Brain-machine interface systems and methods

• US 8,447,392 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2007
• Issued: 05/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: New York University
• Original Assignee: New York University
• Inventors: Llinas, Rodolfo R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Natnithithadha, Navin
• Application Number:
  US11/776,278
• Publication Number:
  US 20080015459A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,141 Days
• Field of Search: 600/544, 600/545, 600/373, 600/377, 600/378, 600/381, 600/509, 600/513, 600/38
• US Class Current: 600/544
• 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: A61N 1/05 for implantation or insertion into the body, e.g. heart electrode A61N1/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/056 Transvascular endocardial electrode systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/015 Input arrangements based on nervous system activity detection, e.g. brain waves [EEG] detection, electromyograms [EMG] detection, electrodermal response detection

Abstract

A system and method for interfacing a brain with a machine. An exemplary embodiment of the present invention employs a vascular approach in which one or more nano-electrodes are deployed in vasculature having a close geometric relationship with proximal innervation. Each nano-electrode is preferably deployed in a blood vessel so that its sensing end is at or near a nerve passing close to or intersecting the blood vessel. The sensing end of each nano-electrode is adapted so as to be carried along in the blood stream so as to position the sensing end at a desired point within the blood vessel. An array of nano-electrodes of varying lengths can be used to monitor multiple nerves or neurons along a blood vessel.

Claims

1. A device for sensing the activity of neural tissue comprising:

a catheter;

an electrode that is smaller than 5 micrometer in diameter, the electrode being smaller than a blood vessel and the electrode being deployed from the catheter into a blood vessel proximate to the neural tissue, thereby being able to measure a signal within the blood vessel, said signal being indicative of the electrical brain activity of the neural tissue;

a wire connected to the electrode and for monitoring the signal on the electrode; and

a computer connected to said wire and for determining neural information based on said signal.

2. The device of claim 1 comprising:

a signal processor, the signal processor being arranged in the catheter and being coupled to the electrode.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the signal processor includes:

an amplifier, the amplifier being coupled to the electrode; and

a digital converter, the digital converter converting the output of the amplifier into a digital representation.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the digital converter includes a Schmitt trigger.

5. The device of claim 1 comprising a plurality of said electrodes.

6. The device of claim 5 comprising:

a signal processor, the signal processor being arrange in the catheter and being coupled to the plurality of said electrodes.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the signal processor includes:

a plurality of amplifiers, each of the plurality of amplifiers being coupled to one of the plurality of said electrodes;

a plurality of digital converters, each of the plurality of digital converters converting the output of one of the plurality of amplifiers into a binary representation; and

a multiplexer, the multiplexer being coupled to an output of each of the plurality of digital converters and multiplexing the outputs of the digital converters onto an output signal line.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein each of the electrodes includes a nano-wire and the output signal line includes a micro-wire.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein said electrode is operative to provide a stimulation signal to said neural tissue.

10. The device of claim 1 further comprising a second electrode placed in a second blood vessel proximate to the neural tissue, said second electrode being of sufficiently small size such that it is capable of being inserted into a capillary, said second electrode being operative to provide a stimulation signal to said neural tissue.

11. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein the electrode has a diameter between 0.5 μ

m and 5 μ

m.

12. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein the electrode is selected from the group of a metal electrode and a carbon tube electrode.

13. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein the electrode comprises several nano electrodes of different length, thereby enabling signal recordings from several different points to allow characterizing electrical potential changes along the blood vessel proximate to the neural tissue.

14. The device as defined in claim 1 further including extravascular ball electrodes for sensing and recording electrical potential data characteristic of change of the electrical potential along a blood vessel and said computer analyzes the data for determining a maximum distance from a nerve at which electrical signals can be recorded intra-vascularly.

15. The device as defined in claim 1 further including a bandpass filter to filter to filter the electrode signal for further processing.

16. The device as defined in claim 3, wherein impedance of the amplifier is matched to impedance of the electrode.

17. The device as defined in claim 1 further including a micro-wire for receiving a plurality of the signals from a plurality of the electrodes, thereby enabling use of a small number of the micro-wires to convey data for further analysis from a much larger number of the electrodes.

18. The device as defined in claim 17 wherein the nano-wire electrodes comprised of coiled wires within a compartment at a tip of the catheter.

19. The device as defined in claim 1 further including said computer having an associated non transitory memory, the computer executing computer software stored on said associated non transitory memory for reading, storing, contextualizing, processing and analyzing neuronal information.