CN117832363A

CN117832363A - Photoelectrode with light guide function, nerve electrode and preparation method

Info

Publication number: CN117832363A
Application number: CN202410239503.8A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 李亚民; 苏康; 席鑫; 邹晓峰
Original assignee: Shandong Yunhai Guochuang Cloud Computing Equipment Industry Innovation Center Co Ltd
Current assignee: Shandong Yunhai Guochuang Cloud Computing Equipment Industry Innovation Center Co Ltd
Priority date: 2024-03-04
Filing date: 2024-03-04
Publication date: 2024-04-05
Anticipated expiration: 2044-03-04
Also published as: CN117832363B

Abstract

The application provides a photoelectrode with light guide, a nerve electrode and a preparation method, wherein the photoelectrode comprises a light-emitting component for emitting a plurality of light rays; and a light guide layer formed on the light emitting surface by photo-curing at a position facing the light emitting surface of the light emitting member for changing a transmission path of each of the light rays, wherein the light guide layer is made of a photo-curing material. Through the photoelectrode from area leaded light that this application provided, the luminous scope of having solved the implantation formula light source among the prior art is big, can't realize the problem to the optical stimulation of target area.

Description

Photoelectrode with light guide function, nerve electrode and preparation method

Technical Field

The application relates to the technical field of semiconductor chips, in particular to a photoelectrode with light guide, a nerve electrode and a preparation method.

Background

In the process of packaging the light emitting element, a suitable secondary optical element, such as an optical lens or a reflector, is usually added to the light emitting element to control and change the propagation direction of light, so that the light emitting element is more suitable for a specific application scene. The secondary optical element needs to be fixed on the light source through a mechanical structure, and is adhered to the surface of the light source through an adhesive or integrally packaged with the light source. It can be seen that the secondary optic itself is large in size and weight and introduces additional structure when connected, as well as increasing the cost and complexity of manufacturing the implantable light source. It is therefore necessary to provide a completely new light emission pattern for application scenes requiring light irradiation.

Particularly in the application scenario requiring light stimulation, the light emitting element needs to be implanted into the brain/body as an implantable light source to work, and has a strict limitation on the size, and the conventional packaging structure can cause the implanted portion to be too large, so that the packaged light emitting element is not suitable for miniaturized or implantable applications. However, the light emitted by the light emitting element lacking the lens function is scattered in a wide direction, so that the light emitting angle is large, and therefore, when the unpackaged light emitting element is used as an implantable light source, the working performance of the unpackaged light emitting element is difficult to meet the high-level requirement of constructing a high-quality brain-computer interface in the future.

Disclosure of Invention

The embodiment of the application provides a photoelectrode with light guide, a nerve electrode and a preparation method thereof, which are used for solving the problem that the light-emitting range of an implantable light source in the prior art is large and the light stimulation to a target area can not be realized.

One of the purposes of the application is to provide a photoelectrode with light guide, which adopts the following technical scheme:

a photoelectrode with self-contained light guide, comprising:

a light emitting part for emitting a plurality of light rays;

and the light guide layer is formed on the light emitting surface by light curing at the position facing the light emitting surface of the light emitting component and is used for changing the transmission path of each light ray.

Optionally, the light guiding layer includes a light transmitting body, and an outer edge contour of the light transmitting body forms a light guiding surface, and the light guiding surface is convex relative to the light emitting surface.

Optionally, the wavelengths of the light emitting component and the light guiding layer are matched.

Optionally, at least part of the light guiding layer covers the light emitting component.

Optionally, the light emitting components are provided with a plurality of light guiding layers, and each light guiding layer is covered on each light emitting component in a one-to-one correspondence manner.

Optionally, a plurality of the light guiding layers, and any two adjacent light guiding layers do not intersect.

