Probe with multiple arms and system for deep electrical neurostimulation comprising such a probe

• US 20080161896A1
• Filed: 12/18/2007
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (AES Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (AES Corporation)
• Inventors: Sauter-Starace, Fabien, Caillat, Patrice, Benabid, Alim Louis
• Granted Patent: US 7,945,336 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/116
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/24 Detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/291 for electroencephalography [EEG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0534 Electrodes for deep brain stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36082 Cognitive or psychiatric applications, e.g. dementia or Alzheimer's disease

Abstract

Probe (1) for deep electrical neurostimulation, and more specifically for deep brain electrostimulation, comprising:

• • a tubular body (10) of biocompatible material with a lateral wall (11) defining a lumen (12) and a closed anterior end (13), said tubular body (11) can be introduced for at least a part of its length inside a patient'"'"'s body for reaching a region to be stimulated;

wherein it also comprises:

• • a plurality of electrically insulating arms (32) each bearing at least one electrode (40) and being able to pass from a first position in which they are housed inside of said tubular body (11) to a second position in which they project radially from this latter and inversely; and
  • means (20 and 50) for making said arms (32) pass from said first position to said second position and inversely.

Claims

1. A probe (1, 1′

) for deep electrical neurostimulation comprising;

a tubular body (10) of biocompatible material with a lateral wall (11) defining a lumen (12), said tubular body (10) can be introduced for at least a part of its length inside a patient'"'"'s body for reaching a region to be stimulated;

a plurality of arms (32) each bearing at least one stimulation electrode (40) and being able to pass from a first position in which they are housed inside of said tubular body (11) to a second position in which they project radially from the lateral wall (11) of this latter and inversely; and

means (20 and 50) for making said arms (32) pass from said first position to said second position and inversely;

wherein a plurality of said arms (32) are connected together by a base element (31) of tubular shape placed inside of the lumen (12) of said tubular body (10).

2. The probe (1, 1′

) of claim 1, in which all the arms (32) projecting from said lateral wall (11) from a single axial position (Z₃₀₁ and Z₃₀₂) of this latter are connected together by a single tubular-shaped base element (31) placed inside the lumen of said tubular body (10).

3. The probe (1, 1′

) of claim 1, in which said arms (32) and said base element (31) make up a single part (30) of strap shape, wound so as to adapt to the shape of the lumen (12) of said tubular body (10).

4. The probe (1, 1′

) of claim 3, in which said strap has a thickness between 10 and 100 μ

m, and preferably between 12 and 50 μ

m.

5. The probe (1, 1′

) of claim 1, in which a plurality of said arms (32) project from said lateral wall (11) from a single axial position (Z₃₀₁, Z₃₀₂) of this latter.

6. The probe (1) of claim 2 including a plurality of groups of arms (301 and 302), the arms (32) of each group (301 and 302) projecting from said lateral wall (11) from a single axial position (Z₃₀₁ and Z₃₀₂) of this latter and each of said groups (301, 302) corresponding to a different axial position (Z₃₀₁ and Z₃₀₂).

7. The probe (1, 1′

) of claim 1, in which said arms (32) are evenly distributed around the lateral wall (11) of said tubular body (10).

8. The probe (1, 1′

) of claim 1, in which the arms (32) are housed at least in part in the channels (14) extending in the lateral wall (11) of said tubular body (10).

9. The probe (1, 1′

) of claim 8, in which the arms (32) extend in the lateral wall (11) of said tubular body (10) along an oblique direction relative to the axis of this latter.

10. The probe (1, 1′

) of claim 8, in which the means for making said arms pass from said first to said second position include a spring (20) arranged so as to exert on said arms (32) a force directed parallel to the axis of said tubular body (11), so as to push them to the outside of this latter through said channels (14).

11. The probe (1, 1′

) of claim 10, in which said arms (32) are flexible, and are arranged so as to pass from said first to said second position and inversely by translational movement.

12. The probe (1) of claim 10, in which the means to make said arms pass from said second to said first position include a stem (50) which can be actuated in compression for exerting a force opposed to that of said spring (20) so as to make said arms return into said tubular body (11) through said channels (14).

13. The probe (1) of claim 12, in which said stem is a stylus (50) which can be introduced in the lumen (12) of said tubular body (11) to make it rigid in order for its insertion in a patient'"'"'s body.

14. The probe (1′

) of claim 10, in which the means to make said arms pass from said second to said first position include a cable (52) which can be actuated in traction for exerting a force opposed to that of said spring (20) so as to make said arms return into said tubular body (11) through said channels (14).

15. The probe (1, 1′

) of claim 1, in which said arms (32) are made of an electrically insulating material and each have at least one electrode (40) on its respective surface.

16. The probe (1, 1) of claim 15, in which said arms (32) are made, at least in part, from a biocompatible insulating material chosen from among the polyimides, and in particular polyisoindroquinazorindiones (PIQ) and the polyimide Pi2611, and the benzocyclobutenes (BCB).

17. The probe of claim 1, wherein at least one of said arms also comprises at least a measurement electrode having a smaller surface than that of said stimulation electrodes.

18. The probe of claim 17, wherein a plurality of measurement electrodes are disposed near to each stimulation electrode.

19. The probe (1, 1′

) of claim 1, including electrically conducting elements (60) extending into the lumen or inside of the lateral wall of said tubular element and forming electrical contacts with the electrodes (40) carried by said arms.

20. The probe (1, 1′

) of claim 19, in which said electrodes (40) are planar electrodes connected to said electrically conducting elements (60) by means of planar conducting tracks (41) formed on said arms (32).

21. The probe (1, 1′

) of claim 19, in which said conducting elements (60) extend to an end referred to as posterior of said tubular body (10) and include means of connection (61) to an electrical pulse generator for deep electrical neurostimulation (80).

22. The probe (1, 1′

) of claim 1, in which said tubular body (10) is made of a biocompatible material chosen from among the silicones, siloxanes, polyurethane and polyvinyl chloride.

23. The probe (1, 1′

) of claim 1, in which said tubular body (10) has a substantially cylindrical shape with a diameter between 0.5 and 5 mm and preferably between 0.5 and 2 mm.

24. The probe (1, 1′

) of claim 1, including a number of arms (32) between 3 and 60 and preferably between 4 and 40.

25. The probe (1, 1′

) of claim 1, in which said arms (32) have a length between 0.2 and 3 mm, and preferably between 0.4 and 2 mm.

26. The probe of claim 1, having a tubular body (10) with a length between 15 cm and 40 cm.

27. A system for deep electrical neurostimulation comprising:

an electrical pulse generator for deep electrical neurostimulation (80); and

at least one probe (1) as claimed in claim 1, whose stimulation electrodes are electrically connected to said electrical pulse generator (80).

28. The system of claim 27 wherein at least an arm of said probe comprises at least a measurement electrode having a smaller surface than that of said stimulation electrodes, said system also comprising a measurement instrument electrically connected to said measurement electrodes.