Deep-brain probe and method for recording and stimulating brain activity

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10426362-B2
Application number	US-201514937740-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 10, 2015
Priority date	Nov 10, 2014
Publication date	Oct 1, 2019
Grant date	Oct 1, 2019

Abstract

A probe suitable for deep-brain recording and stimulation is provided. The probe comprises a wire bundle that includes a plurality of wires, an integrated circuit having a plurality of electrodes, and an interposer that joins the wire bundle and the integrated circuit such that each of the plurality of electrodes is electrically connected with a different wire of the plurality of wires.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A deep-brain probe comprising:
(A) a wire bundle comprising a first plurality of wires that are arranged in a first two-dimensional arrangement, wherein each of the first plurality of wires has a first end and a second end, and wherein each of the first plurality of wires includes:
a core that is electrically conductive;
an electrical insulator that surrounds the core along the length of the wire; and
an electrode that is electrical-insulator-free;

wherein the wire bundle has a first portion in which the first plurality of wires is mechanically joined together to collectively define a stalk, the first end of each wire of the plurality thereof terminating at a first surface of the stalk; and
wherein the wire bundle has a second portion in which each wire of the first plurality thereof is unrestrained, the second end and the electrode of each wire of the plurality thereof being in the second portion;
(B) a first integrated circuit comprising a plurality of bond pads that is arranged in a second two-dimensional arrangement; and
(C) an interposer that includes:
(i) a body having a first surface and a second surface, the body comprising a first material that is an electrical insulator, and the body being compressible, wherein the body includes;
(a) a first layer comprising the first material, the first material being characterized by a first modulus of elasticity;
(b) a second layer that includes the first surface; and
(c) a third layer that includes the second surface, the second and third layers comprising a third material having a second modulus of elasticity that is higher than the first modulus of elasticity;
wherein the first layer is between the second and third layers; and
(ii) a plurality of conductors that extend through the body from the first surface to the second surface, wherein each of the plurality of conductors comprises a second material that is electrically conductive;

wherein the wire bundle, first integrated circuit, and interposer are arranged such that each of the plurality of bond pads is electrically connected with each of one or more wires of the first plurality thereof via at least one of the plurality of conductors.

2. The probe of claim 1 wherein a first bond pad of the plurality of bond pads is electrically connected to a second plurality of wires via a second plurality of conductors, and wherein a second bond pad of the plurality of bond pads is electrically connected to a third plurality of wires via a third plurality of conductors, the second plurality of wires and third plurality of wires being mutually exclusive, the first plurality of wires including the second plurality of wires and the third plurality of wires, and the first plurality of conductors including the second plurality of conductors and the third plurality of conductors.

3. The probe of claim 1 wherein the second two-dimensional arrangement is characterized by an inter-bond-pad spacing in a first dimension, and wherein the first two-dimensional arrangement is characterized by a first inter-wire spacing in the first dimension that is different than the inter-bond-pad spacing.

4. The probe of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of bond pads has a first width in a first dimension of the second two-dimensional arrangement, and wherein the plurality of conductors is arranged such that it is characterized by a first spacing in the first dimension that is smaller than the first width.

5. The probe of claim 1 wherein the first integrated circuit is operative for generating a plurality of two-dimensional spatial patterns of voltages on the plurality of bond pads.

6. The probe of claim 1 wherein the electrode of a first wire of the plurality thereof comprises a first material having a first electrical impedance and a first coating comprising a second material that has a second electrical impedance, the second electrical impedance being lower than the first electrical impedance.

7. A deep-brain probe comprising:
a wire bundle comprising a first plurality of wires, each wire including:
a core that is electrically conductive, the core having an end face;
an electrical insulator that surrounds the core along the length of the wire; and
an electrode that is electrical-insulator-free;
wherein the plurality of end faces are arranged in a first two-dimensional arrangement at a first surface;

a first integrated circuit comprising a first plurality of bond pads that is arranged in a second two-dimensional arrangement at a second surface; and
an interposer including:
a body having a third surface and a fourth surface, the body comprising a material that is substantially electrically insulating and compressible;
a first plurality of conductors that extend from the third surface to the fourth surface;

wherein the first surface and third surface are in physical contact such that each end face of the plurality thereof is in physical contact and electrically connected with at least one conductor of the first plurality thereof and no conductor of the first plurality thereof is directly electrically connected with more than one end face; and
wherein the second surface and the fourth surface are in physical contact such that each bond pad of the first plurality thereof is directly electrically connected with at least one conductor of the first plurality thereof and no conductor is directly electrically connected with more than one bond pad of the first plurality thereof.

8. The deep-brain probe of claim 7 wherein the first two-dimensional arrangement is different than the second two-dimensional arrangement.

9. The probe of claim 7 wherein the body includes:
a first layer comprising the first material, the first material being characterized by a first modulus of elasticity;
a second layer that includes the first surface; and
a third layer that includes the second surface, the second and third layers comprising a third material having a second modulus of elasticity that is higher than the first modulus of elasticity;
wherein the first layer is between the second and third layers.

10. The probe of claim 7 wherein a first bond pad of the first plurality of bond pads is electrically connected to a second plurality of wires via a second plurality of conductors, and wherein a second bond pad of the first plurality of bond pads is electrically connected to a third plurality of wires via a third plurality of conductors, the second plurality of wires and third plurality of wires being mutually exclusive, the first plurality of wires including the second plurality of wires and the third plurality of wires, and the first plurality of conductors including the second plurality of conductors and the third plurality of conductors.

11. The probe of claim 7 wherein the first integrated circuit is operative for generating a plurality of two-dimensional spatial patterns of voltages on the first plurality of bond pads.

12. The probe of claim 7 wherein the wire bundle has a first portion in which the first plurality of wires is mechanically joined together to collectively define a stalk that includes the first surface, and wherein the wire bundle has a second portion in which each wire of the first plurality thereof is unrestrained, the electrode of each wire of the plurality thereof being in the second portion.

13. The probe of claim 7 wherein the electrode of a first wire of the plurality thereof comprises a first material having a first electrical impedance and a first coating comprising a second material that has a second electrical impedance, the second electrical impedance being lower than the first electrical impedance.

Assignees

• Univ Leland Stanford Junior
• The Francis Crick Inst

Inventors

• Melosh Nicholas Alexander
• Angle Matt R
• Ding Jun
• Schaefer Andreas
• Hanna Mina-Elraheb S

Classifications

• A61N1/36067

  Movement disorders, e.g. tremor or Parkinson disease (stimulating motor muscle A61N1/36003) · CPC title

• A61N1/0534

  Electrodes for deep brain stimulation · CPC title

• A61B2562/0209

  Special features of electrodes classified in A61B5/24, A61B5/25, A61B5/283, A61B5/291, A61B5/296, A61B5/053 · CPC title

• A61B5/6868 Primary

  Brain · CPC title

• A61B5/0478

  Human Necessities · mapped topic