A lesion visualization probe for deep brain implantation and its usage method
By integrating a three-dimensional force sensor, a brain tissue oxygen sensor, and a metal sensing electrode into a damage visualization probe, the problem of insufficient real-time monitoring in deep brain puncture surgery has been solved, enabling precise operation and postoperative monitoring, reducing the risk of injury, and improving the success rate of surgery and the quality of patient recovery.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- HUAZHONG UNIV OF SCI & TECH
- Filing Date
- 2026-03-23
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-26
Smart Images

Figure CN122074907A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention specifically relates to a damage visualization probe for deep brain implantation and its usage method. Background Technology
[0002] Globally, neurological diseases have become a major public health challenge threatening human life and health. According to the latest statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 14 million patients worldwide require neurosurgical intervention each year. Deep brain biopsy, as an important procedure in neurosurgery, is widely used in the diagnosis and treatment of various intracranial diseases, including brain tumor biopsy, intracranial hematoma evacuation, deep brain stimulation (DBS) electrode implantation, and intracranial abscess drainage. The core requirement of these deep brain implantation and puncture surgeries is to precisely penetrate the skull and brain tissue using probe-like instruments to reach the deep lesion area of the brain to complete procedures such as biopsy sampling, cerebrospinal fluid drainage, electrode implantation, and intracranial tissue traction. The precision of the surgery and the ability to control damage directly determine the treatment effect and patient prognosis. However, due to the extreme complexity and fragility of brain tissue structure and individual anatomical differences, deep brain puncture surgery always faces extremely high operational risks. Among these risks are iatrogenic damage caused by accidental contact of the puncture needle with blood vessels or nerve tissue due to the lack of visualization monitoring of key parameters during the operation, the inability to capture physiological indicators such as three-dimensional force signals and blood oxygenation status in real time, and the lack of effective electrophysiological monitoring methods after the operation, which leads to missed diagnosis of complications and insufficient prognostic assessment. These problems have become the main bottlenecks restricting the improvement of the efficacy of this type of surgery and affecting the postoperative quality of life of patients, and have also brought great challenges to the clinical diagnosis and treatment of neurosurgery.
[0003] The brain, as the central nervous system, has a sophisticated internal structure and complex functions. Deep regions of the brain (such as the basal ganglia, thalamus, hypothalamus, and pineal gland) are not only home to numerous neural nuclei and tracts, but also to a rich network of blood vessels, including branches of the anterior, middle, and posterior cerebral arteries, as well as intracranial venous sinuses. These neural and vascular structures are extremely sensitive to mechanical stimulation, and damage to them is often irreversible. Damage to neural tissue can lead to serious complications such as hemiplegia, sensory disturbances, speech impairment, cognitive impairment, and even coma. Damage to blood vessels can cause intracranial hemorrhage and hematoma formation. If the bleeding is large and not treated promptly, it can compress brain tissue, causing a sharp increase in intracranial pressure, which can lead to brain herniation and endanger the patient's life. In addition, brain tissue exhibits a high degree of individual anatomical variability. Even for lesions in the same location, there are significant differences in the texture of brain tissue, distribution of blood vessels, and neural pathways among different patients. Furthermore, the boundaries between lesions (such as tumors, hematomas, and abscesses) and normal brain tissue are often not clear, which further increases the difficulty of puncture surgery and places extremely high demands on precise monitoring and real-time feedback during the procedure.
[0004] Currently, the clinical procedure for deep brain puncture surgery mainly relies on preoperative imaging assessment, intraoperative surgeon's experience and judgment, and postoperative imaging review. The entire process lacks real-time visual monitoring and precise control of key surgical parameters. In particular, during the advancement of the puncture needle, it is impossible to obtain in real time the three-dimensional force signal between the puncture needle and the brain tissue, the blood oxygen saturation of the brain tissue in the puncture area, blood perfusion and other physiological parameters. It is also impossible to identify blood vessels and nerve tissues along the puncture path in real time, resulting in a high degree of blindness in the surgical operation. This is one of the core reasons for intraoperative vascular and nerve damage.
[0005] During the preoperative evaluation stage, commonly used imaging techniques in clinical practice include computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). These techniques can provide doctors with images of the brain's anatomical structure, helping them to initially determine the location, size, and approximate relationship with surrounding tissues of the lesion, and thus plan the puncture path. However, these imaging examinations are static assessment methods with significant limitations: Firstly, CT and MRI scans acquire static images at a specific moment before surgery, failing to reflect the dynamic changes in brain tissue during the procedure. As the puncture needle advances, brain tissue is compressed and pulled, causing displacement and deformation. This dynamic displacement may lead to deviations between the actual puncture path and the pre-planned path, and doctors cannot perceive these deviations in real time through static images. This could result in the puncture needle deviating from the target lesion area and accidentally touching surrounding blood vessels or nerve tissue. Secondly, CT scans have low resolution for soft tissues, making it difficult to clearly distinguish between small nerve fiber bundles and cerebral blood vessel branches, especially tiny blood vessels with a diameter of less than 1 mm, which are almost undetectable in CT images. While MRI scans have high resolution for soft tissues and can clearly display nerve tissue and vascular structures, the examination is time-consuming and cannot update images in real time during surgery. Furthermore, some patients with implanted metal devices (such as pacemakers) cannot undergo MRI scans, resulting in blind spots in preoperative assessment. Furthermore, preoperative imaging studies cannot reflect the mechanical properties of brain tissue (such as stiffness and elasticity) and its physiological functional state (such as blood oxygen saturation and blood flow velocity), which are closely related to the risk of injury during the puncture process. For example, harder brain tissue may require greater puncture force and is more prone to needle deviation, while areas with low blood oxygen saturation may indicate insufficient blood supply to the brain tissue, making it less tolerant to mechanical stimulation and more susceptible to injury.
