CN101259302A - Intelligent Brain Nerve Nucleus Electrical Stimulation System - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an intelligent brain nerve nucleus electrical stimulation system. It can be used to help the positioning of the implanted electrode by feeding back the electrical signal of the peripheral nerve of the electrode during the operation, and generate controllable electrical signals to stimulate the target nerve nucleus after operation, or record, transmit and analyze the electrical signal of the target nerve nucleus. Automatically adjust the stimulation signal sequence and monitor changes in intracranial pressure. The system consists of three parts: implant part, radio frequency control part and external power supply part. The implanted part consists of six subunits including stimulus signal generation and information processing unit, radio frequency communication unit, intracranial pressure monitoring unit, nerve signal acquisition unit, electrode and sensor interface, and power supply unit; the radio frequency control part is mainly composed of radio frequency communication unit, control Unit, input and output unit, information analysis and processing unit and computer interface are composed of five sub-units. The external power supply part is mainly composed of two sub-units, a coil and a high-frequency inverter circuit.

Description

Intelligent Brain Nerve Nucleus Electrical Stimulation System

technical field

The invention relates to a novel medical implantable device for functional electrical stimulation of deep brain nuclei in the field of biomedical engineering. In particular, it relates to an electrical stimulation system for intelligent cranial nerve nuclei.

Background technique

Functional brain diseases are a group of clinical syndromes caused by functional abnormalities of inner groups or nerves in the brain, and most patients are not accompanied by organic diseases. It mainly includes various movement disorders, cranial nerve syndrome, epilepsy, mental illness, nausea and other diseases.

The etiology of functional brain diseases is different, but the treatment methods are similar. At present, the most widely used method is electrical stimulation of deep brain nuclei, which is the most effective way to treat brain functional diseases developed in the past ten years. Relevant devices have been designed and invented abroad, and have been approved for clinical use. Nearly 20,000 cases of implantation operations have been performed, and good curative effects have been achieved. No relevant patents and reports have been seen in China, and this type of medical device is currently completely dependent on imports.

After years of clinical investigation and experiments, we found that deep brain stimulators have obvious advantages as an alternative to lesion treatment, but many aspects still need to be improved. For example:

(1) The deep brain stimulator system does not have the function of collecting and recording, and cannot accurately locate the nerve nuclei, which affects the curative effect; it lacks reliable disease data collection, curative effect evaluation and feedback control system, and cannot be used for in-depth research on brain diseases.

(2) There is no intracranial pressure monitoring device, and it is impossible to monitor the recovery of the brain after surgery.

(3) It is powered by a disposable battery, and the use time and intensity are limited by the power of the battery. It is impossible to choose a high-voltage and high-frequency stimulation mode that consumes a lot of power for a long time, which will affect the curative effect; and the stimulation device must be replaced regularly.

(4) The volume of the stimulator (including the battery) is too large, the selection of the surgical site and the positioning during the operation make the surgical wound of the patient too large, and the foreign body sensation also causes long-term psychological burden to the patient.

These all bring unnecessary physical and mental pain and damage to patients, causing certain economic losses.

Contents of the invention

The object of the present invention is to provide an intelligent brain nucleus electrical stimulation system, which has the functions of nerve information recording, information analysis and feedback, and brain nucleus electrical stimulation. It can provide electrical stimulation signals of different frequencies, voltages and pulse widths; it can continuously and dynamically collect and record nerve electrical signals for positioning and information analysis of implanted electrodes; it can monitor changes in intracranial pressure for monitoring surgical procedures. Restoration of the posterior brain; the use of percutaneous electromagnetic coupling power supply avoids the limitation of battery power and reduces the volume of the implanted part.

