Miniaturizing of Implant Electronics for Passive Probes

该项目旨在将多个微型放大器、FM发射机和校准设备作为一个微型混合电路封装，可以植入人体。该设备将有助于通过神经营养电极记录来自人类运动皮层的神经信号，该电极已在动物中证明了信号的寿命和稳健性，并在“锁定”患者JR中超过2.5年。这些信号已被用于在计算机屏幕上驱动光标，以使患者能够访问通信软件。需要植入多个电极，并且因此需要多个放大器/发射器系统，以提供对多个通信信道的访问。这对于促进对“闭锁”患者中的光标的控制具有直接的紧迫性，并且如果这些电极用于提供多达12个通信信道以控制肌肉刺激设备来恢复四肢瘫痪者的运动，则这将变得更加紧迫。其他植入多个电极的用户也可能希望利用这些微型设备。在开发具有传输信号的多路复用的多通道装置、开发作为电源的可再充电电池以及解决诸如绝缘、互连和体内测试的问题方面，可以预见进一步的发展。拟议的商业应用：在“锁定”人群中，全球有45万名ALS患者（11）。包括那些由于脑干中风而“闭锁”的人，这使全世界的总数达到50万，如下所述。美国约有125，000名四肢瘫痪者，全球约有1，875，000名（7）。有大量的受试者可以从所提出的技术中受益：严重神经病、创伤性脑损伤、脊髓肌肉萎缩、脊髓小脑变性、脑瘫、多发性硬化症、肌营养不良症、先天性肌病儿童，其中一些人存活到成年。

This project aims to render multiple miniature amplifiers, FM transmitters and a calibration device as a miniature hybrid circuit package that can be implanted in humans. The device will be instrumental in recording neural signals from human motor cortex via a Neurotrophic Electrode that has demonstrated longevity and robustness of the signals in animals and for over 2.5 years in "locked-in" patient JR. These signals have been used to drive a cursor across a computer screen to provide patient access to the communication software. There is a need to implant multiple electrodes, and hence a multiple amplifier/transmitter systems, to provide access to multiple channels of communication. This is of immediate urgency to facilitate control of a cursor in "locked-in" patients, and will become even more urgent if these electrodes are used for providing up to 12 communication channels to control muscle stimulation devices for restoration of movement to quadriplegics. Other users implanting multiple electrodes may also want to avail of these miniature devices. Further development is foreseen in developing multiple channel devices with multiplexing of transmitted signals, developing a rechargeable battery as a power source and addressing issues such as insulation, interconnects, and in vivo testing. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: In the "locked-in" population, there are 450,000 ALS patients worldwide (11). Including "locked-in" those due to brainstem stroke, this brings the total worldwide to 500,000 as discussed below. There are approximately 125,000 quadriplegics in the USA and 1,875,000 worldwide (7). There is an enormous pool of subjects who could benefit by the proposed technology: Severe neuropathies, traumatic brain injury, spinal muscle atrophies, spino-cerebellar degenerations, cerebral palsies, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophies muscular dystrophies, children with congenital myopathies, some of whom survive to adulthood.