[0006] During the intraoperative procedure, the precision of the puncture relies heavily on the neurosurgeon's clinical experience and tactile judgment. The surgeon holds the puncture needle, using their fingertips to sense changes in resistance during the puncture process to determine the layer of brain tissue the needle is located in and whether it is close to the lesion area, blood vessels, or nerve tissue. This experience-based approach is highly subjective and uncertain, making precise control of the puncture process impossible. Specifically, it presents the following prominent problems: First, the lack of real-time monitoring and visualization of three-dimensional puncture force makes it impossible to accurately control the puncture force and speed, easily leading to brain tissue damage. During deep brain puncture, complex interaction forces are generated between the puncture needle and brain tissue, including the resistance of the brain tissue (Z-axis direction) when the puncture needle advances and the lateral constraint force (X-axis and Y-axis directions) when the puncture needle deviates. These three-dimensional forces directly reflect the interaction state between the puncture needle and brain tissue and are also key parameters for judging whether the puncture path is correct and whether there is a risk of damage. For example, when the puncture needle approaches blood vessels or nerve tissue, the puncture resistance will change significantly due to the differences in the mechanical properties of blood vessel walls and nerve fiber bundles compared to normal brain tissue. If this change in three-dimensional force could be monitored in real time and visualized for the doctor, the doctor could adjust the puncture force and direction in a timely manner to avoid puncture needle damage to blood vessels or nerve tissue. However, currently used puncture needles in clinical practice are not equipped with three-dimensional force monitoring devices. Doctors cannot obtain the specific values and trends of three-dimensional puncture force in real time and can only rely on subjective feel to judge the change in resistance. This judgment method is affected by various factors such as the doctor's experience, fatigue level, and emotional state, resulting in a large error. For example, inexperienced doctors may not be able to accurately distinguish the resistance differences between normal brain tissue and blood vessels / nerve tissue, mistakenly taking the resistance of the blood vessel wall as the resistance of normal brain tissue and continuing to advance the puncture needle, leading to ruptured blood vessels and bleeding. On the other hand, experienced doctors may also experience fatigue from prolonged surgery, resulting in decreased sensitivity to changes in resistance and failure to detect puncture needle deviation in time, leading to damage to nerve tissue. In addition, there is a lack of scientific basis for controlling the puncture speed and force. Too fast or too great a puncture force can directly cause brain tissue tearing and blood vessel rupture, while too slow or too weak a puncture force may cause the puncture needle to remain in the brain tissue for too long, increasing the risk of brain edema and infection, and may also cause the puncture path to deviate, affecting the efficiency and accuracy of the surgery.
[0007] Secondly, the lack of real-time monitoring of physiological parameters such as blood oxygen saturation and blood perfusion in the puncture area makes it impossible to detect early signs of brain ischemia and hypoxia in a timely manner. Brain tissue is extremely sensitive to ischemia and hypoxia; once blood supply is insufficient, irreversible nerve cell necrosis can occur after a certain period, leading to severe neurological dysfunction. During deep brain punctures, the puncture needle may compress or damage tiny blood vessels along the puncture path, resulting in insufficient blood supply to the puncture area and decreased blood oxygen saturation. If physiological parameters such as blood oxygen saturation and blood perfusion in the puncture area could be monitored in real time, doctors could promptly detect signs of brain ischemia and hypoxia, adjust the puncture path or stop the surgery, and take appropriate intervention measures to avoid permanent brain damage. However, currently, there is a lack of effective real-time blood oxygen monitoring methods during clinical procedures. Commonly used blood oxygen monitoring methods (such as pulse oximeters) can only monitor the patient's overall blood oxygen saturation and cannot accurately reflect the local blood oxygen status of the deep brain puncture area, resulting in a monitoring blind spot of "normal overall blood oxygenation but abnormal local blood oxygenation." For example, when a puncture needle compresses a tiny cerebral blood vessel, causing the local brain tissue's oxygen saturation to drop to a dangerous level, the patient's overall oxygen saturation may still be within the normal range. Doctors cannot detect this abnormality using current monitoring methods until significant brain tissue damage occurs and related clinical symptoms (such as limb convulsions or confusion) appear. By then, the damage is irreversible. Furthermore, there is currently a lack of real-time monitoring of blood flow velocity and perfusion in the puncture area, making it impossible to promptly determine whether blood vessels are compressed or damaged, further increasing the risk of intraoperative injury.
[0008] Secondly, the lack of real-time identification and early warning of blood vessels and nerve tissue along the puncture path easily leads to accidental injury by the puncture needle. As mentioned earlier, the deep brain regions have a dense distribution of blood vessels and nerves, and some of the tiny blood vessels and nerve fiber bundles are extremely small in diameter, making them difficult to clearly display in preoperative imaging examinations. This results in the surgeon being unable to identify the blood vessels and nerve tissue in front of the puncture needle in real time during the puncture process, and having to blindly advance along the preoperatively planned path, which easily leads to accidental contact with blood vessels or nerve tissue by the puncture needle. For example, in deep brain stimulation electrode implantation surgery, the puncture path needs to pass through the basal ganglia region, which has a large number of nerve nuclei and cerebral vascular branches. If the puncture needle deviates by 1-2 mm, it may damage important neural structures such as the internal capsule and thalamus, leading to complications such as hemiplegia and sensory disturbances in the patient. In brain tumor biopsy surgery, if the puncture needle accidentally touches a branch of the middle cerebral artery, it may cause massive intracranial hemorrhage, endangering the patient's life. Currently, while some auxiliary localization methods exist in clinical practice (such as neuronavigation systems), these systems primarily rely on preoperative static images for positioning. They cannot reflect the dynamic displacement of brain tissue during surgery or the relative positional relationship between the puncture needle and blood vessels and nerve tissue in real time. Furthermore, they suffer from positioning delays and significant errors, failing to effectively prevent accidental needle contact injuries. In addition, neuronavigation systems are complex to operate, requiring specialized personnel for calibration and operation, increasing the complexity and duration of the surgical procedure. Moreover, their high cost hinders widespread adoption in primary care hospitals, meaning that deep brain puncture surgeries in most primary care hospitals still rely entirely on the surgeon's experience, resulting in a higher risk of injury.
[0009] In addition, existing deep brain implantation devices suffer from poor signal transmission, data processing, and visualization, failing to achieve integrated visualization of multiple parameters and providing doctors with precise operational guidance. The connection methods between sensors and control circuits in existing devices are unreasonable, resulting in poor data transmission stability and susceptibility to signal loss and interference. Furthermore, the prevalence of wired transmission methods reduces operational flexibility and hinders surgical progress. Simultaneously, the lack of a comprehensive data processing system prevents precise processing of multi-dimensional data such as three-dimensional force, brain tissue oxygenation, and electrophysiology (e.g., three-dimensional force decoupling, signal filtering), and the inability to transmit multi-parameter data to a host computer system for integrated visualization in real time. Doctors cannot intuitively obtain trends in various monitoring parameters, making it difficult to accurately assess operational risks and adjust the intensity and direction of manipulation based on the data. Moreover, existing host computer systems have incomplete data processing capabilities, lacking specialized algorithm modules, enabling real-time analysis of monitoring data, and lacking data storage, export, and query functions, which is detrimental to the traceability and subsequent analysis of surgical data.
[0010] To address the existing technical limitations of deep brain implantation devices and considering the practical needs of various deep brain surgeries such as puncture biopsy, ventricular drainage, DBS electrode implantation, and intracranial traction, there is an urgent need to develop an integrated damage visualization probe. This probe should integrate multiple functions, including three-dimensional force monitoring, brain tissue oxygenation monitoring, and electrophysiological monitoring. The structure and material design of the probe body should be optimized to achieve real-time monitoring of multiple parameters, accurate data processing, integrated visualization, and abnormal warning. It should also possess multiple functions such as drainage, biopsy, and electrical stimulation intervention, balancing safety, flexibility, and multifunctional integration. This would solve the problems of high damage risk, inaccurate monitoring, limited functionality, and poor visualization effects inherent in existing devices.