Optionally, each light emitting component is a light emitting diode, and each light guide layer is transparent photo-curing glue; wherein,

the photoelectrode further comprises a carrier, one or more light emitting diodes are formed on the surface of the carrier, the light emitting diodes are arranged in an array, and the light emitting surface of each light emitting diode faces away from the surface of the carrier;

wherein the carrier comprises at least a silicon substrate;

wherein, in the direction perpendicular to the light emitting surface, the thickness of at least one transparent light-curing adhesive is larger than the thickness of the light emitting diode; and/or, in a direction parallel to the light emitting surface, the thickness of at least one of the transparent photocurable adhesives is less than or equal to the thickness of the light emitting diode;

The distance from the center of the light emitting diode to any point on the outline of the outer edge of the light guide layer is equal;

wherein each of the transparent photo-curable adhesives is hemispherical and covers the periphery of each of the light emitting diodes, and the transparent photo-curable adhesives are positioned such that:

each light ray emitted by the light emitting diode enters the range covered by the transparent light curing adhesive, reaches the light guide surface of the transparent light curing adhesive along the periphery, is refracted by the light guide surface, and is emitted from the light guide surface in parallel in the direction perpendicular to the light emitting surface so as to be converged on a target area.

Optionally, the light emitting diode includes a light emitting die and a metal wire, and the metal wire is used for being connected with an external power supply.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an implantable neural electrode, which includes a light stimulating electrode unit and a recording electrode unit, wherein the light stimulating electrode unit is a self-contained light guiding photoelectrode provided as one of the objects of the present invention.

A third object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a photoelectrode with light guide, the method including:

Preparing a light emitting part;

determining a type of photo-curing material based on the selected light emitting component;

coating the light-curing material on the light-emitting surface at a position facing the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting member;

and curing and forming the light-curing material on the light-emitting surface in a preset shape by a light-curing technology to form the light guide layer.

Optionally, the position of the light emitting surface facing the light emitting member coats the light emitting surface with the light curable material, including:

covering a metal pad in the light emitting component with a shield;

the photocurable material is dropped onto the light emitting member.

Optionally, after the dropping the photocurable material on the light emitting component, the method includes:

homogenizing the light-curable material on the light-emitting member so that the light-curable material uniformly covers the outer peripheral surface of the light-emitting member.

Optionally, after the dropping the photocurable material on the light emitting member, the method includes:

the mask is removed overlying the metal pads in the light emitting component.

Optionally, the curing and forming the light-cured material on the light-emitting surface in a preset shape by a light-curing technology includes:

Connecting an external power supply to a metal bonding pad in the light-emitting component;

adjusting output parameters of the external power supply and setting light source parameters of the light-emitting component;

and based on the preset light source parameters, curing and forming the light-cured material into a preset shape to form the light guide layer.

Optionally, the output parameter includes at least one of a current time and a current intensity; the light source parameters include at least one of a light emission intensity, a light emission time, and a curing region.

Optionally, the curing the light-cured material into a preset shape based on the preset light source parameter includes:

the photocurable material is cured to have an outer edge profile that bulges toward the light emitting face based on the first light emitting intensity, the first light emitting time, and the first curing region.

Optionally, after the curing and forming the light-cured material into the preset shape based on the preset light source parameters, the method further includes:

and placing the light guide layer into a dissolving solution, and removing the uncured light-cured material to obtain the photoelectrode.

Optionally, the determining the type of the photo-curing material based on the selected light emitting component includes:

The photocurable material having a wavelength parameter matching the wavelength parameter is selected based on the wavelength parameter of the light emitting component.

Optionally, the light emitting component is an ultraviolet light emitting diode, and the light curing material is ultraviolet curing glue.

Aiming at the prior art, the application has the following advantages:

the embodiment of the application provides a photoelectrode with light guide, which comprises: a light emitting part for emitting a plurality of light rays; and the light guide layer is formed on the light emitting surface by light curing at the position facing the light emitting surface of the light emitting component and is used for changing the transmission path of each light ray.

In the photoelectrode provided by the embodiment of the invention, the light guide layer is integrally formed on the light-emitting component through solidification, so that the light-emitting component has a light guide function, and under the condition that the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting component uniformly emits light to the periphery by taking the direction vertical to the plane as the center, as the light guide layer is arranged at the position of the light-emitting surface, a plurality of light rays are refracted by the light guide layer, so that the transmission path of the light rays is changed, and the light-emitting range of the light-emitting component is changed, the light propagation direction can be changed without adding a lens, a reflector or other secondary optical elements outside the light-emitting component, and the volume and the weight of the photoelectrode are reduced.

In the photoelectrode provided by the embodiment of the invention, the light emitting mode can be controlled by setting the shape of the light guide layer, so that the photoelectrode is not only suitable for various large fields needing to provide light to realize the lighting function, but also particularly suitable for biomedical fields needing light in vivo to realize the light stimulation function, and for the implanted light source which can not be packaged, the cured light guide layer is of a micron level, and the size requirement in an implantation process is not required, so that the light emitting range of the implanted light source is reduced, and the light stimulation to a target area in a miniaturized or implanted application scene is possible.

