CN104548392B - TCD,transcranial Doppler stimulating apparatus and stimulating method - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a transcranial ultrasonic stimulation device and a method for performing nerve tissue positioning and nerve modulation by transcranial ultrasonic stimulation. The transcranial ultrasonic stimulation device includes a host computer unit, an ultrasonic pulse transmitting unit, an ultrasonic transducer unit and a power circuit , because the transcranial ultrasonic stimulation device provided by the present invention adopts an integrated circuit type, and also includes an echo amplification circuit, the focal length of the ultrasonic transducer unit is 30mm, and the adjustment of the ultrasonic pulse emission voltage is realized through the adjustment of the power supply voltage, so that the present invention The transcranial ultrasound stimulation device provided by the invention is small in size, high in spatial positioning resolution, and can realize system self-inspection. At the same time, due to the adjustable ultrasound intensity, low ultrasound intensity can be selected for tissue positioning and nerve modulation, and high ultrasound intensity can be selected for tissue damage. , to verify the location information of the stimulation site.

Description

Transcranial ultrasonic stimulation device and stimulation method

technical field

The invention belongs to the technical field of nerve stimulation, and in particular relates to a transcranial ultrasonic stimulation device and a method for transcranial ultrasonic stimulation for nerve modulation.

Background technique

There are usually three methods of traditional transcranial nerve stimulation: body surface electrode method, which uses electrodes through the skin and bone tissue to input pulse current into brain tissue; microelectrode method, which is mainly used for neuromodulation in deep brain tissue; magnetic stimulation method, compared to The first two methods appeared later. This method refers to passing a high-frequency current in the coil to generate an alternating electromagnetic field, forming electromagnetic waves that enter the nerve tissue to play a role in nerve modulation. There are certain defects in the three traditional methods. The body surface electrode method can only stimulate superficial nerve tissue. The microelectrode method needs to insert electrodes into the brain, which is a destructive method. The focus range of the magnetic stimulation method is centimeter-level, and it is difficult to accurately locate it.

The use of transcranial ultrasound to modulate brain nerves is an important application of ultrasound in the field of non-invasive medicine. Focusing the ultrasound emitted outside the body and making the focus act on nerve tissue can achieve efficient modulation of brain nerves. However, most of the transcranial ultrasound stimulation generating devices in the prior art are spliced by multiple pieces of equipment, which are not only bulky and inconvenient to use, but also do not have the functions of stimulation positioning and self-checking of ultrasound intensity.

Contents of the invention

The present invention is made to solve the above problems. By providing an integrated transcranial ultrasonic stimulation device capable of detecting ultrasonic echoes, it is not only easy to use, but also has the functions of stimulation positioning and self-checking of ultrasonic intensity.

The present invention adopts following technical scheme:

The transcranial ultrasonic stimulation device provided by the present invention is used to generate ultrasonic pulses for stimulating intracranial nerves, and has such features, including: a host computer unit for transmitting control command parameters; an ultrasonic pulse transmitting unit, and a host computer unit Connection, including sequentially connected programmable pulse generating components and ultrasonic pulse transmitting circuits, the programmable pulse generating components are used to receive the control command parameters of the upper computer unit, and drive the ultrasonic pulse transmitting circuit to send high-voltage electric pulses; the ultrasonic transducer unit, It is connected with the ultrasonic pulse transmitting unit for converting the high-voltage electric pulse signal into ultrasonic pulse, and a power supply circuit is used for supplying power to the ultrasonic pulse transmitting unit, wherein the pulse voltage of the ultrasonic pulse transmitting circuit is adjustable.

The transcranial ultrasonic stimulation device provided by the present invention may also have the feature of further comprising: an echo receiving and amplifying circuit for amplifying the ultrasonic echo signal.

The transcranial ultrasonic stimulation device provided by the present invention may also have the following feature: the ultrasonic pulse transmitting unit further includes an isolation circuit for blocking the small-amplitude noise voltage of the ultrasonic pulse transmitting unit from entering the ultrasonic echo receiving and amplifying circuit.

