NEURAL PROBE WITH MODULAR MICROELECTRODE

• US 20110313270A1
• Filed: 04/08/2011
• Published: 12/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: IMEC International, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
• Original Assignee: IMEC International, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
• Inventors: Pereira Neves, Hercules, Orban, Guy
• Application Number:
  US13/083,317
• Publication Number:
  US 20110313270A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/378
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/24 Detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/05 for implantation or insertion into the body, e.g. heart electrode A61N1/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0529 Electrodes for brain stimulation

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a neural probe system comprising: a carrier, at least one planar microelectrode attached to the carrier, the planar microelectrode comprising a set of two or more conductive segments, the set being confined in an area of from 15 μm² to 8000 μm², and electrical connections assuring that at least two sub-sets of conductive segments within the set are individually switchable to a same input and/or output line so that the surface area and/or the shape of the microelectrode electrically connected to the line can be varied.

Claims

1. A neural probe system comprising:

a carrier;

at least one planar microelectrode attached to the carrier, the planar microelectrode comprising a set of two or more conductive segments, wherein the set of two or more conductive segments is confined in an area of from 15 μ

m² to 8000 μ

m², and

electrical connections configured such that each conductive segment is individually addressable and such that each conductive segment can be switched to the same output/input line or to different output/input lines to, thereby allowing the two or more conductive segments to be used in a signal recording mode or alternatively for differential stimulation.

2. The neural probe system according to claim 1, wherein the electrical connections comprise:

interconnects between each conductive segment and a line; and

switching devices for switching the interconnects to the line.

3. The neural probe system according to claim 2, wherein the switching devices are bi-stable switching devices.

4. The neural probe system according to claim 1, wherein at least one conductive segment is linked to two or more different lines by a corresponding number of switches.

5. The neural probe system according to claim 1, wherein the number of microelectrodes equals the number of lines.

6. The neural probe system according to claim 1, wherein at least an input line and an output line are present and wherein at least one conductive segment is switchable to the input line and wherein at least another conductive segment is switchable to the output line.

7. The neural probe system according to claim 1, wherein each conductive segment has an aspect ratio of from 1 to 3.

8. The neural probe system according to claim 1, wherein each conductive segment has an aspect ratio of from 1 to 2.

9. The neural probe system according to claim 1, wherein each conductive segment has an aspect ratio of from 1 to 1.5.

10. The neural probe system according to claim 1, wherein each conductive segment has an aspect ratio of about 1.

11. The neural probe system according to claim 1, wherein each conductive segment has a shape selected from the group consisting of circular, circular arc, and combinations thereof.

12. The neural probe system according to claim 11, wherein at least two circular arc shaped conductive segments collectively comprise a circle.

13. The neural probe system according to claim 11, wherein geometrical centers of the circular shaped conductive segments and/or geometrical center of circles comprised of circular arc shaped conductive segments are confounded.

14. The neural probe system according to claim 13, wherein a circle comprised of a circular shaped conductive segment has a diameter of from 5 to 100 μ

m.

15. The neural probe system according to claim 13, wherein a circle comprised of circular arc shaped conductive segments has a diameter of from 5 to 100 μ

m.

16. The neural probe system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the conductive segments is switchable to an input line and/or output line via a passive or active circuit configured for adapting to a potential of the conductive segment.

17. A method for recording neural activity via a neural probe system according to claim 1, the method comprising varying a size and/or a shape of the at least one planar microelectrode during the recording.

18. A method for recording neural activity via a neural probe system according to claim 1, wherein stimulation with a first conductive segment is performed and recording with a second conductive segment is performed.