PCB-Needle Assembly for Precise Small-Animal Brain Targeting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical procedures for implanting cannulas and EEG electrodes in laboratory animals are time-consuming, invasive, and cause brain damage, leading to animal stress and high costs.
Innovation Solution
The use of printed circuit boards (PCBs) connected with needles for precise placement of cannulas and EEG electrodes, allowing minimally invasive implantation without the need for stereotaxic instruments, with customizable designs generated by software and rapid assembly on the animal skull.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If traditional surgical procedures are used for implanting cannulas and EEG electrodes, then the implantation can be performed with established techniques, but the procedure is time-consuming (30-60 minutes) and causes brain damage
Solution Approach 1:
The device is segmented into multiple independent components: a PCB module for EEG electrode placement, a separate cannula module for optical fiber insertion, and individual needles for each function. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and enables parallel placement operations, reducing total procedure time while minimizing tissue damage through precise, targeted insertions.
Solution Approach 2:
The PCB and cannula modules are pre-assembled with needles attached before surgery. The stereotaxic coordinates and insertion angles are pre-calculated and built into the device architecture. During surgery, the researcher simply needs to insert the pre-configured device at the predetermined location, eliminating the need for time-consuming intraoperative assembly and calculations.
2Reliability
If screw EEG electrodes are used for brain activity recording, then direct brain activity assessment is achieved, but lesions are produced in the cortex underlying the electrode positions
Solution Approach 1:
The traditional mechanical screw electrode system is replaced with a PCB-based system that uses thin needles (26-30 gauge) inserted at precise stereotaxic coordinates. The PCB provides a stable platform for mounting multiple EEG electrodes at optimal locations without requiring cortical penetration, eliminating the mechanical damage caused by screw insertion while maintaining reliable electrical contact for EEG recording.
3Measurement precision
If stereotaxic instruments and specialized tools are used for brain injection and cannula implantation, then precise targeting is achieved, but the equipment cost and surgical complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The device merges multiple functions into a single integrated assembly: the PCB module combines EEG electrode placement, the cannula module combines optical fiber insertion, and both are mounted on a common stereotaxic frame. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate specialized tools for each function, reducing overall equipment requirements while maintaining precise targeting through the integrated design.
Solution Approach 2:
The PCB-based device serves multiple purposes simultaneously: it provides stable mounting for EEG electrodes, precise positioning for cannula insertion, and serves as a reference frame for brain targeting. This multi-functionality replaces the need for multiple separate specialized instruments, simplifying the surgical setup while maintaining high precision through the universal stereotaxic coordinate system.
4Duration of action of stationary object
If long-lasting narcosis is used for implantation, then the animal can be maintained during the procedure, but stress on the animal increases and recovery is impaired
Solution Approach 1:
The device is designed to be inserted and secured in a single rapid motion through the skull, minimizing the time the animal remains under anesthesia. The pre-assembled nature of the device allows for quick placement at the predetermined location, and the procedure can be completed in under 10 minutes, significantly reducing anesthetic exposure time and associated stress compared to traditional 30-60 minute procedures.
Data Source
AI summary
A printed circuit board (PCB)-needle assembly designed for placement of cannulas and electroencephalogram (EEG) electrodes in small animals is disclosed. The assembly is connected to thin needles of multiple lengths, such that they can be placed into the brain at the chosen depth. It can be also soldered to a connector for enabling recordings of biopotentials. The design of the PCB-needle-connector assembly can be efficiently produced by specialized software. This software allows targeting any desired area(s) in the brain of a small laboratory animal based on the anteroposterior, mediolateral and dorsoventral coordinates of the animal's brain atlas. During the surgery, the assembly is placed on the head of a small animal and pressure is applied on it, so that the needles penetrate the bone. The bone can be drilled through or thinned to facilitate insertion of the needles. The needles can serve as EEG electrodes or used for placement of optical cannulas, or injecting test substances. The assembly is glued to the skull and may be additionally fastened by hooks on both sides of the skull. The procedure is fast and minimally invasive to the animal. It increases the accuracy and efficiency of research studies and improves animal welfare.