Osseointegrated neural interface and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9937064-B2
Application number	US-201615049297-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 22, 2016
Priority date	Feb 22, 2016
Publication date	Apr 10, 2018
Grant date	Apr 10, 2018

Abstract

An osseointegrated neural interface (ONI) is provided for control of a prosthetic. The ONI includes an elongated, hollow rod having a first end receivable in an intramedullary cavity of a bone, a second end operatively connected to the prosthetic and an inner surface defining a cavity. An electrode is receiveable on a terminal end of a peripheral nerve and positionable within the cavity of the rod. The electrode being capable of sensing the neural signals generated by the peripheral nerve and stimulating the peripheral nerve. A recording/stimulation unit, receiveable within the cavity of the rod, records the neural signals from the peripheral nerve sensed by the electrode and transmits the signals to a controller operatively connected thereto. The controller controls operation of the prosthetic in response to the neural signals recorded by the recording unit. In addition, the controller receives stimulation signals from a sensor in the prosthetic and causes the electrode to stimulate the peripheral nerve via the recording/stimulation unit in response thereto.

First claim

We claim:

1. An osseointegrated neural interface (ONI) for control of a prosthetic, comprising:
an elongated, hollow rod having a first end receiveable in an intramedullary cavity of a bone, a second end operatively connected to the prosthetic and an inner surface defining a cavity;
an electrode receiveable on a terminal end of a peripheral nerve and positionable within the cavity of the rod, the electrode configured to at least one of sense the neural signals generated by the peripheral nerve and stimulate the peripheral nerve; and
an anchor operatively connectable to the bone for retaining the terminal end of the peripheral nerve within the bone.

2. The ONI of claim 1 wherein the electrode includes a plurality of openings therethrough, the plurality of openings adapted for allowing the passage of nerve sprouts from the peripheral nerve therethrough.

3. The ONI of claim 1 wherein the rod includes a plurality of fenestrations extending therethrough, the plurality of fenestrations adapted for allowing the passage of nerve sprouts from the peripheral nerve therethrough.

4. The ONI of claim 1 wherein the electrode includes a base and a plurality of spikes projecting therefrom, the spikes sensing the neural signals generated by the peripheral nerve.

5. The ONI of claim 1 wherein the electrode is operatively connected to a recording unit, the recording unit recording the neural signals from the peripheral nerve sensed by the electrode.

6. The ONI of claim 5 wherein the recording unit is receivable within the cavity of the rod.

7. The ONI of claim 5 further comprising a controller operatively connected to the recording unit, the controller controlling operation of the prosthetic in response to the neural signals recorded by the recording unit.

8. The ONI of claim 1 wherein the electrode is operatively connected to a stimulation unit, the stimulation unit transmitting signals to the electrode to stimulate the peripheral nerve.

9. The ONI of claim 8 wherein the stimulation unit is receivable within the cavity of the rod.

10. The ONI of claim 9 further comprising a controller operatively connected to the stimulation unit, the controller configured to control operation of the stimulation unit and the transmission of the signals to the electrode to stimulate the peripheral nerve.

11. A method of controlling a prosthetic, comprising the steps of:
positioning a first end of an elongated, hollow rod within an intramedullary cavity of a bone, the rod having an inner surface defining a cavity;
inserting a terminal end of a peripheral nerve within the intramedullary cavity of the bone;
interconnecting a second end of the rod to the prosthetic;
monitoring neural signals generated by a peripheral nerve; and
transmitting the neural signals to a prosthetic controller, the prosthetic controller received within one of the rod, the intramedullary cavity of a bone and the prosthetic; and
controlling movement of the prosthetic in response to the neural signals monitored.

12. The method of claim 11 comprising the additional step of anchoring the peripheral nerve to the bone.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of:
positioning an electrode on a terminal end of the peripheral nerve, the electrode sensing the neural signals generated by the peripheral nerve.

14. The method of claim 13 comprising the additional step of configuring the electrode to allow nerve sprouts extending from the peripheral nerve to pass therethrough.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the terminal end of a peripheral nerve is inserted within the cavity of the rod.

16. The method of claim 15 comprising the additional step of configuring the rod to allow nerve sprouts extending from the peripheral nerve to pass therethrough.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the rod includes a plurality of fenestrations extending therethrough, the plurality of fenestrations adapted for allowing the passage of nerve sprouts from the peripheral nerve therethrough.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of controlling movement of the prosthetic in response to the neural signals monitored includes the additional steps of:
positioning an electrode about the peripheral nerve;
recording the neural signals from the peripheral nerve sensed by the electrode; and
controlling operation of the prosthetic in response to the neural signals recorded.

19. The method of claim 18 comprising the additional steps of:
positioning a recording unit in the cavity in the rod; and
operatively connecting the recording unit to the electrode.

20. The method of claim 19 comprising the additional step of:
positioning the prosthetic controller in the prosthetic, the controller configured to control operation of the prosthetic in response to the neural signals recorded by the recording unit; and
operatively connecting the prosthetic controller to the recording unit to receive the neural signals recorded by the recording unit.

21. The method of claim 11 comprising the additional steps of:
sensing an external factor acting on the prosthetic; and
stimulating the peripheral nerve in response to the external factor sensed.

22. The method of claim 21 comprising the additional steps of:
positioning a sensor in the prosthetic for sensing the external factor; and
operatively connecting a stimulation unit to the electrode.

23. The method of claim 22 comprising the additional step of positioning the prosthetic controller, operatively connected to the sensor and the stimulation unit, in the prosthetic, the prosthetic controller configured to transmit stimulation instructions to the stimulation unit in response to the external factor sensed by the sensor.

24. A method of controlling a prosthetic, comprising the steps of:
positioning a first end of an elongated, hollow rod within an intramedullary cavity of a bone, the rod interconnected to the prosthetic and having an inner surface defining a cavity;
inserting a terminal end of a peripheral nerve within the cavity of the rod;
positioning an electrode on a terminal end of the peripheral nerve, the electrode sensing the neural signals generated by the peripheral nerve; and
controlling movement of the prosthetic in response to the neural signals sensed.

25. The method of claim 24 comprising the additional step of anchoring the peripheral nerve to the bone.

26. The method of claim 25 comprising the additional step of configuring the electrode to allow nerve sprouts extending from the peripheral nerve to pass therethrough.

27. The method of claim 26 comprising the additional step of configuring the rod to allow nerve sprouts extending from the peripheral nerve to pass therethrough.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the rod includes a plurality of fenestrations extending therethrough, the plurality of fenestrations adapted for allowing the passage of nerve sprouts from the peripheral nerve therethrough.

29. The method of claim 24 wherein the step of controlling movement of the prosthetic in response to the neural signals sensed includes the additional steps of:
recording the neural signals from the peripheral nerve sensed by the electrode; and
positioning a controller in the prosthetic, the controller configured to control operation of the prosthetic in response to the neural signals recorded by the recording unit.

Assignees

• Wisconsin Alumni Res Found

Inventors

• Poore Samuel O
• Williams Justin C
• Brodnick Sarah K
• Richner Thomas J
• Kapur Sahil K

Classifications

• A61N1/0551

  Spinal or peripheral nerve electrodes · CPC title

• A61F2250/0002

  for data transfer · CPC title

• A61F2/2814

  Bone stump caps · CPC title

• A61B5/04888

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A61F2002/7887

  for connecting limb exoprostheses to the stump bone · CPC title