[0011] Currently, the lack of real-time monitoring of postoperative neurophysiological function makes it impossible to detect nerve tissue damage and complications in a timely manner. Deep brain puncture surgery may cause intraoperative nerve tissue damage, which may only gradually manifest after a period of time postoperatively. If real-time monitoring of the patient's neurophysiological signals (such as electroencephalography, evoked potentials, and electromyography) could be achieved, signs of nerve tissue damage could be detected in time, allowing for appropriate rehabilitation treatment and mitigating the impact of the damage on the patient's neurological function. For example, if a patient develops hemiplegia postoperatively, monitoring somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP) can determine the location and extent of the damaged nerve fiber bundles, providing precise guidance for rehabilitation treatment. If a patient experiences pre-seizure symptoms, monitoring electroencephalography (EEG) can detect abnormal discharge signals in time, allowing for early anti-epileptic treatment and preventing further damage to brain tissue from seizures. However, currently, clinical practice only performs neurophysiological examinations when patients exhibit obvious symptoms of neurological dysfunction postoperatively, failing to achieve real-time monitoring. This results in some minor nerve tissue damage going undetected, missing the optimal time for rehabilitation treatment, ultimately leading to irreversible neurological dysfunction and impacting the patient's postoperative quality of life. In addition, for postoperative complications such as intracranial hemorrhage and edema, there will be obvious abnormal changes in neurophysiological signals. If real-time monitoring is possible, signs of complications can be detected in time, and intervention measures can be taken in advance to prevent the complications from worsening and improve the patient's prognosis.
[0012] In summary, current deep brain puncture surgery has significant shortcomings in all three stages: preoperative assessment, intraoperative procedure, and postoperative monitoring. The core issues are as follows: During the procedure, there is a lack of real-time monitoring and visualization of key parameters such as three-dimensional puncture force, blood oxygen saturation of the puncture area, and blood perfusion. This makes it impossible to accurately control the puncture force, speed, and direction, and to identify blood vessels and nerve tissue along the puncture path in real time. This results in a very high risk of accidental contact with blood vessels and nerve tissue by the puncture needle, which can easily lead to serious complications such as intracranial hemorrhage and neurological dysfunction. Postoperatively, there is a lack of real-time monitoring of neurophysiological signals and brain tissue physiological parameters. This makes it impossible to detect postoperative complications and nerve tissue damage in a timely manner, and to accurately assess the brain tissue recovery status. Consequently, rehabilitation treatment lacks precise guidance, which affects the patient's prognosis.
[0013] With the increasing incidence of neurological diseases, the clinical demand for deep brain puncture surgery is also growing, and patients and doctors have increasingly higher requirements for surgical precision, safety, and effectiveness. Traditional surgical methods and monitoring techniques that rely on the doctor's experience can no longer meet the needs of clinical diagnosis and treatment. There is an urgent need for an integrated monitoring solution that can achieve real-time visualization monitoring of parameters such as three-dimensional puncture force and blood oxygenation during the operation, can identify blood vessels and nerve tissue in real time, and can continuously monitor neurophysiological function and brain tissue physiological state after the operation. This solution would address the problems of high risk of injury, missed diagnosis of postoperative complications, and insufficient prognostic assessment in current deep brain puncture surgery, improve surgical precision and safety, improve postoperative recovery and quality of life for patients, and promote the development of neurosurgical puncture surgery towards precision, intelligence, and minimally invasive techniques. Summary of the Invention
[0014] The purpose of this invention is to provide a damage visualization probe for deep brain implantation and its usage method. This probe enables real-time visualization monitoring of parameters such as three-dimensional puncture force and blood oxygenation during surgery, real-time identification of blood vessels and nerve tissue, and continuous postoperative monitoring of neurophysiological function and brain tissue physiological state. This significantly improves surgical safety and precision, accurately locates blood vessels, provides early warning of excessive traction force and the risk of ischemia and hypoxia, reduces accidental vascular and nerve damage and postoperative complications, greatly increases surgical success rate, aids patient recovery, and promotes the development of deep brain surgery towards precision, intelligence, and minimally invasive procedures.
[0015] The technical solution adopted in this invention is: A damage visualization probe for deep brain implantation includes a probe body, a three-dimensional force sensor, a brain tissue oxygen sensor, a metal sensing electrode, and a control circuit. The three-dimensional force sensor, the brain tissue oxygen sensor, the metal sensing electrode, and the control circuit are connected. The probe body is a transparent hollow structure. The three-dimensional force sensor is embedded in the tube wall interlayer of the probe body. The brain tissue oxygen sensor is placed in the inner ring of the probe body. The metal sensing electrode is disposed on the outer wall of the probe body.
[0016] Preferably, the probe body is a hollow cylinder with rounded corners on the sides. The top of the probe body has an opening and the sides have pre-drilled holes for ventricular drainage.
[0017] Preferably, the probe body is made of highly transparent flexible plastic and is manufactured by injection molding and 3D printing.
[0018] Preferably, the probe body is provided with a scale for calculating the depth of puncture into the brain; a sensor implantation site is reserved on the tube wall of the probe body.
[0019] Preferably, the number of three-dimensional force sensors is three, which are respectively arranged at the front end and both sides of the probe body.
[0020] Preferably, the three-dimensional force sensor includes any one of piezoresistive, capacitive, piezoelectric, and strain gauge types; The metal sensing electrode is one of a thin-film electrode, a ring electrode, or a 3D-printed electrode, used to measure electrophysiological signals during and after surgery.
[0021] Preferably, the brain tissue oxygen sensor includes two light-emitting diodes and two photodiodes arranged sequentially at intervals along the length of the probe body, wherein the light-emitting diodes emit two wavelengths in a polling manner; and the two photodiodes receive the light emitted by the light-emitting diodes.
[0022] Preferably, there are multiple metal sensing electrodes arranged sequentially at intervals along the length of the probe body, and the metal sensing electrodes are ring electrodes attached to the surface of the probe body.
[0023] Preferably, the control circuit is also connected to a host computer system, which includes a back-end module connected to the control circuit and a front-end display connected to the back-end module. The control circuit includes a data acquisition front-end, a core processing module, a battery, and a wireless transmission module. The core processing module is connected to the data acquisition front-end and the battery, and is connected to the host computer system through the wireless transmission module to send signals to the host computer system. The battery is connected to a power management chip. The core processing module is connected to each sensor and the metal sensing electrode through the data acquisition front-end. The acquisition front end includes an analog-to-digital converter, an optical acquisition front end, and a potential acquisition front end module. The core processing module is connected to a three-dimensional force sensor through the analog-to-digital converter, to a brain tissue oxygen sensor through the optical acquisition front end, and to a metal sensing electrode through the potential acquisition front end module. The power management chip supplies power to the acquisition front end and the core processing module through a battery.