Technical scheme of the present invention is realized like this:

The present invention includes an implant part, a radio frequency control part and an external power supply part. The external power supply part performs energy transmission through electromagnetic coupling and the power supply part of the implant part, and the distance between the two cannot exceed 1.5 cm; the radio frequency control part and the implant part pass radio frequency To exchange information, the radio frequency control part transmits a working mode command to the implant part, and receives intracranial pressure information and nerve point signals collected by the implant part.

The implant part includes stimulation signal generation and information processing unit, radio frequency communication unit, intracranial pressure monitoring unit, nerve signal acquisition unit, electrode and sensor interface and power supply unit; nerve signal acquisition unit, intracranial pressure monitoring unit and electrode Connect with the interface of the sensor, the electrode, the sensor and the mouth are connected with the stimulation signal generation and the A/D port of the information processing unit, and digitize the collected signal; the stimulation signal generation and the D/A port of the information processing unit are connected with the electrode and the sensor interface , output the generated stimulation signal sequence to the electrodes; the stimulation signal generation and information processing unit is connected with the radio frequency communication unit, wherein the power supply unit receives the energy transmitted by the external power supply part through electromagnetic coupling.

The radio frequency control part includes a control unit, a radio frequency communication unit, an input and output unit, an information analysis and processing unit, a computer interface and a power supply unit; the I/O ports of the control unit are respectively connected with the input and output unit, the information analysis and processing unit, and the radio frequency communication unit; The JTAG debugging port of the unit is connected with the computer interface.

The external power supply part includes a transmission coil, a high-frequency inverter and a power supply unit; the power supply unit is connected to the high-frequency inverter, and the high-frequency inverter is connected to the transmission coil through a matching capacitor.

The input and output unit adjusts the frequency, voltage and pulse width parameters of the stimulation signal by direct setting or step search adjustment.

The high-frequency inverter generates a square wave with a frequency of 500kHz-1MHz and a duty cycle of 50%.

The transmission coil is wound in a single-strand planar spiral manner, and forms an oscillation loop with a matching capacitor.

The power supply unit is composed of a receiving coil, a rectifying circuit and a voltage adjusting circuit, the receiving coil is connected to the rectifying circuit through a matching capacitor, and the rectifying circuit is connected to the voltage adjusting circuit.

The receiving coil of the power supply unit adopts a multi-strand spiral around the plane, and forms an oscillating loop with the matching capacitor.

The invention is a novel wearable deep brain nucleus stimulator. It is suitable for long-term wear by patients with brain functional diseases. It can perform targeted stimulation on deep brain nerves and groups, and can dynamically and continuously collect relevant physiological and pathological information. Through the analysis and processing of these information, the feedback adjustment of stimulation parameters can be realized. . This system has a novel structure concept and unique functions. Its main technical features are:

(1) It can collect EEG signals and realize the dynamic feedback adjustment of stimulation parameters. The system can dynamically and continuously collect the electrophysiological information of the nerve nuclei at the stimulation site, and after analysis and processing, actively adjust the parameters of the electrical stimulation signal to optimize the stimulation effect.

(2) It can detect the change of intracranial pressure in real time and monitor the patient's recovery.

(3) Realize the transcutaneous energy transmission between the implanted part of the device and the external energy supply part, and ensure the stable power supply of the implanted part.

(4) Realize the information transmission between the implanted part of the device and the external control part, ensure that the implanted part has good controllability, and ensure that the information collected by the implanted part can be completely transmitted to the control part and saved.

(5) The system has good biocompatibility and good therapeutic effect.

Description of drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of the system structure of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of surgical implantation of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is the operation flow of the present invention.

Detailed ways

As shown in FIG. 1 , the present invention consists of three parts: an implant part 1 , a radio frequency control part 2 and an external power supply part 3 . The implant part 1 is composed of six sub-units including stimulation signal generation and information processing unit 4, radio frequency communication unit 5, intracranial pressure monitoring unit 6, nerve signal acquisition unit 7, electrode and sensor interface 8, and power supply unit 9; radio frequency control part 2. It is mainly composed of six subunits: control unit 10, radio frequency communication unit 11, input and output unit 12 (including liquid crystal display and selection buttons), information analysis and processing unit 13, computer interface unit 14 and power supply unit 15. The external power supply part is mainly composed of three subunits: transmission coil 16 , high frequency inverter 17 and power supply unit 18 .

