SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ELECTRICALLY SHIELDING A MICROELECTRODE ARRAY IN A PHYSIOLOGICAL PATHWAY FROM ELECTRICAL NOISE

• US 20100161019A1
• Filed: 12/10/2009
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Utah Research Foundation (State of Utah)
• Original Assignee: University of Utah Research Foundation (State of Utah)
• Inventors: Clark, Gregory Arthur, Warren, David J., Ledbetter, Noah M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,639,312 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: A61N 1/0551 Spinal or peripheral nerve electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0556 Cuff electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/086 Magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] compatible leads

Abstract

A system and method for electrically shielding a physiological pathway from electrical noise is disclosed. The method includes the operation of implanting at least one signal microelectrode into a patient such that the signal microelectrode is proximate to the physiological pathway. An additional operation includes substantially enclosing the microelectrode and a section of the physiological pathway with an electrical shielding wrap. The electrical shielding wrap includes a plurality of holes that enable fluid communication of physiological fluids between an inside and outside of the wrap.

Claims

1. An electrically shielded containment system used to substantially block electrical noise at a physiological pathway in a conductive complex physiological solution, comprising:

at least one signal microelectrode being operable for implantation in the physiological pathway; and

an electrical shielding wrap configured to substantially enclose the at least one signal microelectrode and the physiological pathway sufficient to act as a barrier of undesired electrical signals, wherein the electrical shielding wrap includes a plurality of holes that enable fluid communication of physiological fluids between an inside and outside of the wrap.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one reference microelectrode located adjacent to and integrated with the at least one signal microelectrode, to enable the at least one reference microelectrode to be located within the electrical shielding wrap.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein at least one of the reference microelectrode is substantially free of the insulative material to enable the at least one reference microelectrode to have an impedance of substantially zero ohms.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one reference microelectrode which is oriented within the electrical shielding wrap but separate from the at least one signal microelectrode as an external reference wire.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrical shielding wrap is substantially coated with an insulative material to reduce short circuiting between the electrical shielding wrap and the at least one signal microelectrode.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the physiological pathway is selected from the group consisting of a single nerve fiber, a nerve bundle, a muscle fiber, and a muscle fiber bundle.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one signal microelectrode is completely enclosed within the electrical shielding wrap.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one signal microelectrode is an array of microelectrodes wherein the signal microelectrodes in the array are substantially perpendicular to and integrated on a dielectric substrate, wherein each signal microelectrode in the array has a predetermined height relative to the dielectric substrate.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one wire electrically coupled to the at least one signal microelectrode and directed through one of the plurality of holes or through ends of the electrical shielding wrap to enable the at least one signal microelectrode to be connected to at least one of a remote power system and a wireless communication system.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one of a remote power system and a wireless communication system integrated with the at least one signal microelectrode.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising an inductive coupling power source configured to provide power to the remote power system integrated with the at least one signal microelectrode.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the wireless communication system is configured to provide full duplex wireless communication with the at least one signal microelectrode.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one wire electrically coupled to the at least one signal microelectrode and directed through one of the plurality of holes or through ends of the electrical shielding wrap to enable the at least one signal microelectrode to be connected to at least one of a remote power system and a wired communication system.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrical shielding wrap including the plurality of holes includes a substantially conductive biocompatible mesh material.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrical shielding wrap is oriented between the at least one signal microelectrode and a source of undesirable electrical signals.

16. A method of electrically shielding a physiological pathway to substantially block electrical noise from the physiological pathway in a conductive complex physiological solution, comprising:

implanting at least one signal microelectrode into a patient such that the at least one signal microelectrode is proximate to the physiological pathway; and

substantially electrically shielding the at least one signal microelectrode and a section of the physiological pathway from undesirable electrical signals with an electrical shielding wrap, wherein the electrical shielding wrap includes a plurality of holes that enable fluid communication of physiological fluids between an inside and an outside of the wrap.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one signal microelectrode is an array of microelectrodes oriented on a dielectric substrate.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising a plurality of reference microelectrodes integrated onto the dielectric substrate.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising electrically connecting the at least one signal microelectrode with at least one of a remote power system and a wireless communication system located outside the electrical shielding wrap.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising electrically connecting the at least one signal microelectrode with at least one of the remote power system and the wireless communication system using at least one wire to connect the remote power system and the wireless communication system, wherein the wire is fed through one of the plurality of holes or through openings at either end of the electrical shielding wrap.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein electrically connecting the at least one signal microelectrode further comprises electrically connecting the at least one signal microelectrode with at least one of the remote power system and the wireless communication system, wherein at least one of the remote power system and the wireless communication system are integrated with the at least one signal microelectrode and directed through an opening in the electrical shielding wrap to enable at least one of the remote power system and the wireless communication system to be electrically communicative with a source outside the electrical shielding wrap.

22. The method of claim 16, further comprising securing the electrical shielding wrap in place using a biologically compatible adhesive and/or a mechanical interlock.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein the electrically shielding includes substantially enclosing the portion of the physiological pathway with the electrical shielding wrap.

24. The method of claim 16, further comprising electrically coupling at least one wire to the at least one signal microelectrode and directed through one of the plurality of holes or through ends of the electrical shielding wrap to enable the at least one signal microelectrode to be connected to at least one of a remote power system and a wired communication system.