[0024] A method for using a lesion visualization probe for deep brain implantation includes the following steps: During brain surgery, the aforementioned damage visualization probe is inserted into the brain tissue, and cerebrospinal fluid is drained and / or samples are taken by puncture biopsy through the hollow structure of the probe body. During brain surgery, the control circuit collects the three-dimensional force on the probe body through a three-dimensional force sensor. After processing and decoupling the three-dimensional force data, it obtains the force used when the damage visualization probe pierces the brain tissue and determines whether blood vessels are touched. When the force pulling the brain tissue exceeds the force that the nerve can withstand, the host computer system issues an alarm message to prompt the surgeon to reduce the force used for traction. During brain surgery, data obtained from brain tissue oxygen sensors is used to calculate the oxygen content of brain tissue using a modified Lamb-Beer law. The location of blood vessels is then detected by measuring the oxygen content of brain tissue, thus avoiding the probe from puncturing or damaging blood vessels in the brain. During brain surgery, the damage visualization probe is used to monitor somatosensory evoked potential signals during insertion to observe whether nerve damage has occurred. Postoperatively, deep brain electrophysiological data are observed, and an alarm is triggered promptly when abnormal discharges occur in the patient. Simultaneously, the electrode performs reverse closed-loop electrical stimulation to suppress the generation of abnormal potential signals or to perform electric field therapy. The beneficial effects of this invention are: This invention enables real-time visual monitoring of parameters such as three-dimensional puncture force and blood oxygenation during surgery, allowing for real-time identification of blood vessels and nerve tissue. Postoperatively, it provides integrated monitoring of neurophysiological function and brain tissue physiological state, effectively addressing the pain points of existing deep brain implantation devices, such as unvisible parameters, high risk of injury, and limited functionality. This significantly improves surgical safety and precision. The highly permeable, flexible hollow probe body combines drainage, biopsy, and depth measurement functions, making it suitable for various deep brain surgeries and avoiding mechanical brain tissue damage. The integrated multi-sensor system for three-dimensional force, brain tissue oxygenation, and electrophysiology allows for real-time monitoring of three-dimensional force, local blood oxygenation, and electrophysiological signals, accurately locating blood vessels and providing early warnings of excessive traction force and ischemia / hypoxia risks. Closed-loop processing through the control circuit and host computer system enables visualized presentation and data retention of multiple parameters. Simultaneously, reverse closed-loop electrical stimulation can suppress abnormal potentials, reducing accidental vascular and nerve damage and postoperative complications. This significantly improves surgical success rates, aids in postoperative patient recovery, and promotes the development of deep brain surgery towards precision, intelligence, and minimally invasive techniques, demonstrating significant clinical application value. Attached Figure Description
[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the damage visualization probe used for deep brain implantation in an embodiment of the present invention.
[0026] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the principle of measuring brain tissue oxygenation and three-dimensional force using a damage visualization probe for deep brain implantation in this embodiment of the invention.
[0027] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the neurophysiological monitoring principle of a damage visualization probe for deep brain implantation in this embodiment of the invention.
[0028] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the operation of the damage visualization probe used for deep brain implantation in an embodiment of the present invention.
[0029] Figure 5 This is a diagram of the damage visualization probe data processing architecture for deep brain implantation in an embodiment of the present invention.
[0030] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the front-end display interface of the host computer system in an embodiment of the present invention.
[0031] Figure 7 This is a partially enlarged schematic diagram of the three-dimensional force sensor in the probe body in an embodiment of the present invention.
[0032] In the diagram: 101-3D force sensor; 102-Brain tissue oxygen sensor; 103-Metal sensing electrode; 104-Probe body; 105-Data connection line; 201-Brain tissue; 202-Probe body surface; 203-Blood vessel; 204-Single-sided wall of the probe body; 301-Nerve; 302-Neuron synapse; 303-Sodium ion; 304-Potassium ion; 305-Neurotransmitter channel; 306-Neurotransmitter; 401-Craniotomy location; 402-Needle insertion direction. 502-Analog-to-digital converter; 503-Light emission diode; 504-Photodiode; 505-Optical acquisition front end; 506-Thin film electrode; 507-Potential acquisition front end module; 508-Core processing module; 509-Battery; 510-Power management chip; 511-Clock crystal oscillator module; 512-Wireless transmission module; 513-Host computer system; 601-Potential monitoring dashboard; 602-Tissue oxygen dashboard; 603-Three-dimensional force dashboard. Detailed Implementation
[0033] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the invention.
[0034] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that if terms such as "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," and "counterclockwise" are used to indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, they are only for the convenience of describing the invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the invention. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the stated features. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.
[0035] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "joining" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection. They can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection. They can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, and they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention can be understood according to the specific circumstances.
[0036] A lesion visualization probe for deep brain implantation, such as Figures 1-7 As shown, the device includes a probe body 104, a three-dimensional force sensor 101, a brain tissue oxygen sensor 102, a metal sensing electrode 103, and a control circuit. The three-dimensional force sensor 101, the brain tissue oxygen sensor 102, and the metal sensing electrode 103 are connected to the control circuit via data connection lines. The probe body 104 is a transparent hollow structure. The three-dimensional force sensor 101 is embedded in the interlayer of the probe body 104 tube wall. One side of the probe body tube wall 204 is double-layered. The strain gauge of the three-dimensional force sensor 101 is set in the interlayer between the double-layered tube wall to measure the magnitude of the forward tension. The brain tissue oxygen sensor 102 is placed in the inner ring of the hollow structure of the probe body 104, and the metal sensing electrode 103 is set on the outer wall of the probe body 104. In addition to being used for cerebrospinal fluid drainage and puncture biopsy sampling, the hollow structure of the probe body 104 can also be used for the routing of data connection lines, facilitating the connection of the control circuit with each sensor via data connection.
[0037] The data from the three-dimensional force sensor 101, the brain tissue oxygen sensor 102, and the electrodes are transmitted to the control circuit 106 via the data connection line 105, and then sent to the host computer system through the wireless transmission module inside the control circuit. The wireless transmission module includes Bluetooth, WI-FI, NB-IoT, etc.
[0038] Furthermore, the probe body 104 is a hollow cylinder with rounded corners on the sides. The probe body 104 has an opening at the top and pre-drilled holes on the sides for ventricular drainage.
[0039] Furthermore, the probe body 104 is made of highly transparent flexible plastic and is manufactured through injection molding and 3D printing.
[0040] Furthermore, the high-transparency flexible plastic includes any one or a combination of TPU, SEBS, and PDMS; it is manufactured by injection molding, with reserved data connection lines 105 and sensor interfaces pre-embedded during the manufacturing process.
[0041] Furthermore, the probe body 104 has graduations along its length to calculate the depth of puncture into the brain; a sensor implantation site is reserved on the tube wall of the probe body 104.