(1) Main components and functions of the implant part 1

The core of the implant part 1 is the stimulus generation and information collection unit 4, which is mainly composed of a single-chip microcomputer MSP430F169. The radio frequency communication unit 5 adopts the nRF2401 communication module, and the working frequency is 2.4GHz. The electrode and sensor interface 8 uses a dual-four-to-one multi-channel analog switch 4052, and through the control of MSP430F169, the selection of electrode stimulation or collection sites is realized.

The stimulus generation and information collection unit 4 obtains working state parameters from the radio frequency control part 2 by monitoring the input signal of the radio frequency communication unit 5, and selects relevant circuits to realize its functions. If the stimulation parameters are received, the stimulation signal sequence is generated according to the parameters, and the deep brain nuclei are stimulated through the electrodes and the sensor interface 8; if the acquisition parameters are received, the corresponding nerve nuclei information or The intracranial pressure information is transmitted to the radio frequency control part 2 after A/D conversion.

In the stimulation mode, MSP430 F169 can select the frequency, voltage and pulse width of the stimulation according to the stimulation parameters, and can also select the stimulation site of the stimulation electrode, so that the stimulation positioning is more accurate, the stimulation intensity is more reasonable, and the purpose of improving the therapeutic effect is achieved. .

In the collection mode, MSP43 F1690 can choose to collect intracranial pressure information or nerve electrical signals according to the collection parameters. When collecting intracranial pressure information, the intracranial pressure monitoring unit 6 is connected to the pressure sensor implanted on the inner side of the skull. The pressure sensor converts the intracranial pressure into an electrical signal and outputs it to the intracranial pressure monitoring unit 6. After integration, it is sent to the MSP430F169 . When collecting nerve signals, MSP430F169 will select the corresponding electrode collection points according to the parameters, and send them to MSP430F169 after being filtered and amplified by the nerve information collection unit 7. The MSP430F169 transmits the collected information to the radio frequency control part 2 through the radio frequency communication unit 5 for its analysis and processing.

The power supply unit 9 is composed of a secondary receiving coil of the transcutaneous energy transmission system, a high frequency rectification circuit and a voltage adjustment circuit. The secondary coil adopts multiple strands and spirals around the flat plate to increase the transmission efficiency, and forms an LC oscillation circuit with a matched capacitor. The high-frequency rectification circuit rectifies the oscillating voltage into a DC voltage; the voltage adjustment circuit outputs an appropriate voltage according to the power requirements of all functional units implanted in part 1 .

(2) The main components and functions of the radio frequency control part 2

The radio frequency control part 2 takes the control unit 10 as the core, and the unit is mainly composed of a single-chip microcomputer MSP430F149. MSP430F149 sets the working mode of the whole system by receiving the input parameters of the input and output unit 12 . The information analysis and processing unit 13 uses a digital signal processor TMS320VC5503 as a processing chip. Computer interface 14 adopts TUSB2036 chip as the control chip.

When the system is in the information collection mode, the control unit 10 sends command parameters to the implanted part 1 through the radio frequency communication unit 11, selects the type of information to be collected and the relevant parameters when collecting information, and receives the collected information through the radio frequency communication unit 11 , and then sent to the information analysis and processing unit 13 in the control part or sent to the computer through the computer interface 14 according to the instruction.

When the system is in the manual stimulation mode, the control unit 10 reads the stimulation parameter setting of the input and output unit 12, and controls the parameters of the stimulation signal sequence of the implanted part 1 through the radio frequency output unit 11. At the same time, the manual input mode can change the frequency or voltage of the stimulation signal according to different step values, so as to facilitate the search for suitable stimulation parameters.

