Multi-functional Device Mount for Chronic Neural Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems fail to reliably and repeatedly access and stimulate the same internal area of a target object with both electromagnetic energy and material stimuli, as the interfaces for optical imaging and material delivery are often spatially uncoordinated, leading to inadequate and unpredictable results in calcium imaging and optogenetic modulation.
Innovation Solution
A hand-held device holder with multiple ports configured to securely affix an interrogator device and a fluid delivery system, ensuring that the optical and material stimulus channels maintain a fixed spatial orientation relative to each other and the target object, allowing for simultaneous or independent delivery of substances and imaging without repositioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If separate interfaces are used for optical imaging and material delivery, then each interface can be optimized independently, but the spatial coordination between imaging area and stimulus delivery area becomes uncoordinated and unpredictable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the optical imaging interface and material delivery interface into a single integrated device holder structure. The holder body contains both an optical port for imaging and a delivery port for material delivery, with both ports positioned to maintain fixed spatial relationships. This integration ensures that the imaging area and stimulus delivery area remain reliably coordinated throughout chronic use, eliminating the spatial misalignment problems that occur with separate interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The device holder serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support for both optical imaging and material delivery, maintains fixed spatial orientation between the two interfaces, and enables chronic repeated access to the same internal target area. This multi-functionality allows the single device to coordinate both imaging and stimulation functions while maintaining reliable spatial relationships.
2Reliability
If the device holder maintains fixed spatial orientation for chronic access, then repeatable imaging and stimulation are achieved, but the device requires secure affixing that may complicate implantation
Solution Approach 1:
The affixing mechanism is integrated directly into the holder body structure rather than being a separate component. The holder body itself is configured with features that enable secure attachment to the target object, combining the structural support function with the affixing function. This integration reduces the number of separate components and simplifies the overall implantation process while maintaining reliable fixed spatial orientation for chronic access.
3Reliability
If multiple ports are integrated in a single holder body, then spatial coordination is maintained, but the holder structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The holder body is designed as a universal platform that integrates multiple functional ports (optical port, delivery port) within a single structural unit. This multi-functional design allows the holder to maintain fixed spatial relationships between different ports while providing a unified structure that simplifies implantation and positioning, rather than requiring multiple separate devices to be coordinated.
Data Source
AI summary
A system including a device configured to be partially inside of a target object (and to remain affixed to such object substantially irremovably and in an unchanged orientation with respect to such object at least on a time-scale comparable to term of life or use of the target object itself) to provide chronic access to an internal object location from an outside location and communication with such location along multiple communication channels that are spatially separate and substantially immovable with respect to one another while remaining moveable together and synchronously with the object. Delivery of electromagnetic energy and a material stimulus along the first and second communication channels is carried out such as to necessarily maintain unchanged mutual spatial positioning and orientation between the channels regardless of whether the channels are being used or not and regardless of whether the target object—together with these channels—is spatially repositioned.