The preparation method of the embodiment of the invention can prepare the photoelectrode with the light guide function, replaces the conventional packaging means such as adding an optical lens and the like outside a light source, achieves the function similar to a lens by presetting the shape of a light-emitting material on a light-emitting surface, reduces the light-emitting range of a light-emitting component and realizes local light stimulation.

According to the preparation method provided by the embodiment of the invention, the light-emitting component is used as a component of the photoelectrode and a regulating factor in the process of preparing the photoelectrode, the light-curing material is cured and formed under the irradiation of the light-emitting component, and the shape of the final light guide layer can be controlled through the light-emitting component, so that the light convergence effect is regulated, the preparation flexibility and adjustability are improved, the size limitation of an implantable light source is solved, the precision and efficiency of light stimulation are improved, the light scattering and attenuation are reduced, the manufacturing cost and complexity of the light source are reduced, and a novel technical support is provided for the application in the fields of medical treatment, health, scientific research and the like.

The implantable neural electrode provided in the embodiment of the present application has the same advantages as the photoelectrode with the light guide compared with the prior art, and is not described herein.

The foregoing description is only an overview of the technical solutions of the present application, and may be implemented according to the content of the specification in order to make the technical means of the present application more clearly understood, and in order to make the above-mentioned and other objects, features and advantages of the present application more clearly understood, the following detailed description of the present application will be given.

Drawings

In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, the drawings that are needed in the description of the present application will be briefly described below, it being obvious that the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application, and that other drawings may be obtained according to these drawings without inventive effort to a person skilled in the art.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the comparison of the optical paths of a photoelectrode with light guide and an unpackaged photoelectrode according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a graph showing the light emitting ranges of a light-guiding photoelectrode and an unpackaged photoelectrode according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of a method for manufacturing a photoelectrode with light guide according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a top view of a self-contained light-guiding photoelectrode according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 5 is a flowchart of steps of a method for manufacturing a photoelectrode with light guide according to an embodiment of the present application.

Reference numerals illustrate:

100. a light emitting range; 200. a photoelectrode; 1. a light emitting member; 11. an LED; 2. a light guide layer; 3. a silicon substrate; 4. a photo-curable material; 5. and (3) curing the area.

Detailed Description

The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. It will be apparent that the described embodiments are only some, but not all, embodiments of the invention. The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses. Any product that is the same as or similar to the present invention, which anyone in the light of the present invention or combines the present invention with other prior art features, falls within the scope of the present invention based on the embodiments of the present invention. And all other embodiments that may be made by those of ordinary skill in the art without undue burden and without departing from the scope of the invention.

The technical features of the different embodiments of the invention described below may be combined with one another as long as they do not conflict with one another.

Before explaining the self-contained light-guiding photoelectrode 200 according to the present invention in detail, it is necessary to briefly explain the related art:

the invention is particularly suitable for applications in implantable or miniaturized application scenarios. With the development of optogenetic technology, it is necessary to perform optical stimulation on neurons in the brain, and thus, it is necessary to introduce extracorporeal light into the brain. Optogenetics combines optical and genetic technologies, and a proper exogenous light-sensitive protein is targeted into a specific living cell by a genetic method, and the light with a specific wavelength is utilized to stimulate the light-sensitive protein, regulate the activity of neurons, and further control the opening and closing of the cell and even animal behaviors. In addition, photolytic caging compounds also require the use of an in vivo light source, the caged compound being a photosensitive probe functionally encapsulating the biomolecule in an inactive form. The technique of caging refers to rendering the target molecule biologically inert or caged, and releasing the target molecule by removal of the protecting group by light. The medicine can be directly injected into a designated position in the brain, and can be used for avoiding the brain barrier and enabling the medicine to act when light is irradiated.

Optogenetic or photolytic caging techniques require the introduction of light into the brain. Light guides or LEDs (Light-Emitting diodes) can be used to guide Light, while photoelectrodes based on Light guides need to be used in combination with ex vivo or in a bulk Light source and require coupling between the Light source and the waveguide, which is inefficient. The photoelectrode based on the LED has the advantages of small volume, high energy efficiency, long service life and the like, and has great application potential when being used as an implantable light source.

