Neural Electronic Interface Device For Motor And Sensory Controls of Human Body

• US 20110022116A1
• Filed: 05/14/2008
• Published: 01/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gachon University of Medicine & Science Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation
• Original Assignee: Gachon University of Medicine & Science Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation
• Inventors: Lee, Uhn, Choi, Sang Hyouk
• Granted Patent: US 8,498,717 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/48
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0529 Electrodes for brain stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0534 Electrodes for deep brain stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36071 Pain

Abstract

Provided is a neural electronic interface (NEI) device for motor and sensory controls of a human body, into which wireless technology, a smart micro-sensor, and a nano probe pin device (PPD) are integrated and which is implanted into a brain of a patient having abnormal motor and sensory functions to monitor activities of a cerebral nerve or stimulate a cerebral nerve. The NEI device includes: a deep brain monitoring and stimulation (DBMS) module which is implanted through a skull to contact the cerebral nerve of the patient; and a hat module which is installed at a hat put on a head of the patient, wirelessly supplies power to the DBMS module, and performs a wireless communication with the DBMS module to transmit a control signal to control the DBMS module according to nervous system data monitored and fed back from the DBMS module.

Claims

1. A neural electronic interface (NEI) device for motor and sensory controls of a human body, the NEI device stimulating a cerebral nerve of a patient having abnormal motor and sensory functions to normalize functions of a brain of the patient, the NEI device comprising:

a deep brain monitoring and stimulation (DBMS) module which is implanted through a skull under a scalp to contact the cerebral nerve of the patient; and

a hat module which is installed at a hat put on a head of the patient, wirelessly supplies power to the DBMS module, and performs a wireless communication with the DBMS module to transmit a control signal to control the DBMS module according to nervous system data which is monitored and fed back from the DBMS module.

2. The NEI device of claim 1, wherein:

the DBMS module controls pulse power for stimulating a nervous system according to a range of the nervous system data to output the pulse power to the cerebral nerve; and

the hat module controls power transmitted to the DBMS module according to various types of the nervous system data and controls a monitoring period of the DBMS module.

3. The NEI device of claim 1, wherein the DBMS module comprises:

a probe pin device (PPD) which contacts the nervous system through the skull under the scalp of the patient, monitors the nervous system, and provides an electric stimulation to the nervous system; and

a power and signal processor which wirelessly receives power from the hat module to drive the PPD and performs wireless communications with the hat module.

4. The NEI device of claim 3, wherein the PPD comprises:

a sensor which is installed at a tip to sense a state of a brain tissue;

a plurality of signal lines which are buried along a longitudinal direction of a body of the PPD to transmit a signal detected by the sensor to the power and signal processor; and

a plurality of simulation electrodes which transmit a voltage for stimulating a nervous cell.

5. The NEI device of claim 4, wherein the signal lines are formed of one of a quartz optical fiber, gold lines, and platinum rods.

6. The NEI device of claim 4, wherein the sensor is formed of at least one or combinations of a voltage sensor, a chemistry sensor, a pressure sensor, and a temperature sensor, wherein the voltage sensor detects a voltage in the brain, the chemistry sensor detects a brain disease inducer, the pressure sensor detects a brain pressure, and the temperature sensor detects a brain temperature.

7. The NEI device of claim 4, wherein the sensor is formed of at least one or combinations of a voltage sensor, a chemistry sensor, a pressure sensor, and a temperature sensor, wherein the voltage sensor detects a voltage in the brain, the chemistry sensor detects a brain disease inducer, the pressure sensor detects a brain pressure, and the temperature sensor detects a brain temperature.

8. The NEI device of claim 3, wherein the body of the PPD is formed of one of a polymer material and a ceramic material, and an insulating material is coated on a surface and the tip of the PPD.

9. The NEI device of claim 7, wherein the chemistry sensor is formed of quantum dots which are formed at the ends of the signal lines to detect the brain disease inducer using fluorescence characteristics of the quantum dots which vary with interactions among the quantum dots occurring when the quantum dots are exposed to the brain disease inducer.

10. The NEI device of claim 9, wherein the chemistry sensor induces nervous protrusions to be grown on the quantum dots and improves electrical connections to neurons of a cerebral cortex through the nervous protrusions.

11. The NEI device of claim 3, wherein the power and signal processor comprises:

a power receiver which wirelessly receives power from the hat module;

a power modulator which modulates the power into power enough to drive a whole circuit and the PPD;

a DBMS controller which controls the power modulator according to a monitoring signal transmitted from the PPD; and

a DBMS communicator which transmits data monitored by the PPD to the hat module and receives a control command signal from the hat module.

12. The NEI device of claim 3, wherein the power and signal processor comprises:

a power receiver which wirelessly receives power from the hat module;

a power modulator which modulates the power into power enough to drive a whole circuit and the PPD; and

a DBMS communicator which transmits data monitored by the PPD to the hat module and receives a control command signal from the hat module.

13. The NEI device of claim 11, wherein the power and signal processor comprises a synchronous sample/hold (SSH) module which transforms an analog signal output from the PPD into a digital signal and transmits the digital signal to the DBMS communicator.

14. The NEI device of claim 12, wherein the power and signal processor comprises a synchronous sample/hold (SSH) module which transforms an analog signal output from the PPD into a digital signal and transmits the digital signal to the DBMS communicator.

15. The NEI device of claim 11, wherein power output from the power modulator is a pulse wave which has a magnitude between 0V and +10V, a frequency of 200 Hz or more, and a pulse width between 60 μ

sec and 500 μ

sec.

16. The NEI device of claim 12, wherein power output from the power modulator is a pulse wave which has a magnitude between 0V and +10V, a frequency of 200 Hz or more, and a pulse width between 60 μ

sec and 500 μ

sec.

17. The NEI device of claim 1, wherein the hat module comprises:

a power transmitter which wirelessly transmits power to the DBMS module;

a communicator which performs a wireless communication with the DBMS module; and

a remote controller which controls a power transmission function of the power transmitter, and analyzes and processes a monitoring signal transmitted from the communicator to transmit a command signal to control a cerebral nerve stimulation function of the DBMS module through the communicator.

18. The NEI device of claim 15, wherein if the monitoring signal has a shock waveform or abruptly fluctuates, the remote controller controls the power transmitter to increase wireless power transmitted to the DBMS module 4.

19. The NEI device of claim 15, wherein if the monitoring signal corresponds to a signal type written in a lookup table, the remote controller controls the power transmitter to increase the wireless power transmitted to the DBMS module using the lookup table, wherein abnormal signal types are written in the lookup table through an experiment.

20. The NEI device of claim 15, wherein the remote controller transmits a command signal to control a monitoring period to the DBMS module through the communicator according to the monitoring.

21. The NEI device of claim 1, wherein:

the hat module generates a rotating magnetic field toward the DBMS module; and

the DBMS module is driven using induced power which is generated by a magnetic induction which is generated by a combination with the rotating magnetic field.

22. The NEI device of claim 1, wherein:

the hat module transmits a microwave to the DBMS module; and

the DBMS module receives the microwave, transforms the microwave into direct current (DC) power, and is driven by the DC power.