Bio-integrated fully implantable peripheral nerve electrode for functional upper limb prostheses

用于功能性上肢假肢的生物集成完全植入式周围神经电极

• 批准号: 493633-2016
• 负责人: Kennedy, Timothy
• 金额: $ 13.06万
• 依托单位: McGill University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Collaborative Health Research Projects
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2017-01-01 至 2018-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=621865
• 关键词: Bio; integrated; fully; implantable; peripheral

The development of electrodes that can be implanted into nerves and used to communicate with robotic limbs is an excitingadvance for patients with upper limb amputations. In two recent experimental cases, electrodes were implanted into humannerves, enabling the recipients to remotely control a robotic limb, manipulate a wheelchair and receive some sensoryfeedback from handling objects with a robotic hand. However, significant drawbacks remain with these systems which mustbe resolved before the technology can be used in the general population. These include the gradual encasing of electrodesin scar tissue due to foreign-body reaction, diminishing the ability of the electrode to communicate with the nervous systemover time. More significantly, the two systems that have been successfully implanted to date require the use of wire leadsthat connect from the implanted electrode through the skin to the signal amplifier/transmitter which is located outside thebody. This presents a significant risk for infection or disconnection of the leads from the electrodes. Our group hasdeveloped techniques to coat synthetic surfaces with compounds that act to induce nearby nerve cells to form functionalsynapses onto the camouflaged synthetic surface. Synapses are the specialized junctions made between nerve cells thatallow them to communicate with one another in a network. By inducing the formation of synapses onto the surface of theimplanted electrodes, the formation of scar tissue between the nerve cell and the electrode will be diminished. Our industrialpartner, NxtSens Microsystems, has developed implantable microchips with the ability to capture, amplify and wirelesslytransmit electrical signals from electrodes connected to the nervous system which can then connect remotely to a prostheticlimb. Our objective is to develop a highly stable, fully implantable electrode-transmitter device that can be used for long-termneural-technology communication.

对于上肢截肢患者来说，可植入神经并用于与机器人肢体通信的电极的开发是一个令人兴奋的进步。在最近的两个实验案例中，电极被植入人体神经，使接受者能够远程控制机器人肢体，操纵轮椅，并通过用机器人手处理物体来接收一些感觉反馈。然而，这些系统仍然存在重大缺陷，必须先解决这些缺陷，然后才能在普通人群中使用该技术。这些包括由于异物反应而逐渐将电极包裹在疤痕组织中，随着时间的推移，电极与神经系统沟通的能力逐渐减弱。更重要的是，迄今为止已成功植入的两个系统需要使用导线，从植入的电极穿过皮肤连接到位于体外的信号放大器/发射器。这会带来感染或引线与电极断开的重大风险。我们的小组开发了一种技术，可以在合成表面上涂上化合物，这些化合物可以诱导附近的神经细胞在伪装的合成表面上形成功能性突触。突触是神经细胞之间形成的特殊连接，使神经细胞能够在网络中相互通信。通过诱导在植入的电极表面上形成突触，神经细胞和电极之间的疤痕组织的形成将会减少。我们的工业合作伙伴 NxtSens Microsystems 开发了植入式微芯片，能够捕获、放大和无线传输来自连接神经系统的电极的电信号，然后神经系统可以远程连接到假肢。我们的目标是开发一种高度稳定、完全植入式电极发射器设备，可用于长期神经技术通信。