When light propagates in tissue, the light with most wavelengths is difficult to penetrate into the deep part of the tissue due to the effects of absorption, reflection, scattering and the like, and the LED is packaged by adding means such as a secondary optical element so as to achieve the purpose of changing the transmission path of the light. However, the implanted light source is to be implanted into brain or in vivo to work, and has extremely high requirement on size, so that conventional LED packaging cannot be performed, the light emitting angle of the LED bare chip is large, light rays cannot be converged, local light stimulation cannot be achieved, light stimulation to a target area cannot be achieved, and development of the LED light source in the implanted nerve electrode is stopped.

Accordingly, in a first aspect, the present invention provides a photoelectrode 200 with light guide, comprising: a light emitting part 1 for emitting a plurality of light rays; the light guiding layer 2 is formed on the light emitting surface of the light emitting component 1 by photo-curing at a position facing the light emitting surface for changing the transmission path of each light.

Specifically, the light emitting part 1 is defined to emit a plurality of light rays, which may be light sources of the LED11, the laser, or the like. The light emitting part 1 may provide an optical signal required for the photoelectrode 200 to function as illumination or optical stimulation depending on the purpose of use. Specifically, the light emitting member 1 for functioning as a light stimulus can provide light of a specific wavelength, intensity, and pulse for biomedical research and treatment, such as optogenetics, photodynamic therapy, photodiagnosis, and the like. The light emitting component 1 for playing a lighting function can provide lights with different colors, brightness and modes, and is used for lighting display of scenes such as traffic lights, information display screens, indoor and outdoor lighting fixtures and the like.

The emitting direction and angle of the light emitted by the light emitting component 1 can be designed according to the requirement to meet the specific optical requirement. The light emitting part 1 generally has a micro semiconductor LED chip and a metal pad to emit light of a specific wavelength. In general, the light emission pattern of the unpackaged light emitting part 1 is uniformly dispersed in all directions. Such as a die LED11. The surface of the bare chip LED11 is not specially designed to limit the direction of light, the light emitting surface is a plane, and the emitted light is uniformly scattered around the direction perpendicular to the plane. For a use scene requiring light irradiation or light stimulation of a target area, the light guide layer 2 is arranged on the light emitting surface of the light emitting component 1, the light guide layer 2 can be used as a refraction medium, and when light rays are emitted outwards through the light guide layer 2, a plurality of scattered light beams can be converged or diverged. It will be appreciated that the convergence or divergence depends on the shape and material of the light guiding layer 2.

Reference may be made to fig. 3, which illustrates the structure of an exemplary self-contained light-guiding photoelectrode 200 at various stages according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Specifically, the light guide layer 2 is an optical material molded on the light emitting surface of the light emitting member 1 by photo-curing. The photo-setting molding is a process of changing the photo-setting material 4 from a liquid state to a solid state by irradiation with light. The light guiding layer 2 is thus made of a photo-curable material 4, which can undergo polymerization reaction under the effect of light, and the light guiding layer 2 can be formed into an optical element of a predetermined shape and structure. The photo-curable material 4 may be a photo-curable resin, a photo-curable glue, or the like. When each light ray is emitted through the light guide layer 2, the light rays are transmitted according to a preset direction and angle.

Since the light guide layer 2 is formed on the light emitting surface by photo-curing, no additional connection structure is introduced on the light emitting element without a welding process, an adhesion process, an integrated packaging process, or the like, and the size of the light guide layer 2 can be regulated and controlled by the photo-curing process according to the size and position of the light emitting surface. Under the scene needing illumination, the light-emitting component can be matched with the irradiation range of the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting component 1 by adding more light-curing materials 4 and expanding the curing position, and the traditional lens is arranged instead to regulate and control the light transmission, so that the light-gathering requirement or the divergence requirement under the illumination scene is realized. In the scene of light stimulation, for the implantable light source which can not be packaged, the cured light guide layer 2 is in the micron order, the volume and the weight of the photoelectrode 200 are hardly increased, the size requirement in the implantation process is not required, the light emitting range 100 of the implantable light source is reduced, and the light stimulation on the target area is realized. The photoelectrode 200 with the light guide has the characteristics of compactness and light weight, is not only suitable for illumination application scenes, but also particularly suitable for implantation application scenes, such as brain-computer interfaces, nerve regulation and control and the like, realizes localized light stimulation and treatment, and provides a more flexible and efficient solution for illumination and light stimulation application.