[0042] Furthermore, there are three three-dimensional force sensors 101, which are respectively arranged at the front end of the probe body 104 and on both sides of the tube wall. They are used to monitor the magnitude of the force along the XYZ axis during puncture. The force testing principle can be piezoresistive, capacitive, piezoelectric, etc. If the obtained three-dimensional force exceeds the puncture pressure threshold, the system will issue an alarm. At the same time, the sensor can also be used for intracranial pressure monitoring after surgery, which facilitates the assessment of ventricular drainage.
[0043] Furthermore, the three-dimensional force sensor 101 includes any one of piezoresistive, capacitive, piezoelectric, and strain gauge types; the measured three-dimensional force, after data processing and decoupling, obtains the force used when the probe pierces the brain tissue, and determines whether the blood vessel 203 is touched; the three-dimensional force sensor 101 is placed between the tube walls to measure the magnitude of the force used when traction is applied to the brain tissue, including pressure, tension, and shear force on the brain tissue. Data is obtained through decoupling. When the force used to traction the brain tissue exceeds the magnitude of the force that the nerve can withstand, the host computer system issues an alarm message, prompting the surgeon to reduce the force used for traction.
[0044] The metal sensing electrode 103 is a thin-film electrode 506, a ring electrode, or a 3D-printed electrode, used to measure electrophysiological signals during and after surgery. Specifically, it monitors somatosensory evoked potential signals during intraoperative insertion to observe nerve damage, and observes deep brain electrophysiological data after surgery. It can also provide timely alarms when patients experience abnormal discharges such as epilepsy after surgery. At the same time, the electrode can perform reverse closed-loop electrical stimulation to suppress the generation of abnormal potential signals or to perform electric field therapy.
[0045] Furthermore, such as Figure 2 The diagram shows the principle of brain tissue oxygenation and three-dimensional force measurement. During the process of the probe body surface 202 penetrating the brain tissue 201, the tissue oxygen sensor protruding into the blood vessel 203 and the three-dimensional force sensor measuring the force of the brain tissue can be monitored and transmitted in real time. The brain tissue oxygen sensor 102 includes two light-emitting diodes 503 and two photodiodes 504 arranged sequentially at intervals along the length of the probe body 104. The light-emitting diodes 503 emit red light at 735nm and infrared light at 850nm in a polling manner, respectively; the two photodiodes 504 receive the light emitted by the light-emitting diodes 503. The testing principle is based on the modified Lambert-Beer law, that is, the closer to the blood vessel, the more obvious the tissue oxygen signal. Therefore, the distance to the blood vessel can be judged by the amount of tissue oxygen, thereby avoiding contact with the blood vessel and preventing damage to it. Since hemoglobin and oxyhemoglobin in the blood are more sensitive to the absorption of red and infrared light, photodiode 504 emits 735nm red light and 850nm infrared light respectively. Two photodiodes 504 are used at the other end to detect blood oxygen and obtain the current blood oxygen value.
[0046] Furthermore, the distance between photodiode 504 and light-emitting diode 503 is greater than or equal to 10mm, and generally less than or equal to 50mm. The distance between photodiodes 504 is 5mm to 15mm (if the distance between photodiodes 504 is too close, no signal can be detected; however, if the probe itself is too far away, the depth of the brain tissue is limited, and it will not be effective for detection). The oxygen content of the brain tissue is calculated using the data obtained from the photodiodes 504 through a modified Lamb-Beer law. This calculation is used to locate blood vessels during surgery, avoiding the probe puncturing or damaging brain blood vessels.
[0047] Furthermore, there are multiple metal sensing electrodes 103 arranged sequentially at intervals along the length of the probe body 104. The metal sensing electrodes 103 are ring electrodes attached to the surface of the probe body 104.
[0048] In a specific embodiment, there are three metal sensing electrodes 103, which are arranged sequentially at intervals along the length of the probe body 104.
[0049] Furthermore, the control circuit is also connected to a host computer system. The control circuit and the host computer system are connected wirelessly, and the control circuit sends data to the host computer system. The host computer system includes a back-end module connected to the control circuit and a front-end display connected to the back-end module. The control circuit includes a data acquisition front end, a core processing module 508, a battery 509, and a wireless transmission module 512. The core processing module 508 is connected to the data acquisition front end and the battery 509, and is connected to the host computer system through the wireless transmission module 512 to send signals to the host computer system. The battery 509 is connected to a power management chip 510. The core processing module 508 is connected to each sensor and the metal sensing electrode 103 through the data acquisition front end. The acquisition front end includes an analog-to-digital converter 502, an optical acquisition front end 505, and a potential acquisition front end module 507. The core processing module 508 is connected to the three-dimensional force sensor 101 through the analog-to-digital converter 502, to the brain tissue oxygen sensor 102 through the optical acquisition front end 505, and to the metal sensing electrode 103 through the potential acquisition front end module 507. The acquisition front end processes the data through operational amplifiers, filters, etc., and obtains valid signals, which are then sent to the host computer system 513. The host computer system performs decoupling and data extraction within the system and displays the data in real time.
[0050] The power management chip 510 supplies power to the acquisition front-end and core processing module via a battery.
[0051] Furthermore, the host computer system includes a front-end display and a back-end module. The front-end display includes a potential monitoring panel 601, a tissue oxygenation panel 602, and a three-dimensional force panel 603, which can adjust the signal sampling rate and filtering mode. The back-end module includes a CRUD module, a data storage module, an export module, and an algorithm module. The algorithm module includes a bandpass filtering algorithm, a three-dimensional force decoupling algorithm, a wavelet transform algorithm, etc. After processing, it can perform real-time determination of neural potential signals, tissue oxygenation signals, and three-dimensional force signals for visualization of brain tissue parameters during and after surgery.
[0052] A method for using a lesion visualization probe for deep brain implantation includes the following steps: During brain surgery, the aforementioned damage visualization probe is inserted into the brain tissue, and one or more of the following can be performed through the hollow structure of the probe body 104: cerebrospinal fluid drainage, puncture biopsy sampling, DBS electrode implantation, and / or intracranial traction. During brain surgery, the control circuit collects the three-dimensional force on the probe body 104 through the three-dimensional force sensor 101. After processing and decoupling the three-dimensional force data, the circuit obtains the force used when the damage visualization probe pierces the brain tissue and determines whether a blood vessel has been touched. The force used when the probe pierces the brain tissue includes pressure, tension, and shear force on the brain tissue. The data is obtained through decoupling (specifically, the strain gauge of the three-dimensional force sensor 101 is used to achieve three-dimensional force decoupling, which is a tactile sensing algorithm). When the force pulling on the brain tissue exceeds the force that the nerve can withstand, the host computer system issues an alarm message to prompt the surgeon to reduce the force used for traction. In brain surgery, the oxygen content of brain tissue is calculated using data obtained from the photodiode 504 of the brain tissue oxygen sensor 102, based on a modified Lambert-Beer law. This oxygen content is then used to detect the location of blood vessels, preventing the probe from puncturing or damaging them. The specific technical solution for detecting the exact location of blood vessels through brain tissue oxygen content calculation is as follows: As the probe penetrates deeper, the tissue oxygen content (DC) value is identified based on the distance to the blood vessel. When tissue oxygen levels rise or the DC component changes abruptly, it indicates that the probe is getting closer to the blood vessel, and measures must be taken. Avoiding the probed blood vessel: If a large blood vessel is detected to be getting closer, the probe needs to deviate from the original puncture direction until the tissue oxygen value stabilizes and decreases, indicating that the probe is getting further away from the blood vessel. Because brain tissue is flexible, similar to threading tofu, changing the puncture direction can avoid large blood vessels.