The transcranial ultrasonic stimulation device provided by the present invention may also have the feature of further comprising: an oscilloscope for displaying the ultrasonic echo signal output by the echo receiving and amplifying circuit.

The transcranial ultrasonic stimulation device provided by the present invention may also have the following feature: the ultrasonic transducer unit is a focused ultrasonic transducer.

The transcranial ultrasonic stimulation device provided by the present invention can also have such a feature: the upper computer unit is a desktop computer, a notebook computer or a tablet computer and other computers that can run a graphical operating system, and the control command parameters of its interface configuration include ultrasonic center Frequency, Pulse Duration, Pulse Repetition Frequency, and Pulse Duration.

The transcranial ultrasonic stimulation device provided by the present invention may also have the feature that the ultrasonic pulse emission voltage is adjustable.

The transcranial ultrasonic stimulation device provided by the present invention may also have the feature that the gain of the echo receiving amplifying circuit is adjustable.

Further, the present invention provides a method for nerve tissue localization and nerve modulation by a transcranial ultrasonic stimulation device, which is characterized in that it includes the following steps:

Step 1: Select "Positioning Mode" on the control interface of the upper computer unit;

Step 2: Determine the position of the nerve tissue that needs to be stimulated on the brain locator, place the needle tip reflector there, and align the ultrasonic transducer unit with the needle tip reflector;

Step 3, the high-voltage single-pulse electrical signal repeatedly sent by the pulse transmitting circuit drives the ultrasonic transducer unit to send ultrasonic pulses after passing through the isolation circuit;

Step 4: Adjust the position and angle of the ultrasonic transducer unit. When the echo signal is the strongest, it means that the position of the needle tip reflector is the focus position of the ultrasonic transducer unit;

Step 5: Keep the position of the ultrasonic transducer unit unchanged, remove the needle tip reflector from the brain locator, and fix the subject to be stimulated on the brain locator according to the requirements of the brain map;

Step 6, select "stimulation mode" on the control interface of the host computer module;

Step seven, selecting appropriate pulse parameters, pulse voltage and ultrasonic transducer unit to generate ultrasonic stimulation pulses to stimulate the nerve tissue and modulate the nerve tissue.

Further, the present invention also provides a method for nerve tissue damage by a transcranial ultrasonic stimulation device, which is used to verify the position information of the action site of ultrasonic stimulation in animal experiments, which is characterized in that it includes the following steps:

Step 1: Select "Positioning Mode" on the control interface of the upper computer unit;

Step 2: Determine the position of the nerve tissue that needs to be stimulated on the brain locator, place the needle tip reflector there, and align the ultrasonic transducer unit with the needle tip reflector;

Step 3, the high-voltage single-pulse electrical signal repeatedly sent by the pulse transmitting circuit drives the ultrasonic transducer unit to send ultrasonic pulses after passing through the isolation circuit;

Step 4: Adjust the position and angle of the ultrasonic transducer unit. When the echo signal is the strongest, it means that the position of the needle tip reflector is the focus position of the ultrasonic transducer unit;

Step 5: Keep the position of the ultrasonic transducer unit unchanged, remove the needle tip reflector from the brain locator, and fix the subject to be stimulated on the brain locator according to the requirements of the brain map;

Step 6: Select "damage mode" on the control interface of the upper computer unit, and in the "damage mode", increase the pulse voltage, and at the same time, the pulse emission circuit sends out continuous pulses to damage the nerve tissue at the focal point.