In a further technical solution, the light guiding layer 2 includes a light transmitting body, and an outer edge contour of the light transmitting body forms a light guiding surface, and the light guiding surface is protruded relative to the light emitting surface. In this embodiment, the light-curable material 4 is formed to have a certain thickness and shape on the light-emitting surface, which allows light to pass therethrough and can generate a refractive effect so as to change the original transmission direction when the light exits from the light-guiding layer 2. Therefore, when the light exits from the light emitting surface to leave the light guiding layer 2, the light transmitting body of the light guiding layer 2 allows the light to pass through and reach the edge of the light guiding layer 2, i.e. the interface between the light guiding layer 2 and the outside, which is the light guiding surface of the light guiding layer 2. When light leaves the light guide surface, the refraction angle of the light changes due to the surface type of the light guide surface and the difference of the medium, and refraction occurs on the light guide surface, namely the propagation direction of each light ray changes, so that the transmission path of the light ray is adjusted. The transparent light guide layer 2 can be formed by the transparent light curing material 4, so that the intensity and the light transmittance of light can be ensured, and the light can smoothly reach the light guide surface.

In this embodiment, the light guiding surface may be a plane, a curved surface or an irregular surface, and its shape and angle determine the direction and distribution of light emitted from the light-transmitting body. The light rays emitted from the light guide surface after refraction can be converged or diverged. If the light guiding surface is in a convex shape or other convergent shapes, the light rays are more focused, so that the light emitting range 100 is reduced, the light stimulation to the target area is realized, and the light guiding surface can be used for biomedical research and treatment.

Preferably, the embodiment of the invention is provided with the light guide surface protruding relative to the light emitting surface, so that the light is designed to be focused in a small range, thereby realizing the local light stimulation function of the implantable light source. In specific implementation, the shape of the light guiding surface can be designed and manufactured according to the preset luminous shape and range, and the specific effect depends on the material property of the light curing material 4, the wavelength, the intensity, the irradiation time and other factors in the light curing molding process.

In some embodiments, the convex light guiding surface may refract the scattered light emitted by the light emitting component 1, reducing the range of light emission. In some embodiments, the light guiding surface may be a paraboloid, which may be an arc surface, the arc length of which may be selected in a larger range, and the outwardly protruding light rays of which may be refracted and then converged; in some embodiments, the light guiding surface may be a semi-elliptical surface, the semi-elliptical surface may be a conic, and the distances from all points on the semi-elliptical surface to the center are not equal, so that the light rays can be converged after being refracted; in some embodiments, the light guiding surface may be a hemispherical surface, and the distances from all points on the hemispherical surface to the center are equal, so that the light rays can be converged after being refracted; in some embodiments, the light guiding surface may be a hyperboloid, and the light emitted from the light emitting surface has a tendency to approach another light after being refracted, so as to achieve a converging effect.

Preferably, in some embodiments, the convex surface is hemispherical, and may refract scattered light into parallel light. As a specific explanation of the present embodiment, for a single ultraviolet LED11, a schematic diagram of the optical path of the photoelectrode that is not encapsulated and has the hemispherical light guiding layer 2 is shown in fig. 1, a in fig. 1 is the optical path of the unpackaged photoelectrode, and b in fig. 1 is the optical path of the photoelectrode 200 according to the embodiment of the present invention. The hemispherical light guide layer 2 can make the light emitted from the LED11 appear as nearly parallel light.

It will be appreciated that when the light guiding surface is parabolic, semi-elliptical, hyperbolic or hemispherical, the light guiding layer 2 corresponds to parabolic, semi-elliptical, hyperbolic or hemispherical.

It should be understood that if the light guiding surface is recessed relative to the light emitting surface, the light will be more dispersed, so as to generate an optical diffusion effect, and the light guiding surface can be used in some scenes requiring further light diffusion, such as a functional lamp and a microscopic microscope. When the optical diffusion effect is required to be generated, the light guide surface can be a paraboloid or a hyperboloid which is concave outwards.

