Micro-TMS Technology for Ultra-Focal Brain Stimulation

摘要 微磁刺激(μMS)是一项新兴技术，有望给治疗带来革命性的变化 刺激人体神经系统。μMS最初是为刺激单个神经元而开发的，它使用超 神经元大小的导电线圈，能够携带足够大的电流脉冲来引发神经激活 通过磁感应的方式。根据尺寸的不同，μMS探针能够诱导神经元 在限制在几百微米到几毫米的小区域内激活，使这项技术成为一种独特的 用于超聚焦脑刺激的工具。位于马萨诸塞州的模拟脑成像实验室(ABILAB) 综合医院是推进μMS研究的领先者之一。我们是第一个示威的团体 μ-MS探头植入脑深部结构用于治疗刺激的可行性 效果类似于最先进的脑深部刺激。与贝伦森-艾伦中心联手 贝丝以色列女执事医疗中心的无创脑刺激，我们建议采用μMS技术 第一代超聚焦无创脑脊髓镜(μ)元件的研制 刺激。利用纳米制造的最新进展，现在可以制造 高导电性的长迹线，横截面小至几平方微米。通过小心地存放 数百圈这样的纳米结构在不到一厘米见方的环形表面积内，我们将 产生足够大的电场，足以穿透头骨并刺激皮质，但不会引起不适 在皮肤层面。这种进步将对非侵入性脑的适用性产生革命性的影响 刺激，因为它允许以前所未有的方式很好地控制刺激和绘制人类大脑皮层 决议。此外，由于其超小的尺寸，μTM元件可以集成在多个通道的整体- 头共形阵列，将适合人类头部大小的头盔，首次实现同时 对人脑的多焦点刺激。

Abstract Micro-magnetic stimulation (μMS) is an emerging technology with a great promise to revolutionize therapeutic stimulation of human nervous system. Originally developed to stimulation single neurons, μMS uses ultra- conductive neuron-size coils that are capable of carrying current pulses large enough to elicit neural activation by means of magnetic induction. Depending on their dimension, μMS probes are capable of inducing neuronal activation in small areas limited to a few hundred microns to a few millimeters, rendering the technology a unique tool for ultra-focal brain stimulation. Our laboratory of Analogue Brain Imaging (ABILAB) at Massachusetts General Hospital is one of the frontrunners of advancing μMS research. We were the first group demonstrating the feasibility of using μMS probes implanted in deep brain structures to deliver therapeutic stimulation with effects analogous to the state-of-the-art deep brain stimulation. Joining forces with Berenson-Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, we propose to adapt μMS technology to develop the first generation of miniaturized TMS (μTMS) elements for ultra-focal non-invasive brain stimulation. Taking advantage of the latest advancements in nano-fabrication, it is now possible to manufacture highly-conductive long traces with cross-sections as small as a few square microns. By carefully depositing hundreds of turns of such nano-structures in an annulus surface area less than a centimeter square, we will generate electric fields large enough to penetrate the skull and stimulate the cortex, yet not inducing discomfort at the skin level. Such advancement will have a transformative impact on the applicability of non-invasive brain stimulation, as it allows for a well-controlled stimulating and mapping of the human cortex with an unprecedented resolution. Moreover, because of their ultra-small size, μTMS elements can be integrated in multi-channel whole- head conformal arrays that will fit in a human head size helmet, enabling for the first time, the simultaneous multifocal stimulation of the human brain.