Miniaturizing of Implant Electronics for Passive Probes

该项目旨在将多个微型放大器、调频发射机和校准设备作为微型混合电路封装，可以植入人体。该设备将有助于通过神经营养电极记录来自人类运动皮质的神经信号，该电极已在动物身上展示了信号的寿命和健壮性，并在小患者JR上进行了超过2.5年的“锁定”治疗。这些信号已经被用来在计算机屏幕上驱动光标，以向患者提供对通信软件的访问。需要植入多个电极，并因此植入多个放大器/发射机系统，以提供对多个通信通道的访问。这对于促进“锁定”患者的光标控制来说是迫在眉睫的，如果这些电极被用来提供多达12个通信通道来控制肌肉刺激设备，以恢复四肢瘫痪的运动，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。预计将在开发具有多路传输信号的多通道设备、开发作为电源的可充电电池以及解决诸如绝缘、互连和活体测试等问题方面有进一步的发展。拟议的商业应用：在“封闭”人群中，全世界有45万名ALS患者(11)。包括因脑干中风而被“锁定”的患者，这使得全球患者总数达到50万人，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。有大量的受试者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-小脑退行性变、脑瘫、多发性硬化症、肌营养不良症、肌营养不良症、患有先天性肌病的儿童，其中一些人可以活到成年。

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.