interfacial contact resistance.

[0023] Furthermore, the flexible conductive gel layer and the raised dot array on the side of the electrode pad facing away from the stent further penetrate and adhere to the soft tissue of the blood vessel wall through discrete contact points, establishing a more direct and stable mechanical anchoring and electrical pathway, thus doubly ensuring the tightness of the interface. At the same time, the flexible conductive gel layer provides a stable and uniform conductive medium, while the raised dot array, through the local pressure concentration effect, can more effectively displace extremely thin non-conductive tissue fluid or biological membranes, forming a lower and more stable local contact impedance, which is beneficial for acquiring higher amplitude and clearer neural electrical signals. In addition, the microstructure of the raised dot array increases the friction of the interface, playing an anti-slip role, forming a synergistic anti-displacement mechanism with the elastic support structure, significantly enhancing the position locking ability of the electrode pad in the dynamic vascular environment. Attached Figure Description

[0024] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this application, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The illustrative embodiments of the invention and their descriptions are used to explain the invention and do not constitute an undue limitation of the invention. Wherein: Figure 1This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of Embodiment 1 of the interventional intracranial electrode support stent of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram from one perspective of Embodiment 1 of the interventional intracranial electrode support stent of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram from another perspective of Embodiment 1 of the interventional intracranial electrode support stent of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of Embodiment 2 of the interventional intracranial electrode support stent of the present invention.

[0025] In the figure: 100, support body; 200, elastic support structure; 210, support arm; 300, electrode sheet; 310, flexible conductive gel layer; 320, protrusion. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0027] In the description of this invention, the terms "longitudinal," "lateral," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," and "bottom," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing the invention and do not require the invention to be constructed and operated in a specific orientation; therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the invention. The terms "connected" and "linked" used in this invention should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection or a detachable connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through intermediate components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms according to the specific circumstances. Furthermore, the term "proximal end" uniformly refers to the end closer to the operator, while "distal end" refers to the end farther from the operator.

[0028] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described herein can be combined with each other.

[0029] The shapes and sizes of the components in the accompanying drawings do not reflect the actual proportions of the product; they are only intended to illustrate the content of the invention.

[0030] This invention provides an interventional intracranial electrode support stent, primarily addressing the technical problems of unstable electrode pad adhesion and poor signal acquisition quality in existing stents. The stent includes a radially compressible and expandable stent body 100, with multiple multi-directionally deformable elastic support structures 200 spaced circumferentially and / or axially along its outer side wall. Electrode pads 300 are disposed distal to the elastic support structures 200. The elastic support structures 200 can be arranged in a multi-support arm 210 enclosure or spiral winding structure. The electrode pads 300 have an arc-shaped structure and a flexible conductive gel layer 310 with protrusions 320 is disposed on the electrode pads 300. The elastic support structures 200 are made of superelastic nickel-titanium alloy or biocompatible polymer. This invention utilizes an elastic support structure 200 to induce multi-directional elastic deformation in the stent body 100 when it deforms due to vascular pulsation. This effectively buffers and absorbs the deformation force, ensuring that the electrode pad 300 maintains a stable dynamic position relative to the vascular wall. This effectively solves the problems of poor signal quality, low signal-to-noise ratio, and signal interruption caused by unstable adhesion between the electrode and the vascular interface in the prior art, and significantly improves the accuracy of neural signal acquisition and the long-term reliability of the system.

[0031] Example 1 like Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown, the interventional intracranial electrode support stent includes a stent body 100, which has a radially compressed state and an expanded state. In the radially expanded state, the stent body 100 is a cylindrical structure used for placement at a predetermined location on an intracranial blood vessel. In this embodiment, the stent body 100 is a mesh structure formed by braiding nickel-titanium alloy wires or laser-cut nickel-titanium alloy tubes, possessing excellent self-expansion performance and radial support force. Multiple independent elastic support structures 200 are fixed circumferentially and axially at intervals on multiple mesh nodes on its outer wall using laser micro-welding technology. An electrode pad 300 is fixedly disposed at the end of each elastic support structure 200 away from the stent body 100. The electrode pad 300 is made of a biocompatible platinum-iridium alloy and is an arc-shaped structure coaxially arranged with the stent body 100. The arc curvature matches the inner diameter of the target intracranial blood vessel, thus facilitating full fit against the vessel wall.