Invention function and effect

The invention provides a transcranial ultrasonic stimulation device and a method for performing nerve tissue positioning and nerve modulation by transcranial ultrasonic stimulation. The transcranial ultrasonic stimulation device includes a host computer unit for transmitting command parameters; Ultrasonic pulse transmitting unit, including sequentially connected programmable pulse generating components, ultrasonic pulse transmitting circuit and isolation circuit; ultrasonic transducer unit, connected with ultrasonic pulse transmitting unit, used to convert high-voltage electric pulse into ultrasonic pulse, and power supply circuit , used to supply power to the ultrasonic pulse transmitting unit, since the transcranial ultrasonic stimulation device provided by the present invention adopts an integrated circuit type, and also includes an echo amplification circuit, the focal length of the ultrasonic transducer unit is 30 mm, and the power supply voltage is adjusted to realize The adjustment of the ultrasonic pulse emission voltage makes the transcranial ultrasonic stimulation device provided by the present invention small in size and high in spatial positioning resolution, and can realize system self-inspection to determine whether the equipment status is shifted. Low ultrasound intensity is used for tissue localization and nerve modulation, and high ultrasound intensity is selected for tissue damage to verify the position information of the stimulation site in animal experiments.

Description of drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic structural view of the transcranial ultrasonic stimulation device of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a flow chart of the neuromodulation process using the transcranial ultrasound stimulation device of the present invention.

detailed description

The specific implementation manners of the present invention will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of the transcranial ultrasonic stimulation device in this embodiment.

As shown in Figure 1, the transcranial nerve stimulation device 100 includes a host computer unit 1, an ultrasonic pulse transmitting unit 2, an ultrasonic transducer unit 3, a voltage limiting circuit 4, an echo receiving and amplifying circuit 5, an oscilloscope 6, a power supply circuit 7, and a synchronous detector8. Wherein, the ultrasonic pulse transmitting unit 2, the voltage limiting circuit 4, the echo receiving amplifying circuit 5 and the power supply circuit 7 are located inside the case, and other components are located outside the case. The ultrasonic pulse transmitting unit 2 includes a programmable pulse generating component 21 , an ultrasonic pulse transmitting circuit 22 and an isolation circuit 23 connected in sequence.

The upper computer unit 1 downloads the control signal and the parameters of the ultrasonic pulse to the programmable pulse generating component 21 through the serial port. After receiving the parameters, the programmable pulse generating component 21 converts the control signal and the parameters of the ultrasonic pulse into switching pulses under specific parameters EP+ and EP-, the switching pulses drive the ultrasonic pulse transmitting circuit 22 to send high-voltage electric pulses, and the high-voltage electric pulses are input to the ultrasonic transducer unit 3 after passing through the isolation circuit 23 . Then, the high-voltage electrical pulse is converted by the ultrasonic transducer unit 3 into an ultrasonic pulse for nerve modulation.

The voltage limiting circuit 4 is connected with the ultrasonic echo receiving and amplifying circuit 5, which is used to prevent the ultrasonic echo signal from returning to the ultrasonic pulse transmitting unit, and the gain of the echo receiving and amplifying circuit 5 is adjustable, and is used to amplify the ultrasonic echo signal reflected by the intracranial nerve , the amplified ultrasonic echo signal is displayed in a certain form in the oscilloscope 6 through the echo output during the stimulation positioning, which is convenient for the operator to observe the echo intuitively.

The power supply circuit 7 is used to supply power to the ultrasonic pulse transmitting unit 2, and the voltage of the power supply circuit is adjustable at the same time, which is used to adjust the pulse voltage of the ultrasonic pulse transmitting circuit 22, thereby adjusting the ultrasonic intensity, and the low sound intensity is used for nerve tissue positioning and nerve tissue Stimulating, high sound intensity for tissue destruction.

The synchronous detector 8 is connected with the programmable pulse generating component 21 for real-time monitoring of the working conditions of the programmable pulse generating component 21 .

In this embodiment, the upper computer unit is various computers that can run a graphical operating system such as a desktop computer, a notebook computer or a tablet computer, and the parameter information and the range of its interface configuration are: the ultrasonic center frequency (Ft) is 100KHZ-2MHZ, The pulse duration (PD) is 0.1ms-10ms, the pulse repetition frequency (PRF) is 10HZ-2KHZ, and the pulse duration (SD) is 0.5min-60min.

