Neural spike scanning for high-density implantable neural recording systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10694964-B2
Application number	US-201715695408-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 5, 2017
Priority date	Sep 5, 2017
Publication date	Jun 30, 2020
Grant date	Jun 30, 2020

Abstract

A neural signal recording device includes a scan-mode circuit and a read-mode circuit. The scan-mode circuit detects neural spike activity within any M groups of electrodes selected from a total of N electrodes that are coupled to a brain. The read-mode circuit then records all neural spike signals present within any one of the M groups of electrodes where the neural spike activity is detected by the scan-mode circuit, whereby less than N electrodes are recorded at any one time by the neural signal recording device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A neural signal recording device, comprising:
a scan-mode circuit that detects neural spike activity at one or more M groups of electrodes selected from a total of N electrodes that are configured to be coupled to a brain; and
a read-mode circuit that records all neural spike signals present at the one or more M groups of electrodes where the neural spike activity is detected by the scan-mode circuit,
wherein less than N electrodes are recorded at any one time by the read-mode circuit;
wherein the scan-mode circuit comprises:
a plurality of M signal combining circuits that each combine neural spike signals from a group of C electrodes from the total of N electrodes configured to be coupled to the brain, and
a plurality of M neural signal detection circuits that are each coupled to a respective one of the plurality of M signal combining circuits, the plurality of M neural signal detection circuits each detecting a presence of a neural spike signal on the group of C electrodes associated with the respective one of the plurality of M signal combining circuits; and
wherein the read-mode circuit comprises:
a switch matrix coupled to the N electrodes that routes the group of C electrodes associated with the respective one of the plurality of M signal combining circuits, the routing occurring in response to the detecting of the presence of the neural spike signal on the group of C electrodes associated with the respective one of the plurality of M signal combining circuits.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the read-mode circuit further comprises:
a digital signal processor device that receives and stores neural spike signals that are present on all of the routed group of C electrodes that are associated with the respective one of the plurality of M signal combining circuits that include the detected neural spike signal.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of M signal combining circuits each comprise:
a plurality of high-pass filter circuits that are each coupled to a respective one of the group of C electrodes and generate a filtered output;
a power combiner circuit; and
a switch control unit that controls a transmission of the filtered output from each of the plurality of high-pass filter circuits to the power combiner circuit,
wherein the power combiner circuit aggregates filtered neural spike signals received from the group of C electrodes.

4. A method of recording neural spike signals from a brain, the method comprising:
dividing N electrodes configured to be coupled to the brain into M groups, the M groups each having a plurality of electrodes;
combining signals received from the plurality of electrodes corresponding to each one of the M groups of electrodes to generate M signal outputs;
scanning all of the M signal outputs for a detection of neural spike signals; and
responsive to the detection of the neural spike signals within any one or more of the M signal outputs, recording neural spike activity on all of the plurality of electrodes corresponding to the any one or more of the M groups of electrodes where the neural spike signals are detected,
wherein less than N electrodes are recorded at any one time; and
wherein the recording comprises:
applying the N electrodes to a switch matrix having switch inputs and switch outputs;
routing, from the switch inputs to the switch outputs, all the electrodes within any one or more of the M groups of electrodes corresponding to the any one or more of the M signal outputs on which the neural spike signals were detected; and
digitizing any neural spike signals located at the switch outputs based on the routing of all the electrodes within any one or more of the M groups of electrodes corresponding to the any one or more of the M signal outputs on which the neural spike signals were detected.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein during the recording of the neural spike activity on all the electrodes within any one or more of the M groups of electrodes, the scanning for the detection of the neural spike signals within the any one or more of the M groups of electrodes is disabled.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein responsive to the detection of a presence of the neural spike signals, at least N/M electrodes and at most M electrodes are recorded at any one time.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the detection of the neural spike signals comprise:
band-pass filtering signals received on each of the M signal outputs;
amplifying each of the band-pass filtered signals; and
converting each of the amplified signals to a digital format.

8. The method of claim 4 , wherein the digitized neural spike signals are radio transmitted from a region of a skull encapsulating the brain.

9. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
dividing the M groups of one or more electrodes into M S groups of one or more electrodes and M R groups of one or more electrodes;
combining the one or more electrodes from each one of the M S groups of electrodes to generate M S signal outputs;
scanning all of the M S signal outputs for the detection of neural spike signals; and
responsive to the detection of the presence of the neural spike signals within any one or more of the M S signal outputs, recording neural spike activity on all electrodes within any one or more of the M S groups of electrodes corresponding to the any one or more of the M S signal outputs; and
recording neural spike activity on all electrodes within any one or more of the M R groups of electrodes.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the scanning of all of the M S signal outputs occur simultaneously with the recording of the neural spike activity on all the electrodes within any one or more of the M R groups of electrodes.

11. A computer-implemented method of recording neural spike signals from a brain, the method comprising:
generating a scan control signal for enabling a receiving of a plurality of M output signals, wherein each of the plurality of M output signals are based on a combining of a plurality of input signals respectively received from a plurality of N electrodes configured to be coupled to the brain;
receiving digitized versions of the received plurality of M output signals for detecting neural spike signals from one or more of the plurality of M output signals; and
generating a read control signal for enabling a signal recording from all of the plurality of electrodes corresponding to the one or more of the plurality M output signals having the detected neural spike signals, wherein during the signal recording, the receiving of the plurality of output signals is disabled by the scan control signal, and wherein M<N;
further comprising:
generating a scan control signal for enabling receiving J of the M output signals, wherein each of the J of the M output signals are based on a combining of a plurality of input signals received from a first group of the plurality of N electrodes;
receiving digitized versions of a plurality of J output signals for detecting neural spike signals from one or more of the plurality of J output signals;
generating a first read control signal for enabling a signal recording from the plurality of input signals received from the first group of the plurality of N electrodes that respectively correspond to the one or more of the plurality of J output signals having the detected neural spike signals; and
generating a second read control signal for enabling a signal recording from a plurality of input signals received from a second group of the plurality of N electrodes, wherein the second group of the plurality of N electrodes are respectively recorded via the M output signals and the J output sig

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Lee Hyung-Min
• Meghelli Mounir
• Proesel Jonathan E

Classifications

• A61B5/316

  Modalities, i.e. specific diagnostic methods · CPC title

• A61B5/31 Primary

  for electroencephalography [EEG] · CPC title

• A61B5/24

  Detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof · CPC title

• A61B5/30

  Input circuits therefor · CPC title

• A61B5/6868 Primary

  Brain · CPC title