In combination with the above embodiments, the wavelengths of the light emitting part 1 and the light guiding layer 2 are matched. In this embodiment, the wavelengths of the light emitting component 1 and the light guiding layer 2 are matched, so that the light emitting component 1 can be used as a component of the photoelectrode 200 and also can be used as a curing light source when the photoelectrode 200 is manufactured. When it is used as a curing light source, the shape of the light guiding layer 2 can be adjusted by setting the curing region 5 of the light emitting member 1, the light source parameters such as the light emitting intensity, and the like. In the light curing molding process, when the light-curable material 4 is converted from a liquid state to a solid state under the action of light, it is generally required to be irradiated with light of a specific wavelength and intensity to undergo a chemical reaction and rapidly harden or cure.

As a specific explanation of the present embodiment, the light emitting part 1 is classified into different types according to its light emitting material and light emitting wavelength, which determines the color and brightness of light emission. In some embodiments, the light emitting part 1 may be divided into a visible light LED11, an ultraviolet LED11, and an infrared LED11 according to the light emitting wavelength. The photocurable material 4 can be classified into different types according to its material and wavelength, which determines the curing time, curing speed, and curing properties.

The light emitting component 1 is matched with the wavelength of the light guiding layer 2, and the light with different wavelengths corresponds to different energies, so that the curing reaction of the light emitting curing material 4 can be triggered only when the energy of the light reaches a certain threshold value, and an ideal curing layer can be smoothly formed. According to the wavelength matching principle, in some embodiments, the photo-curable material 4 may be an ultraviolet curable glue, and the light emitting component 1 is an ultraviolet LED. In some embodiments, the photo-curable material 4 may be an infrared curable glue and the light emitting component 1 is an infrared LED. In some embodiments, the light curable material 4 may be a visible light curable glue and the light emitting component 1 is a visible light LED. Wherein the visible light LED, the ultraviolet LED and the infrared LED react under the irradiation of visible light, ultraviolet light and infrared light, respectively, and the light guide layer 2 is formed in a short time.

Preferably, the light guide layer 2 of the embodiment of the present invention is formed by curing ultraviolet curing glue, and the light emitting component 1 is an ultraviolet LED.

In some embodiments, a pre-designed micro-mold or micro-template may be used to limit the shape of the photo-curable glue. During curing, a mold or form is placed in the area to be cured, and the final shape of the cured glue is guided by its shape. After the curing is completed, the micro-mold or micro-template is removed, resulting in a photoelectrode 200 having the light guiding layer 2 attached to the light emitting surface.

In a further embodiment, at least part of the light guiding layer 2 covers the light emitting element 1. In the present embodiment, the light guide layer 2 completely covers or partially covers the light emitting part 1; specifically, the light guide layer 2 may entirely cover or partially cover the light emitting surface of the light emitting part 1. The transmission path of part of the light can be changed by covering a part of the light emitting component 1, and the irradiation range of part of the light is limited, so that the light after partial refraction and the light emitted initially reach the target irradiation area together, and the light beam is concentrated or dispersed. All the light-emitting components 1 are covered, so that the transmission paths of all the light rays emitted by the light-emitting surfaces can be changed, the irradiation range of the light rays is further limited, the initially emitted light rays are completely refracted and then reach the target area, and the light beams are more concentrated or more dispersed. In this embodiment, the relative positions of the light guiding layer 2 and the light emitting component 1 can realize control of light distribution, adapt to different lighting or stimulation requirements, and can realize more precise and flexible optical control.

In another embodiment, the light emitting components 1 are provided in plurality, the light guiding layers 2 are provided in plurality, and each light guiding layer 2 is covered on each light emitting component 1 in a one-to-one correspondence. In the present embodiment, the photoelectrode 200 may include a plurality of light guide layers 2 and a plurality of light emitting members 1, thereby realizing light irradiation or light stimulation of different target areas. By the one-to-one correspondence of each light emitting part 1 to the light guiding layer 2, the controllability of the light emitting range 100 of each light emitting part 1 is enhanced.

In some embodiments, by providing a plurality of light emitting components 1 and corresponding light guiding layers 2, optical control of multiple channels can be achieved, each of which can independently adjust the transmission path of light, thereby achieving a more complex, more flexible optical effect.

In some embodiments, the number relationship of the light guiding layer 2 and the light emitting part 1 may also be a one-to-many number relationship and a many-to-many number relationship. In the one-to-many number relationship, one light guide layer 2 can jointly cover at least two light emitting components 1, so as to realize multi-channel control on the same or different light sources, thereby changing the light emitting range 100 of the at least two light emitting components 1; in the many-to-many number relationship, the two or more light guide layers 2 can integrally cover three or more light emitting components 1, so as to realize the combined control of single channels and multiple channels of the same or different light sources and construct diversified control modes.

