Flexible Neural Interface Platform for Deep Brain Mapping
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for localizing and treating electrical lesions in the brain, such as those causing epilepsy and neurodegenerative diseases, face limitations in spatial and temporal resolution, invasiveness, and the ability to provide therapeutic electrophysiologic intervention, particularly for deep brain regions.
Innovation Solution
An implantable medical device with a flexible substrate and an array of active and/or passive sensors, integrated into a scaffold that can conform to body regions, equipped with an on-board power source, microprocessor, and antenna, allowing for precise electrophysiological interface and stimulation of neural tissue.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If noninvasive imaging techniques such as MRI and CT are used to examine brain tissue, then patient safety is improved by avoiding surgical intervention, but spatial resolution and ability to detect functional electrical lesions are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs flexible printed circuit board (FPC) substrates that can be conformally positioned against brain tissue surfaces including the cortical surface, ventricular system, and brainstem. These flexible thin film structures enable close contact with anatomical surfaces while maintaining patient safety through minimally invasive placement, thereby achieving high spatial resolution electrical lesion detection without the need for extensive surgical intervention
2Measurement precision
If electrodes are placed surgically to record electrical activity with high spatial and temporal precision, then measurement precision is improved, but irreversible damage or destruction of neurons occurs along the electrode trajectory
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible FPC substrate allows electrodes to be positioned along the cortical surface and in deep brain structures without requiring penetration through brain tissue. This approach achieves high spatial and temporal precision in electrical activity recording while avoiding the irreversible neuronal damage that occurs with traditional depth electrode insertion
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a flexible circuit board as an intermediary platform that carries multiple electrodes and can be conformally positioned against brain surfaces. This intermediary structure enables precise electrical recording and stimulation while minimizing direct tissue disruption, as the FPC can be routed through natural anatomical pathways rather than requiring surgical creation of trajectories through functional brain tissue
3Measurement precision
If depth electrodes are used to record from small volumes of tissue with high precision, then spatial resolution is improved, but the number of electrodes that can be safely placed simultaneously is limited due to surgical constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the electrode array into multiple independent contact points distributed across the flexible FPC substrate. This segmentation allows numerous electrodes to be placed simultaneously at different brain locations without increasing surgical complexity, as each contact point can be independently positioned and activated based on clinical needs
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible FPC substrate serves as a universal platform that can accommodate varying numbers and configurations of electrodes depending on the specific clinical indication. The same basic FPC structure can be adapted for recording from the cortical surface, ventricular system, or brainstem, providing multi-functional capability that reduces the need for multiple specialized electrode designs
4Object-affected harmful factors
If minimally invasive techniques are used to implant DBS electrodes with millimetric precision, then patient safety is improved, but the ability to map and record electrical activity across multiple brain regions is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The FPC substrate is divided into multiple segments or contact points that can be independently positioned in different brain regions. This segmentation enables comprehensive mapping and recording across multiple regions while maintaining minimally invasive implantation, as each segment can be targeted separately through natural anatomical pathways
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from traditional single-point or linear electrode arrangements to a two-dimensional array of contacts distributed across the flexible FPC surface. This dimensional expansion allows simultaneous access to multiple brain regions and enables comprehensive electrical activity mapping while maintaining minimally invasive placement through conformal positioning against brain surfaces
Data Source
AI summary
A method of making a universal implantable integrated circuit medical device platform having integral and monolithic circuit traces. The platform allows for implanting into a mammalian body single and multi-functional interface devices for sensing, monitoring stimulating and/or modulating physiological conditions within the body. Microelectronic circuitry may be integrated onto the platform or may be joined as modular components to the platform.