In this embodiment, the programmable pulse transmitting component is realized by FPGA, and the FPGA transmits switching pulses EP+ and EP- under specific parameters to the ultrasonic pulse transmitting circuit after receiving the data.

In this embodiment, the adjustable gain range of the ultrasonic echo receiving amplifier circuit is -10dB-20dB, and the ultrasonic pulse voltage that the power supply circuit can provide is in the range of ±20V-±80V.

The ultrasonic transducer unit in this embodiment is a focused ultrasonic transducer, and the focal length of the ultrasonic transducer is 30mm. According to actual needs, three kinds of focused ultrasonic transducers with center frequencies of 500KHZ, 1MHZ and 1.25MHZ can be selected. .

Further, this embodiment also provides a method for using the transcranial ultrasound stimulation device in this embodiment to perform nerve tissue localization, nerve modulation and tissue damage.

Fig. 2 is a flow chart of a method for nerve tissue localization and nerve modulation using the transcranial ultrasound stimulation device in this embodiment.

As shown in Figure 2, the steps of transcranial ultrasound stimulation for nerve tissue localization and nerve modulation are as follows:

Step 1: Select "Positioning Mode" on the control interface of the upper computer unit;

Step 2, determine the position of the nerve tissue to be stimulated on the brain locator, and place the needle tip reflector there;

Step 3, the pulse transmitting circuit 22 repeatedly sends out a bidirectional single pulse electrical signal, and the bidirectional single pulse electrical signal drives the focused ultrasonic transducer 3 to send out ultrasonic pulses after passing through the isolation circuit 23;

Step 4, aim the probe of the focused ultrasonic transducer 3 at the needle tip reflector and observe the echo signal through the oscilloscope 6;

Step 5, adjust the position and angle of the focused ultrasonic transducer 3, find the maximum echo, and at this time the position of the needle tip reflector is the focus position of the focused ultrasonic transducer 3;

Step 6: Keep the position of the focused ultrasound transducer 3 unchanged, remove the needle tip reflector from the brain locator, and fix the subject to be stimulated on the brain locator according to the requirements of the brain atlas;

Step seven, select "stimulation mode" on the control interface of the host computer PC;

Step 8: Select appropriate pulse parameters and pulse voltage according to the actual situation, and the focused ultrasonic transducer 3 generates ultrasonic stimulation signals to stimulate the nerve tissue and modulate the nerve tissue.

When applied to animal experiments, after the experiment is over, if it is necessary to verify the position information of the stimulation site, the damaged mode can be used. In this mode, the pulse emission circuit 22 emits a continuous wave, and at the same time, the pulse voltage of the pulse emission circuit 22 needs to be increased to a high voltage, which can damage the nerve tissue at the focal point after a long enough time. To damage nerve tissue at different locations, it is necessary to determine the pulse voltage, ultrasound length and duration through experiments.

After the experiment was over, the animals were sacrificed and dissected to observe changes in brain tissue and determine the exact location of stimulation.

At the same time, the transcranial ultrasonic stimulation device in this embodiment can also perform system self-inspection. The specific content is: after the transcranial ultrasonic stimulation device 100 is assembled, it can perform the pulse reflection method under the set pulse voltage and echo amplification gain. , measure and record the echo intensity of the plane target at the focal point under the condition of vertical incidence; in the subsequent use process, the echo intensity can be measured under the same conditions and compared with the original record to determine whether the equipment status has shifted .