In combination with the above embodiments, in some embodiments, the shape of each light guiding layer 2 on each light emitting part 1 may be the same, i.e., all parabolic, semi-elliptical, hyperbolic, or hemispherical; in some embodiments, the shape of each light guiding layer 2 on each light emitting component 1 may be partially identical, i.e. a portion of the light guiding layer 2 is parabolic, while the remaining portion of the light guiding layer 2 is semi-elliptical; or a part of the light guide layer 2 is hemispherical, and the rest of the light guide layer 2 is at least one of hyperbolic, hemispherical and semi-elliptical. In some embodiments, the number of portions of light guiding layer 2 may be equal to or unequal to the number of remaining portions of light guiding layer 2.

In some embodiments, the number relationship of the light guiding layers 2 and the light emitting components 1 is a one-to-one number relationship, on the basis of which any adjacent two light guiding layers 2 do not intersect. With continued reference to fig. 2, fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating the light emitting ranges 100 of the light-guiding photoelectrode 200 and the unpackaged photoelectrode, respectively. Where a in fig. 2 is the light emitting range 100 of the unpackaged photoelectrode, and b in fig. 2 is the light emitting range 100 of the photoelectrode 200 according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the light guiding layer 2 may be hemispherical, the scattered light emitted by each light emitting component 1 is refracted by the light guiding layer 2 and then switched into parallel light to leave the light guiding layer 2 to reach the target area, while the adjacent light guiding layers 2 are not intersected, and the light is transmitted in independent channels, so that the light emitted from different light guiding layers 2 will not meet in space, and therefore the light leaving each light guiding layer 2 will not cross-overlap with the surrounding light, thereby avoiding light interference and attenuation and achieving the optical effect and stability on the target area.

Any two adjacent light guiding layers 2 are not intersected, which is understood to mean that a distance exists between the two adjacent light guiding layers 2 or the light guiding surfaces of the two adjacent light guiding layers 2 just contact. In some embodiments, the distance between each two light guiding layers 2 of the plurality of light guiding layers 2 may also be the same or different.

As shown in fig. 2, each light emitting component 1 is correspondingly provided with each light guiding layer 2, the hemispherical light guiding layers 2 can make the light emitted by the LED11 be approximately parallel, each light guiding layer 2 has a distance, and the light emitting ranges 100 of each light emitting component 1 in the photoelectrode 200 are not overlapped and do not interfere with each other. After the photoelectrode 200 of the embodiment of the invention is implanted into the brain, the absorption effect of brain tissues on light is overlapped, so that each LED11 can illuminate the area nearby the LED, and the aim of local light stimulation is fulfilled.

In combination with the above embodiment, in a specific implementation manner, each light emitting component 1 is a light emitting diode, and each light guiding layer 2 is a transparent photo-curing glue; wherein the photoelectrode 200 further comprises a carrier, one or more light emitting diodes arranged in an array are formed on the surface of the carrier, and the light emitting surface of each light emitting diode faces away from the surface of the carrier; wherein the carrier comprises at least a silicon substrate 3; wherein, in the direction perpendicular to the light emitting surface, the thickness of at least one transparent light-curing adhesive is larger than the thickness of the light emitting bare chip in the light emitting diode; and/or, in a direction parallel to the light emitting face, a thickness of at least one of the transparent photocurable adhesives is less than or equal to a thickness of a light emitting die in a light emitting diode; wherein, the distance between the center of the light emitting diode and any point on the outline of the outer edge of the light guide layer 2 is equal; wherein each of the transparent photo-curable adhesives is hemispherical and covers the periphery of each of the light emitting diodes, and the transparent photo-curable adhesives are positioned such that:

The light emitting diode comprises a light emitting bare chip and a metal wire, wherein the metal wire is used for being connected with an external power supply.