[0053] During brain surgery, the damage visualization probe is used to monitor somatosensory evoked potential signals during insertion to observe whether nerve damage has occurred. Postoperatively, deep brain electrophysiological data is observed, and an alarm is triggered promptly when the patient experiences abnormal discharges such as epilepsy. Simultaneously, the electrode can perform reverse closed-loop electrical stimulation to suppress the generation of abnormal potential signals or to perform electric field therapy. Specifically, for different degrees of abnormal discharge, the system uses different ranges of reverse closed-loop electrical stimulation. The amplitude of the electric field stimulation is adaptively adjusted according to the range and intensity of the abnormal discharge. The stimulation amplitude is usually on the order of mA. The greater the abnormal discharge, the greater the amplitude of the reverse inhibitory stimulation.
[0054] The probe body 104 is a hollow structure with an annular tube wall. Three three-dimensional force sensors 101 are integrated in the middle of the tube wall, placed in front of the probe and on both sides of the probe, respectively, to sense the magnitude of the force during puncture. A brain tissue oxygen sensor 102 is integrated on the inner wall of the tube wall to sense whether blood vessels are present during puncture. Three metal sensing electrodes 103 are integrated on the outer wall of the tube wall to collect nerve potential signals. Data connection lines 105 are also provided inside the probe body 104. These data lines transmit the signals collected by the front end of the sensors to the control circuit 106, and then the control circuit transmits them wirelessly to the host computer system 107. The host computer system 107 contains structural algorithms and real-time display tools to process the signals, display them in real time, and evaluate the status of the puncture during the operation and the postoperative recovery.
[0055] Furthermore, such as Figure 3 The diagram illustrates the principle of neurophysiological monitoring. After exposing brain tissue, microelectrodes are implanted and contact nerve fibers 301 to record neural electrical activity. When an electrical signal is transmitted to the synapse 302, the presynaptic membrane releases neurotransmitters 306. These neurotransmitters diffuse and act on the neurotransmitter channels 305 of the postsynaptic membrane. After the channels open, a large number of positively charged sodium ions 303 flow into the postsynaptic neuron, while potassium ions 304 flow out. This ion flow triggers a change in the potential of the postsynaptic membrane. When depolarization reaches a threshold, a new action potential is generated on the postsynaptic neuron and continues to propagate down the nerve fiber. The potential detected by the electrodes is the sum of the extracellular potentials formed by the transmembrane flow of ions during synaptic transmission in a large number of neurons. It directly reflects the functional state of the synaptic connection and the efficiency of neural signal transmission.
[0056] like Figure 4 The diagram illustrates the use of a deep brain implantation damage visualization probe. This deep brain implantation probe is commonly used in procedures including puncture biopsy, ventricular drainage, DBS electrode implantation, and intracranial traction. The specific implementation method is as follows: Example 1: Puncture biopsy Preoperative preparation: Based on the patient's preoperative enhanced MRI images, the surgeon locates the deep brain lesion area, plans the puncture path, sterilizes the damage visualization probe of this invention, connects the control circuit to the host computer system, calibrates the three-dimensional force sensor, brain tissue oxygen sensor and metal sensing electrode, and sets the blood vessel contact force threshold to 0.8N and the lower limit of brain tissue oxygen content warning to 65%.
[0057] Puncture procedure: After drilling the skull, the operator slowly advances the probe along the planned path, precisely controlling the implantation depth using the graduations on the probe's surface (202). As the probe tip approaches the lesion, a three-dimensional force sensor collects axial resistance and lateral constraint forces in real time, which are then decoupled and displayed on the three-dimensional force dashboard (603) of the host computer system. When resistance fluctuations are detected that match vascular characteristics, the host computer system triggers an alarm. The operator then fine-tunes the probe direction to avoid the blood vessel and continues advancing to the lesion area.
[0058] Biopsy Sampling and Monitoring: A hollow probe connected to a negative pressure injector is used to extract lesion tissue samples. Simultaneously, a brain tissue oxygen sensor continuously monitors local blood oxygen levels to ensure that the sampling area is free from ischemia and hypoxia. Metal sensing electrodes simultaneously acquire somatosensory evoked potential signals to verify that the neural tissue has not been damaged. Throughout the procedure, the host computer system displays changes in multiple parameters in real time. The operator adjusts the procedure based on the visualized data, and after sampling, the probe is slowly withdrawn to avoid traction damage to the brain tissue.
[0059] Example 2: Ventricular Drainage Preoperative preparation: Determine the ventricular puncture point and drainage path based on the patient's CT images, sterilize the damage visualization probe, connect it to the host computer system and set the parameters: traction force threshold is 1.2N, and brain tissue oxygen content warning range is 60%-80%.
[0060] Puncture procedure: The surgeon inserts the probe vertically along the puncture point, controlling the depth using the markings on the side of the probe. When the probe enters the ventricle, the three-dimensional force sensor detects a sudden drop in resistance, indicating that the probe has reached the target cavity. At this point, the surgeon connects the drainage tube through the pre-drilled hole on the side of the probe and begins cerebrospinal fluid drainage.
[0061] Drainage Monitoring and Adjustment: During drainage, a 3D force sensor 101 monitors the force between the probe and the ventricular wall in real time to prevent probe displacement and damage to ventricular blood vessels. A brain tissue oxygen sensor continuously monitors the blood oxygen content of the drainage area. If blood oxygen drops to the lower warning limit, the host computer system alarms, and the surgeon adjusts the drainage speed or pauses drainage. Metal sensing electrodes simultaneously acquire electroencephalogram (EEG) signals to monitor for electrophysiological fluctuations caused by abnormal intracranial pressure. Throughout the drainage process, the surgeon dynamically adjusts the operation through the multi-parameter visualization interface of the host computer system to ensure safe and effective drainage and reduce the risk of intracranial infection and hemorrhage.
