Miniaturizing of Implant Electronics for Passive Probes

该项目旨在将多个微型放大器、调频发射机和校准装置作为微型混合电路封装，可植入人体。该设备将用于通过神经营养电极记录来自人类运动皮层的神经信号，该神经营养电极已在动物和“锁定”患者JR身上证明了信号的持久性和稳健性。这些信号已被用于驱动光标在计算机屏幕上移动，以便患者访问通信软件。需要植入多个电极，因此需要多个放大器/发射器系统，以提供对多个通信通道的访问。这对于帮助“锁定”患者控制光标是迫在眉睫的，如果这些电极被用于提供多达12个通信通道来控制肌肉刺激装置，以恢复四肢瘫痪患者的运动，这将变得更加紧迫。其他植入多个电极的用户可能也想利用这些微型设备。进一步的发展预计将在开发具有传输信号多路复用的多通道设备，开发可充电电池作为电源，并解决诸如绝缘，互连和体内测试等问题。拟议的商业应用：在“锁定”人群中，全球有45万ALS患者（11）。包括脑干中风导致的“闭锁”患者在内，这使得全球患者总数达到50万，如下所述。美国约有125,000名四肢瘫痪患者，全球约有1,875,000名(7)。有一大批人可以从这项拟议的技术中受益：严重的神经病，创伤性脑损伤，脊髓肌萎缩，脊髓小脑变性，脑瘫，多发性硬化症，肌肉萎缩症，患有先天性肌病的儿童，其中一些人能活到成年。

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.