CHRONIC TRANSCRANIAL ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR

本提案中描述的器械满足了神经假体的高密度经皮馈电和植入式电连接器的需求。我们的目标是开发一种慢性系统，用于从植入哺乳动物感觉和运动皮层的高密度多通道电极阵列经颅传递信号。在第一阶段，一个密封的多层陶瓷封装，能够被安装在顶部的头骨房子超大规模集成电路，开发和演示。第二阶段将对包装进行微小的设计变更，并将金属凸缘和钎焊转换为生物相容性材料，如钛和金钎焊。将开发一种聚酰亚胺和/或聚对二甲苯微电极电缆（25 μ m间距，15 μ m厚）和将其粘合到微电极阵列背面和陶瓷封装底部的方法。一个超大规模集成电路芯片将被设计和制造，具有多达100个通道的前置放大器，高速多路复用器，和A/D转换器。阵列、微阵列电缆、陶瓷封装和超大规模集成电路芯片的最终组装将进行体外和体内测试（猫听觉皮层约三个月）。拟定商业应用：慢性经颅电连接器将销售给神经科学研究人员，使他们能够使用多电极阵列在哺乳动物大脑的并行处理的慢性调查。陶瓷还将为他们提供一个平台，在此基础上开发人类神经修复术的电路。

The device described in this proposal addresses the need identified for high-density percutaneous feedthroughs and implantable electrical connectors for neural prosthesis. The goal is to develop a chronic system for the transcranial delivery of signals from high density, multichannel electrode arrays implanted in mammalian sensory and motor cortexes. In Phase I, a hermetic multi-layer ceramic package, capable of being mounted on top of the skull to house VLSI circuitry, was developed and demonstrated. Phase II will make minor design changes to the package and convert the metal flanges and braze to biocompatible materials such as titanium and gold braze. A polymide and/or Parylene microribbon cable (25 mum spacing, 15 mum thick) and a method of bonding it to the back of the microelectrode array and to the base of the ceramic package will be developed. A VLSI chip will be designed and manufactured that has up to 100 channels of pre-amplification, a high speed multiplexer, and an A/D converter. The final assembly of array, microribbon cable, ceramic package and VLSI chip will be tested in vitro and in vivo (cat auditory cortex for about three months). PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: The chronic transcranial electrical connector will be marketed to neuroscience researchers to enable them to use multielectrode arrays in chronic investigators of the parallel processing of the mammalian brain. The ceramic will also provide them with a platform on which to develop circuitry for human neuroprosthetics.