[0062] Example 3: DBS Electrode Implantation Preoperative preparation: Based on the patient's preoperative MRI and DTI images, locate deep brain nuclei (such as the subthalamic nucleus), plan the DBS electrode implantation path, sterilize the damage visualization probe, connect it to the host computer system, calibrate the three-dimensional force sensor and electrophysiological electrodes, set the three-dimensional force threshold to 1.0N, and set the somatosensory evoked potential abnormality judgment standard to an amplitude decrease of more than 50%.
[0063] Puncture procedure: The operator holds the probe and slowly advances it along the planned path, precisely controlling the depth through the probe's scale. A three-dimensional force sensor collects the three-dimensional forces during the advancement process in real time. When the probe approaches the target nucleus, the resistance changes, and the operator adjusts the direction based on the force signal changes from the host computer system to ensure that the probe accurately reaches the target area.
[0064] Electrode Implantation and Verification: After confirming the probe's accurate placement, the DBS electrode is implanted through the hollow channel of the probe. The metal sensing electrode simultaneously acquires local field potential signals to verify the implantation accuracy. If abnormal electrophysiological signals are detected, the surgeon can fine-tune the electrode position until the signal meets clinical requirements. Throughout the procedure, a three-dimensional force sensor continuously monitors the force applied during electrode implantation to avoid damage to surrounding nerves and blood vessels; a brain tissue oxygen sensor monitors local blood oxygenation to prevent ischemic-hypoxic injury. The surgeon can monitor multi-parameter changes in real time through the visualization interface of the host computer system, ensuring precise and safe DBS electrode implantation and improving surgical efficacy.
[0065] Example 4: Intracranial Traction Preoperative preparation: Based on the patient's preoperative MRI images, the intracranial traction area and safe range are determined. The damage visualization probe is sterilized, connected to the host computer system, and the traction force threshold is set to 1.5N and the lower limit of brain tissue oxygen content warning is set to 62%.
[0066] Puncture and traction procedures: The surgeon inserts a probe near the brain tissue to be tractioned, controlling the depth through the probe's scale. A three-dimensional force sensor collects the force between the probe and the brain tissue in real time. When the surgeon tractions the brain tissue, the three-dimensional force sensor provides feedback on the magnitude of the traction force. If the traction force exceeds a threshold, the host computer system immediately issues an alarm, prompting the surgeon to reduce the traction force to prevent nerve tearing or damage.
[0067] Traction Monitoring and Protection: During traction, a brain tissue oxygen sensor continuously monitors the blood oxygen content in the traction area. If a drop in blood oxygen occurs, the surgeon promptly adjusts the traction angle or pauses traction to prevent cerebral ischemia and hypoxia. Simultaneously, metal sensing electrodes collect somatosensory evoked potential signals to verify the integrity of neural function. The surgeon dynamically adjusts the traction force and angle through a multi-parameter visualization interface on the host computer system, ensuring maximum protection of nerve and vascular tissue while exposing the surgical field, thus reducing the risk of postoperative complications.
[0068] According to the above scheme, the damage visualization probe control circuit 106 for deep brain implantation is as follows: Figure 5As shown, the three-dimensional force sensor 101 transmits signals to the core processing module 508 via an analog-to-digital converter 502, such as AD9123 or LTC2386. The light-emitting diode 503 and photodiode 504 are polled by an optical acquisition front-end 505 to acquire optical signals, which are then transmitted to the core processing module 508. The thin-film electrode 506 is internally connected via wires to the ADS1299 potential acquisition front-end 507. The dedicated chip ADS1299 in the acquisition circuit front-end can perform multi-channel 16kHz sampling rate data acquisition, and the acquired signals are generally analog signals. The core processing module 508 is one of STM32, CC2640, or PSoC53. The clock crystal module 511 includes a high-speed crystal oscillator and a timing crystal oscillator, providing a stable clock signal. The flexible battery 509 provides a stable power output to the entire system via a power management chip 510, which uses DC-DC and LDO methods. The core processing module 508 transmits the collected three-dimensional force, tissue oxygen, and potential signals to the host computer system 513 via a wireless transmission module 512. The wireless transmission module 512 includes NFC, Bluetooth, and WIFI, and employs MD5 and AES encryption to ensure the security and stability of data transmission. The host computer system 513 contains algorithms capable of filtering, notch filtering, wavelet transform, and three-dimensional force decoupling. It also includes an alarm module that promptly alerts medical staff when thresholds are exceeded during or after surgery, facilitating appropriate interventions.
[0069] like Figure 6 The diagram shows the front-end of the host computer system. As the core data interaction and visualization terminal for the deep brain implantation injury visualization probe, it integrates three core functional dashboards: The potential monitoring dashboard 601 displays real-time deep brain electrophysiological signals collected by the probe's metal sensing electrodes during and after surgery. Waveform display can be optimized by adjusting amplitude and velocity parameters, used to monitor somatosensory evoked potentials, abnormal discharges, and other neural electrical activities, helping surgeons determine nerve damage and postoperative recovery status; the tissue oxygen dashboard 602 dynamically presents the local brain tissue blood oxygen content change curve measured by the brain tissue oxygen sensor, accurately reflecting the blood supply status of the puncture area through numerical fluctuations, assisting surgeons in identifying blood vessel locations and providing early warnings of the risk of blood vessel contact during puncture; and the three-dimensional force dashboard 603 displays real-time force data collected and decoupled by the three-dimensional force sensor, including pressure, tension, and shear force during puncture and traction. When the value exceeds a preset threshold, an alarm is triggered, prompting the surgeon to adjust the operating force to avoid vascular and nerve damage. In addition, the interface also integrates signal filtering, sampling frequency adjustment, and other functional modules, enabling real-time processing and visualization of the collected multi-source data.
[0070] Compared to traditional deep brain implantation devices, the damage visualization probe of this invention has significant technical and clinical advantages. It achieves multi-sensor integration through a highly permeable, flexible hollow structure, meeting the needs of multiple operations such as drainage and biopsy while avoiding mechanical damage to brain tissue caused by rigid materials. Its core advantage lies in overcoming the limitations of traditional devices that rely on experience-based judgment. Through real-time monitoring and decoupled analysis of a three-dimensional force sensor, it can accurately warn of the risk of excessive vascular contact and traction force; combined with local blood oxygen detection by a brain tissue oxygen sensor, it can actively explore vascular locations and avoid damage; and with a ring-shaped metal sensing electrode, it can simultaneously collect intraoperative and postoperative electrophysiological signals, enabling real-time alarm of abnormal potentials and reverse closed-loop electrical stimulation intervention. Meanwhile, the probe adopts an ergonomic design and supports aseptic processing. Combined with high-fidelity signal transmission and multi-parameter visualization function of the host computer system, it provides the surgeon with precise operation basis, effectively reduces the risk of accidental contact with blood vessels and nerves, reduces postoperative complications, and significantly improves the success rate of surgery and the quality of patient prognosis. It is suitable for various deep brain surgery scenarios such as puncture biopsy and ventricular drainage, and promotes the development of neurosurgery towards precision and intelligence.