[0032] Specifically, when the support body 100 deforms, the elastic support structure 200 is used to buffer the deformation forces in multiple directions to ensure the positional stability of the electrode sheet 300.

[0033] Furthermore, the elastic support structure 200 is formed by four circumferentially spaced support arms 210. The elastic support structure 200 is made of a superelastic nickel-titanium alloy or a biocompatible flexible polymer material. Its proximal end is fixed to the stent body 100, and its distal end is fixed to an electrode pad 300. The support arm 210 has a circular cross-section. This design aims to ensure that the support arm 210 has uniform and excellent bending and torsional stiffness in all directions. When vascular pulsation causes complex deformation of the stent body 100 in multiple directions, the circular cross-section support arm 210 can provide an isotropic elastic response, effectively absorbing and buffering energy through uniform bending and micro-torsion, regardless of the direction of the deformation force. This mechanism ensures that the distal electrode pad 300 can maintain dynamic stability in all directions within the dynamic environment of the blood vessel, thus effectively solving the fundamental problem of electrode displacement due to multi-directional vascular movement.

[0034] Furthermore, the support arm 210 is inclined so that the elastic support structure 200 forms a conical cage-like structure with a large proximal opening and a small distal opening, and the electrode sheet 300 is disposed at the small-diameter end of the elastic support structure 200. In this way, the conical cage-like structure is a stable topological configuration in three-dimensional space, which can cooperatively resist forces from different directions. When the blood vessel deforms locally, part of the support arm 210 is compressed, while another part may be stretched or bent. The entire cage-like structure achieves force redistribution and balance through the interaction between the support arms 210, avoiding instability in a single direction, thereby ensuring the overall stability of the electrode sheet 300.

[0035] Furthermore, a flexible conductive gel layer 310 is provided on the side of the electrode sheet 300 facing away from the support body 100. The flexible conductive gel layer 310 not only significantly reduces interfacial impedance and improves signal transmission efficiency, but its inherent viscoelastic properties also further assist in buffering micro-vibrations. This further enhances adhesion and contact area, and significantly reduces interfacial contact impedance.

[0036] In this embodiment, the flexible conductive gel layer 310 is provided with arrayed protrusions 320. These protrusions 320 facilitate insertion into and adherence to the soft tissue of the blood vessel wall, establishing a more direct and stable mechanical anchoring and electrical pathway. This ensures the tightness of the interface and increases the friction of the interface, thus playing an anti-slip role. Together with the elastic support structure 200, they form a synergistic anti-displacement mechanism, significantly enhancing the position locking ability of the electrode sheet 300 in the dynamic vascular environment.

[0037] Specifically, during the procedure, the entire stent is compressed and loaded into the microcatheter used for delivery. The microcatheter travels along the blood vessel until it reaches the target vessel (such as a vessel near the motor cortex), at which point the stent is released, and the stent body 100 expands radially to a preset diameter, anchoring itself to the vessel wall. At this point, the conical elastic support structure 200 unfolds, and its distal electrode pad 300 is firmly attached to the inner wall of the blood vessel under the elastic preload of the support arm 210.

[0038] When the heartbeat causes the blood vessel wall to dilate or constrict, the movement of the blood vessel wall first forces the stent body 100 to undergo macroscopic periodic deformation. This deformation is transmitted to the proximal end of the support arms 210. Because the support arms 210 are slender and elastic, they bend and stretch synchronously, effectively absorbing and buffering the macroscopic displacement. Ultimately, the force transmitted to the electrode pads 300 is significantly attenuated. This allows the electrode pads 300 to maintain a dynamic, quasi-static stable state relative to the violently moving stent body 100, always maintaining optimal contact with the blood vessel wall, thereby ensuring the physical stability of the signal acquisition interface.

