Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Engineering Science Department, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Nat Commun. 2024 Jul 26;15(1):6290. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-50597-2.
Electrocorticography is an established neural interfacing technique wherein an array of electrodes enables large-area recording from the cortical surface. Electrocorticography is commonly used for seizure mapping however the implantation of large-area electrocorticography arrays is a highly invasive procedure, requiring a craniotomy larger than the implant area to place the device. In this work, flexible thin-film electrode arrays are combined with concepts from soft robotics, to realize a large-area electrocorticography device that can change shape via integrated fluidic actuators. We show that the 32-electrode device can be packaged using origami-inspired folding into a compressed state and implanted through a small burr-hole craniotomy, then expanded on the surface of the brain for large-area cortical coverage. The implantation, expansion, and recording functionality of the device is confirmed in-vitro and in porcine in-vivo models. The integration of shape actuation into neural implants provides a clinically viable pathway to realize large-area neural interfaces via minimally invasive surgical techniques.
脑皮层电图是一种成熟的神经接口技术,它使用电极阵列实现从皮层表面的大面积记录。脑皮层电图通常用于癫痫发作定位,但是大面积脑皮层电图阵列的植入是一种高度侵入性的手术,需要开颅术大于植入区域以放置设备。在这项工作中,柔性薄膜电极阵列与软机器人的概念相结合,实现了一种可以通过集成的流体致动器改变形状的大面积脑皮层电图设备。我们表明,通过折纸启发的折叠,可以将 32 电极设备包装到压缩状态,并通过小骨孔开颅术植入,然后在大脑表面扩展以实现大面积皮层覆盖。该设备的植入、扩展和记录功能在体外和猪体内模型中得到了证实。形状致动的集成为通过微创外科技术实现大面积神经接口提供了一种可行的临床途径。
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