A Wireless Neural Microstimulator

无线神经微刺激器

• 批准号: 6758357
• 负责人: BRUCE C. TOWE
• 金额: $ 22.15万
• 依托单位: ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY-TEMPE CAMPUS
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2004
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2004-03-15 至 2006-02-28
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/6758357
• 关键词: bioengineering /biomedical engineering; biomedical equipment development; brain electrical activity; brain electronic stimulator; electromyography; implant; laboratory rat; microprocessor /microchip; miniature biomedical equipment; neuromuscular stimulator; portable biomedical equipment; radio controlled electronic stimulator; ultrasound

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): A long sought goal in the development of neuroprosthetics and also in certain medical therapeutics is the wireless stimulation of specific areas of the brain and CNS. We explore an innovative approach to solving this problem that utilizes implanted piezoelectric microchips that convert applied ultrasound to electrical energy sufficient to stimulate excitable tissue. Pilot experiments show that 0.5 ms pulses of 1 MHz ultrasound will remotely activate millimeter-order sized chips of PZT piezoceramic implanted near the frog sciatic nerve and produce a muscle contractile response. This observation suggests a new minimally invasive approach to electrical stimulation of both the peripheral and central nervous system. The microchips are diced from bulk ceramics and sufficiently small in some applications to be introduced into tissue by way of a syringe needle. Experiments suggest the potential to activate the chips at many centimeter depths by a handheld device producing average ultrasound power levels comparable to that used in diagnostic imaging. We propose to investigate the potential for CNS application by employing a rat model. We will evaluate various chip designs, characterize their performance in mock tissue phantoms, and then test their ability to activate rat CNS motor control centers. We envision such an approach may be the basis for development of new neural technologies and has a number of potential applications such as in activation of neural pathways in the brain, functional electrical stimulation, neural control, pain relief, and spinal stimulation.

描述(申请人提供)：在神经假体的发展中以及在某些医疗疗法中，一个长期寻求的目标是对大脑和中枢神经系统的特定区域进行无线刺激。我们探索了一种解决这一问题的创新方法，利用植入的压电微芯片将施加的超声波转换为足以刺激可兴奋组织的电能。初步实验表明，0.5ms的1 MHz超声波脉冲将远程激活植入青蛙坐骨神经附近的毫米级大小的PZT压电陶瓷芯片，并产生肌肉收缩反应。这一观察结果提出了一种新的微创方法，用于周围和中枢神经系统的电刺激。这种微芯片是从块状陶瓷中切成的，在某些应用中足够小，可以通过注射器针头引入组织中。实验表明，通过手持设备激活许多厘米深的芯片的潜力，产生的平均超声功率水平与诊断成像中使用的相当。我们建议通过使用大鼠模型来研究中枢神经系统的应用潜力。我们将评估各种芯片设计，在模拟组织模体中表征它们的性能，然后测试它们激活大鼠中枢神经系统运动控制中心的能力。我们设想这种方法可能是开发新的神经技术的基础，并有许多潜在的应用，如激活大脑中的神经通路、功能电刺激、神经控制、疼痛缓解和脊髓刺激。