Active MEMS Neural Clamps

描述（由申请人提供）：ACTIVE MEMS NEURAL CLAMPS在过去的十年中，重大的技术和科学进步导致了运动控制神经假肢装置的发展。这类装置的控制系统进一步发展的一个重要方面将是能够长期获得稳定的时空分布的神经活动记录。同样，需要能够提供神经组织时空分布刺激的神经接口。在这个项目中，我们专注于开发一种记录外周神经系统分布式神经活动的新方法，特别是哺乳动物的脊髓根。目标是建模、设计、制造、测试和表征基于微机电系统（MEMS）的神经电极，这些电极可以主动夹在脊柱根部。这种夹紧机制将提供一个可逆的安全连接机制，以确保神经信号的可靠记录。夹紧将由植入部位的体温驱动。在植入过程中，通过局部灌注冷却盐水溶液，可以暂时扭转夹紧以重新定位。在有限元建模方法的指导下，该制造将使用与集成电路制造兼容的硅晶圆批量加工技术，以实现片上电子器件滤波，放大和信号处理的未来发展。硅晶圆的制造也使未来低成本设备的发展成为可能。通过批量处理，我们可以在单个晶圆上改变电极和器件特性以优化性能。同一设备上的几种电极配置将首先使用两栖动物神经进行评估，然后使用固定的啮齿动物神经，最终通过记录大鼠颈脊髓根和膈神经的自主呼吸活动来实时评估。将电极放置在多个腰骶椎根的能力进行评估。这些结果将指导电极的重新设计。这种新颖的设计允许重新定位多个空间分布的可植入电极的能力。这样的电极将提高我们对清醒受试者神经功能的科学研究能力，并促进先进的康复神经修复产品的开发。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): ACTIVE MEMS NEURAL CLAMPS In the past decade, significant technological and scientific advances have led to the development of neuroprosthetic devices for motor control. An important aspect in the further advancement of the control systems for such devices will be the ability to obtain stable spatiotemporally distributed recording of neural activity chronically. Similarly, neural interfaces that can provide spatiotemporally distributed stimulation of neural tissue are required. In this project, we are focusing on the development of a novel approach of recording distributed neural activity from the peripheral nervous system, in particular the mammalian spinal roots. The goal is to model, design, fabricate, test and characterize Microelectromechanical System (MEMS) based neural electrodes that actively clamp onto the spinal roots. This clamping mechanism will provide a reversible secure attachment mechanism to ensure reliable recording of the neural signals. The clamping will be driven by the body temperature at site of the implant. The clamping can be temporarily reversed for repositioning during the implant procedure by local perfusion of cooled saline solutions. The fabrication, guided by a finite element modeling approach, will use silicon wafer batch processing techniques that are compatible with integrated circuit manufacturing in order to enable future development of on-chip electronics for filtering, amplification and signal processing. The silicon wafer fabrication also enables future development of low-cost devices. With batch processing, we can vary the electrode and device characteristics on a single wafer to optimize performance. Several electrode configurations on the same device will be evaluated initially using amphibian nerve, then with fixed rodent nerve, and ultimately in real-time by recording autonomous respiratory activity from rat cervical spinal roots and the phrenic nerve. Ability to place the electrodes on multiple lumbosacral spinal roots will be evaluated. These results will guide the redesign of the electrodes. The novel design allows capability for repositioning of multiple spatially distributed implantable electrodes. Such electrodes will advance our capabilities of scientific investigation of neural function in awake subjects and in the development of advanced neuroprosthetic products for rehabilitation.