[0071] The working principle of this invention: The core working principle of this invention is to achieve damage control and parameter visualization in deep brain surgery through multi-sensor integration and closed-loop data processing, adapting to the needs of various clinical procedures. The probe body is made of high-transparency flexible plastic through injection molding and 3D printing. The hollow transparent cylindrical structure combines scale marking, drainage, and biopsy functions, providing support for sensor integration and wiring. A three-dimensional force sensor is embedded in the stent wall to collect the three-dimensional force during puncture and traction, and after decoupling processing, it triggers an alarm when the force exceeds the limit or when the blood vessel is touched. The brain tissue oxygen sensor uses light-emitting diodes and photodiodes at specific intervals to calculate local blood oxygen content using a modified Lamb-Beer law to explore blood vessels and monitor brain tissue status. A ring-shaped metal sensing electrode is attached to the probe surface to collect intraoperative and postoperative electrophysiological signals in real time, and abnormal potentials can be suppressed through reverse closed-loop electrical stimulation. The control circuit collects, filters, and decouples signals from various sensors, then transmits them wirelessly to the host computer system. The host computer system visualizes these signals through various dashboards, simultaneously storing data and determining anomalies, forming an integrated closed loop of "monitoring-processing-early warning-intervention" to ensure surgical precision and safety. This invention's damage visualization probe for deep brain implantation effectively addresses the pain points of existing deep brain implantation devices, such as unvisible parameters, high risk of injury, and limited functionality, significantly improving surgical safety and precision. The highly permeable, flexible, hollow probe body combines drainage, biopsy, and depth measurement functions, adapting to various deep brain surgeries and avoiding mechanical brain tissue damage. The integrated three-dimensional force, brain tissue oxygen, and electrophysiological sensors allow for real-time monitoring of three-dimensional forces, local blood oxygen content, and electrophysiological signals, accurately locating blood vessels and providing early warnings of excessive traction force and ischemia / hypoxia risks. Through closed-loop processing by the control circuit and the host computer system, multi-parameter visualization and data retention are achieved. Simultaneously, reverse closed-loop electrical stimulation can suppress abnormal potentials, reducing accidental vascular and nerve damage and postoperative complications. It significantly improves the success rate of surgery, aids in postoperative recovery, and promotes the development of deep brain surgery towards precision, intelligence, and minimally invasive techniques, thus possessing significant clinical application value.
[0072] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.
[0073] It should be understood that those skilled in the art can make improvements or modifications based on the above description, and all such improvements and modifications should fall within the protection scope of the appended claims.
Claims
1. A lesion visualization probe for deep brain implantation, characterized in that: The device includes a probe body (104), a three-dimensional force sensor (101), a brain tissue oxygen sensor (102), a metal sensing electrode (103), and a control circuit. The three-dimensional force sensor (101), the brain tissue oxygen sensor (102), the metal sensing electrode (103) are connected to the control circuit. The probe body (104) is a transparent hollow structure. The three-dimensional force sensor (101) is embedded in the tube wall interlayer of the probe body (104). The brain tissue oxygen sensor (102) is placed in the inner ring of the probe body (104). The metal sensing electrode is disposed on the outer wall of the probe body (104).
2. The lesion visualization probe for deep brain implantation as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The probe body is a hollow cylinder with rounded corners on the sides. The top of the probe body has an opening and the sides have pre-drilled holes for ventricular drainage.
3. The lesion visualization probe for deep brain implantation as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The probe body is made of highly transparent flexible plastic and is manufactured through injection molding and 3D printing.
4. The lesion visualization probe for deep brain implantation as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The probe body is equipped with a scale for calculating the depth of puncture into the brain; sensor implantation sites are reserved on the tube wall of the probe body.
5. The lesion visualization probe for deep brain implantation as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The number of three-dimensional force sensors is three, which are respectively arranged at the front end and both sides of the probe body (104).
6. The lesion visualization probe for deep brain implantation as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The three-dimensional force sensor includes any one of piezoresistive, capacitive, piezoelectric, and strain gauge types; The metal sensing electrode (103) is one of a thin-film electrode, a ring electrode, or a 3D-printed electrode, used to measure electrophysiological signals during and after surgery.
7. The lesion visualization probe for deep brain implantation as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The brain tissue oxygen sensor includes two light-emitting diodes and two photodiodes arranged at intervals, wherein the light-emitting diodes emit two wavelengths in a polling manner; and the two photodiodes receive the light emitted by the light-emitting diodes.
8. The lesion visualization probe for deep brain implantation as described in claim 1, characterized in that: There are multiple metal sensing electrodes (103), which are arranged sequentially at intervals along the length of the probe body (104). The metal sensing electrodes (103) are ring electrodes attached to the surface of the probe body (104).
9. The lesion visualization probe for deep brain implantation as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The control circuit is also connected to a host computer system, which includes a back-end module connected to the control circuit and a front-end display connected to the back-end module. The control circuit includes a data acquisition front end, a core processing module (508), a battery (509), and a wireless transmission module (512). The core processing module (508) is connected to the data acquisition front end and the battery (509) respectively, and is connected to the host computer system through the wireless transmission module (512) to send signals to the host computer system. The battery (509) is connected to a power management chip (510). The core processing module (508) is connected to each sensor and the metal sensing electrode through the data acquisition front end. The acquisition front end includes an analog-to-digital converter (502), an optical acquisition front end (505), and a potential acquisition front end module (507). The core processing module (508) is connected to the three-dimensional force sensor (101) through the analog-to-digital converter (502), to the brain tissue oxygen sensor (102) through the optical acquisition front end (505), and to the metal sensing electrode (103) through the potential acquisition front end module (507). The power management chip supplies power to the acquisition front end and the core processing module through a battery.
10. A method of using a lesion visualization probe for deep brain implantation as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: Includes the following steps: The aforementioned damage visualization probe is inserted into the brain tissue during brain surgery. During brain surgery, the control circuit collects the three-dimensional force on the probe body through a three-dimensional force sensor. After processing and decoupling the three-dimensional force data, it obtains the force used when the damage visualization probe pierces the brain tissue and determines whether blood vessels are touched. When the force pulling the brain tissue exceeds the force that the nerve can withstand, the host computer system issues an alarm message to prompt the surgeon to reduce the force used for traction. During brain surgery, the oxygen content of brain tissue is calculated using data obtained from brain tissue oxygen sensors, and the location of blood vessels is detected by measuring the oxygen content of brain tissue, thus avoiding the probe from puncturing or damaging blood vessels in the brain. During brain surgery, the damage visualization probe is used to monitor somatosensory evoked potential signals during insertion to observe whether nerve damage has occurred. Postoperatively, deep brain electrophysiological data are observed, and an alarm is triggered promptly when abnormal discharges occur in the patient. Simultaneously, the electrode performs reverse closed-loop electrical stimulation to suppress the generation of abnormal potential signals or to perform electric field therapy.