NEURAL DEVICE WITH MODULAR ELECTRODE ARRAY

• US 20130144365A1
• Filed: 07/24/2012
• Published: 06/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Neuronexus Technologies Incorporated (NEL Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Neuronexus Technologies Incorporated (NEL Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kipke, Daryl R., Vetter, Rio J., Kong, Kc, Hetke, Jamille, Anderson, David
• Granted Patent: US 9,248,269 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/93
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0059 using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence A61B5/0093, A61B5/1455, A61B5/02416 and A61B5/0261 take precedence
• 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: A61B 5/293 Invasive
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4064 Evaluating the brain A61B5/031, A61B5/369, A61B5/14553 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4094 Diagnosing or monitoring seizure diseases, e.g. epilepsy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0531 Brain cortex electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36064 Epilepsy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/06 using light
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0622 Optical stimulation for exciting neural tissue
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

An apparatus comprises a flexible substrate including a modular electrode array disposed on the flexible substrate. The modular electrode array includes a plurality of electrode modules, where an electrode module includes a plurality of electrodes. The flexible substrate also includes a spatial separation between the electrode modules of the modular electrode array, and conductive interconnect coupled to the electrodes of the plurality of electrodes.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a modular electrode array including;

a modular flexible substrate including;

a plurality of electrode modules, wherein an electrode module includes a plurality of electrodes disposed on a planar module; and

a spatial separation between the electrode modules; and

conductive interconnect coupled to the electrodes of the plurality of electrodes.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, including:

a multiplexer circuit having signal inputs, select inputs, and one or more signal outputs, wherein the signal inputs to the multiplexer circuit are electrically coupled to the conductive interconnect; and

a selector circuit electrically coupled to the select inputs of the multiplexer circuit and configured to activate the select inputs to direct a signal from an input of the multiplexer circuit to an output of the multiplexer circuit.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the conductive interconnect includes conductive traces arranged in a serpentine pattern.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the conductive interconnect includes groups of conductive traces helically coiled.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the groups of conductive traces are helically coiled around a tube containing flexible material.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flexible substrate includes a flexible thin-film substrate.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the modular flexible substrate includes one or more thin film electrical signal filters conductively coupled to the conductive interconnect.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one or more of the electrode modules includes one or more apertures.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, including a wave guide configured to deliver light to at least a portion of the one or more apertures.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the modular flexible substrate includes one or more penetrating electrodes.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrodes are configured to both receive a neural signal from a neural signal source and provide electrical stimulation energy to a neural stimulation target.

12. A method comprising:

disposing a plurality of electrodes on a plurality of planar modules to form a plurality of electrode modules;

forming a modular flexible substrate, wherein the modular flexible substrate includes the plurality of electrode modules and a spatial separation between adjoining electrode modules to form a modular electrode array; and

coupling conductive interconnect to the plurality of electrodes.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein forming the modular flexible substrate includes:

forming a plurality of flexible electrode modules; and

adhering the flexible electrode modules to one another to form the modular flexible substrate.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein forming a modular electrode array includes:

forming a plurality of X times Y electrode modules; and

adhering the modules to form an X by Y electrode module array, wherein X and Y are positive integers.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein X=Y.

16. The method of claim 12, including attaching a backing to the modular flexible substrate.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein attaching a backing includes injection molding a silicone backing and attaching the modular flexible substrate to the silicone backing.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein attaching a backing includes adhering a thin-film backing to the modular flexible substrate.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein coupling conductive interconnect includes forming one or more conductive traces arranged in a serpentine pattern.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein coupling conductive interconnect includes helically coiling one or more groups of conductive traces.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein helically coiling one or more groups of conductive traces includes helically coiling the groups of conductive traces around a tube containing flexible material.

22. The method of claim 12, including forming one or more apertures in one or more of the electrode modules.

23. A system comprising:

a plurality of electrically conductive leads;

a modular electrode array including;

a modular flexible substrate including;

a plurality of electrode modules, wherein an electrode module includes a plurality of electrodes disposed on a planar module;

a spatial separation between the electrode modules; and

conductive interconnect coupled to the electrodes of the plurality of electrodes; and

an electronic subsystem electrically coupled to the conductive interconnect and the electrically conductive leads, wherein the electronic subsystem is configured to transfer sensed electrical signals from the conductive interconnect to the plurality of electrically conductive leads.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the conductive interconnect includes a plurality of conductive traces, wherein the number of electrically conductive leads is less than the number of conductive traces, and wherein the electronic subsystem includes a multiplexer circuit configured to selectively transfer signals sensed by a subset of the plurality of conductive traces to one or more of the electrically conductive leads.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the electronic subsystem includes a noise reduction circuit.

26. The system of claim 23, including a recording system electrically coupled to the plurality of electrically conductive leads.