[0039] Example 2 like Figure 4 As shown, this embodiment provides an elastic support structure with different structures. In this embodiment, the elastic support structure 200 is a helical winding structure. Its axis is arranged radially along the stent body 100. The proximal end of the helical winding structure is welded and fixed to the stent body 100, and the distal end is connected to the electrode plate 300. Preferably, the helical winding structure is designed as a conical helix, that is, its diameter gradually decreases from the end near the stent body 100 to the end connected to the electrode plate 300. This structure provides excellent multi-directional buffering performance (compression, tension, shear), while the tapered contour is more conducive to achieving a streamlined layout in blood vessels and reducing blood flow disturbance.

[0040] In this embodiment, the helical shape of the spiral winding structure gives it excellent tensile, compressive, and torsional deformation capabilities. When the stent body 100 undergoes radial or axial deformation, the spiral structure can achieve multi-directional force buffering through changes in pitch and expansion / contraction of the spiral diameter. The flexible polymer material further reduces mechanical stimulation to the blood vessel wall, making it suitable for patients with relatively fragile blood vessel walls. The remaining structure and working process are basically the same as in Embodiment 1, and can also achieve stable adhesion of the electrode pad 300 and high-quality signal acquisition.

[0041] Example 3 This embodiment provides a different arrangement of the elastic support structure. In this embodiment, the elastic support structure 200 is arranged only along the circumference or axial direction of the support body 100. By optimizing the distribution density and coverage of the electrode pads 300, it can adapt to the signal acquisition needs of specific brain regions and reduce the impact on blood flow in blood vessels.

[0042] In summary, this invention effectively solves the core problem of unstable electrode fit due to vascular pulsation in the prior art through the design of an elastic support structure, providing an advanced hardware foundation for high-quality and high-reliability brain-computer interface technology.

[0043] It is understood that the above description is merely exemplary and the embodiments of this application do not limit the scope of the application.

[0044] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention are within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An interventional intracranial electrode support stent, comprising a stent body (100) having radially compressed and expanded states, for placement at a predetermined location on an intracranial blood vessel, characterized in that, The outer side wall of the support body (100) is provided with a plurality of elastic support structures (200) that can deform in multiple directions. An electrode sheet (300) is fixedly provided at the end of the elastic support structure (200) away from the support body (100). When the support body (100) deforms, the elastic support structure (200) is used to buffer the deformation forces in multiple directions to ensure the positional stability of the electrode sheet (300).

2. The interventional intracranial electrode support stent according to claim 1, characterized in that, The elastic support structure (200) is formed by multiple support arms (210) spaced apart circumferentially. One end of the support arm (210) is fixedly connected to the bracket body (100), and the other end is fixedly connected to the electrode sheet (300).

3. The interventional intracranial electrode support stent according to claim 2, characterized in that, The support arm (210) is inclined so that the elastic support structure (200) is conical, and the electrode plate (300) is disposed at the small diameter end of the elastic support structure (200).

4. The interventional intracranial electrode support stent according to claim 1, characterized in that, The elastic support structure (200) is a spiral winding structure.

5. The interventional intracranial electrode support stent according to claim 4, characterized in that, The diameter of the spiral winding structure gradually decreases from the end closer to the support body (100) to the end farther away from the support body (100).

6. The interventional intracranial electrode support stent according to claim 4, characterized in that, The axis of the spiral winding structure is arranged radially along the support body (100).

7. The interventional intracranial electrode support stent according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, A flexible conductive gel layer (310) is provided on the side of the electrode sheet (300) facing away from the support body (100).

8. The interventional intracranial electrode support stent according to claim 7, characterized in that, The flexible conductive gel layer (310) is provided with an array of protrusions (320).

9. The interventional intracranial electrode support stent according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, Each of the electrode pads (300) is an arc-shaped structure arranged coaxially with the stent body (100) to fully conform to the blood vessel wall.

10. The interventional intracranial electrode support stent according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The elastic support structure (200) is made of a superelastic nickel-titanium alloy or a biocompatible flexible polymer material.

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