When the system is in automatic stimulation mode, the system will stimulate or collect information in a time-division multiplexing manner. After the control unit 10 sends the working parameters to the implanted part 1, the implanted part will collect intracranial pressure and nerve information according to the set acquisition parameters, and feed the information back to the radio frequency control part 2. The control unit 10 sends the collected information to the information analysis and processing unit 13 , and adjusts the stimulation parameters after analysis by a certain method, and then sends it back to the implant part 1 . The implant part 1 is stimulated for a certain period of time according to the new stimulation parameters, and then collects information again.

The information analysis and processing unit 13 is mainly composed of DSP, which integrates scientifically effective non-linear analysis methods. By analyzing and processing the input information, the type and degree of the patient's disease can be judged, and the most suitable stimulation parameters can be selected.

The input and output unit 12 mainly includes a liquid crystal display screen and input buttons, provides a human-computer interaction interface and method, and ensures the visibility and accuracy of parameter selection.

(3) Main components and functions of the external power supply part 3

The external power supply part 3 mainly includes a primary transmission coil 16 and a high frequency inverter 17 . High-frequency inverter 17 utilizes zero-voltage switching-pulse width modulation converter technology, and improves the form of its transmission coil. The PWM switch control chip uses TI's low-power duty cycle adjustable PWM control chip UCC3807-3, and the switch device uses a high-frequency switch tube IRFU220, and the selected operating frequency is between 500kHz-1MHz.

The primary transmission coil 16 adopts a single-strand plane spiral pattern, and its area is larger than that of the secondary receiving coil, which can effectively improve the transmission efficiency. The primary transmission coil is matched with the capacitor to form an LC oscillation circuit whose oscillation frequency is the same as that of the PWM switch control chip.

Figure 2 shows. The position of the implantation of the present invention should be selected at a position close to the stimulated deep brain nucleus from the top of the skull. The nerve nucleus stimulating electrode 23 supporting the present invention is implanted into the stimulated targeted nerve nucleus, and the intracranial pressure sensor 24 is implanted on the inner side of the skull, and is connected to the electrodes and the sensor interface 8 of the implanted parts 1, 19 of the present invention . The transmission coil 16,20 of the external power supply part 3 of the present invention is attached to the outside of the parietal cortex of the implanted part, and the secondary receiving coil of the power supply unit 9 of the implanted part 1, 19 is coaxially placed; the high-frequency inverter part 17, 21 are placed behind the ears, and are connected to the transmission coils 16, 20 through wires 22.

Figure 3 shows. After the switch of the external power supply part 3 is turned on, the circuit of the implanted part 1 starts to stand by. Turn on the radio frequency control part 2, adjust the working parameters, and then remotely control the implant part 1 to work through the radio frequency. According to needs, connect the RF control part 2 to the computer through the USB interface, collect the required nerve electrical signals and intracranial pressure signals, use the supporting software to record, analyze and process, and then send the obtained parameters back to the RF control part , to regulate the stimulation signal sequence of the implanted part.

An embodiment of the system. When using the acquisition signal working mode, the radio frequency control part 2 transmits parameters such as the type of the collected signal and the selection of the electrode collection site to the implant part 1 through the radio frequency 11, and the implant part 1 selects a suitable channel 8 to collect the corresponding signal, And send it back to the radio frequency control part 2 through the radio frequency 5 , the radio frequency control part 2 can transmit the collected signal to the signal analysis and processing unit 13 , or transmit it to an external computer through the computer interface 14 .

Another embodiment of the system. When the manual stimulation mode is used, parameters such as the frequency, voltage and pulse width of the stimulation signal must be manually set through the input and output unit 12. If not set, the parameters of the last stimulation will be used. The radio frequency control part 2 transmits the set parameters to the implant part 1, and the implant part 1 performs electrical stimulation according to the obtained parameters. When you need to select stimulation parameters, you can set the initial value and step value of a selected parameter, then after starting stimulation, the selected stimulation parameters will change according to the set step value to achieve a better stimulation effect , click OK to select the current stimulation parameters as the default stimulation parameters.