Function and effect of embodiment

This embodiment provides a transcranial ultrasonic stimulation device and a method for performing nerve tissue localization and nerve modulation by transcranial ultrasonic stimulation. The transcranial ultrasonic stimulation device includes a host computer unit for transmitting command parameters; connected to the host computer unit The ultrasonic pulse transmitting unit includes a programmable pulse generating component connected in sequence, an ultrasonic pulse transmitting circuit and an isolation circuit; an ultrasonic transducer unit is connected with the ultrasonic pulse transmitting unit for converting high-voltage electrical pulses into ultrasonic pulses, and a power supply The circuit is used to supply power to the ultrasonic pulse transmitting unit. Since the transcranial ultrasonic stimulation device provided in this embodiment adopts an integrated circuit type and also includes an echo amplification circuit, the focal length of the ultrasonic transducer unit is 30mm, and at the same time, the adjustment of the power supply voltage To achieve the adjustment of the ultrasonic pulse emission voltage, the transcranial ultrasonic stimulation device provided by this embodiment is small in size and high in spatial positioning resolution, and can realize system self-checking to determine whether the equipment status is offset. At the same time, because the ultrasonic intensity can be adjusted , You can choose low ultrasound intensity for tissue positioning and nerve modulation, and choose high ultrasound intensity for tissue damage to verify the position information of the stimulating site.

The present invention is not limited to the scope of specific embodiments. For those of ordinary skill in the art, as long as various changes are within the spirit and scope of the present invention defined and determined by the claims, these changes are obvious. The inventions and creations of the present invention are all included in the protection.

Claims (5)

1. A kind of 1. TCD,transcranial Doppler stimulating apparatus, for producing the ultrasonic pulse stimulated encephalic nerve, it is characterised in that bag Include：

   Host computer unit, for transmission of control signals and ultrasonic pulse parameter；

   Ultrasound pulse transmission unit, connected with the host computer unit, including the programmable pulse generating assembly being linked in sequence with And ultrasound pulse transmission circuit, the programmable pulse generating assembly are used for the manipulation order ginseng for receiving the host computer unit Number, and drive the ultrasound pulse transmission circuit to send high electric field pulse,

   Ultrasonic transduction unit, connected with the ultrasound pulse transmission unit, for the high electric field pulse to be converted into ultrasonic arteries and veins Punching,

   Oscillograph, for showing the ultrasound echo signal of echo reception amplifying circuit output,

   Echo reception amplifying circuit, for amplifying the ultrasound echo signal through the encephalic neural reflex, amplified is described super Sound echo-signal is exported by echo and shown in the oscillograph, person's observed echo directly perceived easy to operation, and

   Power circuit, for being powered to the ultrasound pulse transmission unit,

   Wherein, the pulse voltage of the ultrasound pulse transmission circuit is adjustable,

   Needle point reverberation is arranged on to the position for the nerve fiber for needing to be stimulated on brain position indicator, and by the ultrasonic transduction Unit is directed at the needle point reverberation, adjusts position and the angle of the ultrasonic transduction unit, surpasses described in the oscillograph When sound echo-signal is most strong, the position of the needle point reverberation is the focal position of the ultrasonic transduction unit.
2. 2. TCD,transcranial Doppler stimulating apparatus according to claim 1, it is characterised in that：

   Wherein, the ultrasound pulse transmission unit also includes isolation circuit, and the isolation circuit is used to block the ultrasonic pulse The noise voltage by a small margin of transmitter unit enters the ultrasonic echo and receives amplifying circuit.
3. 3. TCD,transcranial Doppler stimulating apparatus according to claim 1, it is characterised in that：

   Wherein, the ultrasonic transduction unit is focused transducer.
4. 4. TCD,transcranial Doppler stimulating apparatus according to claim 1, it is characterised in that：

   Wherein, the host computer unit is the computer that can run Graphic Operating System, and the interface of the computer is configured The ultrasonic pulse parameter include ultrasonic centre frequency, pulse duration, pulse recurrence frequency and pulse duration.
5. 5. TCD,transcranial Doppler stimulating apparatus according to claim 2, it is characterised in that：

   Wherein, the echo reception amplifying circuit adjustable gain.