Compliant Optrodes for Tight-Bend Neural Stimulation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional optical fibers are limited in their ability to bend light around small diameter turns, making it difficult to access and stimulate small anatomical targets like targeted neural tissue in optogenetics.
Innovation Solution
The development of compliant optrodes with flexible waveguide materials that can bend light around tight turns, formed from a stack of materials with a large refractive index difference, allowing for the creation of thin, flexible optical interfaces that can wrap around small structures and integrate with electrodes for multimodal stimulation and monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional optical fibers are used, then light transmission is achieved, but the ability to bend light around small diameter turns is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs flexible optical waveguide structures that can be bent around small diameter turns while maintaining light transmission. These waveguides are designed with flexibility to conform to curved paths around neural structures, resolving the contradiction between bendability and light transmission reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the optical waveguide, including reducing the bend radius and optimizing the waveguide geometry, to enable tight turning while preserving light transmission capability. This allows the optical fiber to navigate around small anatomical targets effectively.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the optical interface is made thin and flexible to wrap around small structures, then access to small anatomical targets is improved, but mechanical strength may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes composite material structures for the optical waveguide, combining materials with different properties to achieve both flexibility for wrapping around small structures and sufficient mechanical strength to maintain structural integrity during implantation and operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical interface is designed as a thin, flexible waveguide that can wrap around small anatomical targets while maintaining adequate mechanical strength through optimized thickness and material selection, enabling adaptability without compromising structural integrity.
3Productivity
If multiple optical interfaces are integrated into a single device, then channel count and functionality are increased, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple optical interfaces and electrodes into a single integrated device structure, allowing multiple channels to be combined in one implantable unit. This reduces the number of separate components while maintaining high channel count functionality, thereby managing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated device performs multiple functions including optical stimulation, optical monitoring, and electrical recording within a single structure. This multi-functionality approach increases channel count capability while avoiding the complexity of managing multiple separate devices.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables precise delivery and monitoring of light to small neural tissues, allowing for miniaturization and higher channel counts, while maintaining robust mechanical properties matching those of soft tissue, thus overcoming the limitations of traditional optical fibers.
Implementation Method 1
a stack of flexible waveguide materials providing a first optical interface and configured to be introduced into a tissue sample
Implementation Method 2
The stack of flexible waveguide materials can have a thickness of less than about 100 microns. The first compliant optrode can be substantially linear and can be configured to bend at a turn radius of less than about 300 microns.
Data Source
AI summary
A device can include a first compliant optrode. The first compliant optrode can be introduced into a tissue sample and can include a stack of flexible waveguide materials providing a first optical interface. The stack of flexible waveguide materials can have a thickness of less than about 100 microns. The first compliant optrode can be linear and can be configured to bend at a turn radius of less than about 300 microns.