Another embodiment of the system. When using the automatic stimulation working mode, the implant part 1 first starts to collect the intracranial pressure and nerve electrical signals 6, 7, 8, and transmits them to the radio frequency control part 2, and after the analysis of the signal analysis and processing unit 13 therein, the selected A certain stimulation parameter is sent back to the implanted part 1, and the implanted part 1 stimulates for a certain period of time according to this parameter, and then collects intracranial pressure and neural electrical signals 6, 7, 8 and feeds them back to the radio frequency control part 2. Through such a program, the purpose of automatically controlling the stimulation signal sequence is achieved.

Claims (9)

1. An electrical stimulation system for intelligent cranial nerve nuclei, comprising an implant part (1), a radio frequency control part (2) and the external power supply part (3), it is characterized in that, the external power supply part (3) carries out energy transmission through electromagnetic coupling and the power supply part of the implant part (1), and the distance between the two cannot exceed 1.5cm; the radio frequency control part (2) and the implanted part (1) exchange information through radio frequency, and the radio frequency control part (2) transmits the working mode command to the implanted part (1), and receives the intracranial pressure information and nerve information collected by the implanted part (1). point signal. 2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that, the implant part (1) includes a stimulation signal generation and information processing unit (4), a radio frequency communication unit (5), an intracranial pressure monitoring unit (6 ), nerve signal acquisition unit (7), electrode and sensor interface (8) and power supply unit (9); nerve signal acquisition unit (7) and intracranial pressure monitoring unit (6) are connected with electrode and sensor interface (8), The electrodes, sensors and mouth (8) are connected to the A/D port of the stimulation signal generation and information processing unit (4), and the collected signals are digitized; the stimulation signal generation and the D/A port of the information processing unit (4) are connected to the electrode connected with the sensor interface (8), and output the generated stimulation signal sequence to the electrodes; the stimulation signal generation and information processing unit (4) is connected with the radio frequency communication unit (5), wherein the power supply unit (9) receives the external power supply part through electromagnetic coupling (3) Energy transmitted. 3. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the radio frequency control part (2) includes a control unit (10), a radio frequency communication unit (11), an input and output unit (12), an information analysis and processing unit (13), Computer interface (14) and power supply unit (15); The I/O port of control unit (10) is connected with input and output unit (12), information analysis and processing unit (13), radio frequency communication unit (11) respectively; Control unit ( 10) the JTAG debugging port is connected with the computer interface (14). 4. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the external power supply part (3) includes a transmission coil (16), a high frequency inverter (17) and a power supply unit (18); wherein the power supply unit (18) is connected to the high The frequency inverter (17) is connected, and the high frequency inverter (17) is connected with the transmission coil (16) through a matching capacitor. 5. The device according to claim 3, characterized in that the input-output unit (12) adjusts the frequency, voltage and pulse width parameters of the stimulation signal by means of direct setting or step-by-step search and adjustment. 6. The device according to claim 4, characterized in that the high-frequency inverter (17) generates a square wave with a frequency of 500 kHz-1 MHz and a duty cycle of 50%. 7. The device according to claim 4, characterized in that the transmission coil (16) is wound in a single-strand planar helical manner, and forms an oscillating loop with the matching capacitor. 8. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that the power supply unit (9) is composed of a receiving coil, a rectification circuit and a voltage adjustment circuit, the receiving coil and the rectification circuit are connected through a matching capacitor, and the rectification circuit is connected to the voltage adjustment circuit. 9. The device according to claim 8, characterized in that the receiving coil of the power supply unit (9) adopts a multi-strand spiral pattern around the plane, and forms an oscillation loop with the matching capacitor.

Images