Specifically, the embodiment of the invention can be applied to the photoelectrode 200 based on the micro light emitting diode, the light emitting diode does not need to be packaged, and the light guide layer 2 can be cured and formed on the light emitting bare chip, so that the light stimulation of the target area is realized. A light emitting die may be understood to include a miniature semiconductor LED chip and metal pads to emit light of a particular wavelength. Photoelectrode 200 may be implanted in the vicinity of a target neuron and then activated by wireless power transmission or battery power. Specifically, the metal pad can be connected with an external power supply through a metal wire, when current passes through, electrons are injected into the LED chip through the metal pad and pushed to a P region of the LED chip, electrons and holes are combined in the P region, and then energy is emitted in a photon mode to generate at least one light ray.

The carrier may be understood as a material for supporting the light emitting diode when light irradiation is performed, such as a different type of silicon substrate 3, a glass substrate, a metal substrate, and the like. When light stimulation is required, the carrier may be a silicon substrate 3, and the micro light emitting diode array may be formed on the silicon substrate 3 by a photolithography technique. The array is illustratively 350um wide by 5.5mm long. The light emitting diode is a circular ultraviolet LED, the diameter of the LED11 is 100um, and the interval between the two LEDs 11 is 300um. The light emitting surface of the light emitting diode faces away from the surface of the carrier, namely, the light emitting surface of the light emitting diode faces outwards, so that light rays are emitted outwards to irradiate the target area.

Generally, the light emitting diodes may be located in a central area in the hemispherical light guiding layer 2, so as to implement equidistant design between the light guiding surface and the light emitting diodes, so that the distances from the center of each LED11 to any point on the outline of the outer edge of the light guiding layer 2 are equal, which helps to ensure that the light rays have similar incident angles when emitted from the center. In this embodiment, the size of the light guiding layer 2 may be designed by the size of the LED11, i.e., when the inner diameter of the light guiding layer 2 is larger than the diameter of the LED11, the light guiding layer 2 may entirely cover the LED11 inside thereof. In some embodiments, when the LED11 is located entirely in the central region within the light guiding layer 2, its horizontal length is generally greater than its vertical height, so the thickness of the transparent photo-curable glue in the vertical direction may be designed to be greater than the thickness of the LED11, and the thickness of the transparent photo-curable glue in the parallel direction may be designed to be less than or equal to the thickness of the LED 11.

In summary, the embodiment of the invention can realize efficient regulation and transmission of light, so that the light is changed from scattered light to parallel light, thereby improving the electro-optical conversion efficiency and flexibility of the photoelectrode 200. Meanwhile, the combination of the light guide layer 2 and the light emitting bare chip can realize miniaturization and integration of the photoelectrode 200, no additional optical element is needed, the size and the weight of the photoelectrode 200 are hardly increased, and the photoelectrode is suitable for implantable or miniaturized photoexcitation application.

The second aspect of the present invention also provides an implantable neural electrode, comprising a light stimulating electrode unit and a recording electrode unit, wherein the light stimulating electrode unit is the self-carrying light guiding photoelectrode 200 provided in the first aspect of the present invention. In this embodiment, the photoelectrode 200 can be used as an important component in optogenetics, and can guide light into brain to regulate and control neuron activity, when the light intensity of the photoelectrode 200 acts on the neuron, one or two cells near the light source can be excited to generate action potential and recorded by the adjacent recording electrode units. By preparing the photoelectrode 200 with light guide, the LED11 implanted in the brain can have a smaller light emitting angle, thereby more accurately stimulating specific neurons in the brain. The change condition of the neuron electric signals under the light modulation is further recorded by matching with the recording electrode unit, so that a closed loop system for stimulating and recording the brain nerve activity is formed. Is favorable for analyzing the activity of neurons and analyzing the functions of brain loops, and constructs a high-quality brain-computer interface.

For the implantable neural electrode embodiment, since it is substantially similar to the photoelectrode 200 embodiment, the description is relatively simple, and reference is made to a partial description of photoelectrode 200.

Based on the same inventive concept, the third aspect of the present application provides a preparation method, please continue to refer to fig. 3, and referring to fig. 4 and 5, fig. 4 shows a top view of the self-contained light guiding photoelectrode 200 of the present invention, and fig. 5 shows a step flow chart of the preparation method of the self-contained light guiding photoelectrode 200 of the present invention, and the preparation method of the self-contained light guiding photoelectrode 200 provided in the first aspect of the present invention comprises:

step S1, preparing a light-emitting component 1;

in this embodiment, an unpackaged and prepared LED array die may be selected. A custom ultraviolet LED array can be made using a photo-electronic process, with a linear array 350um wide by 5.5mm long, LEDs 11 being circular and 100um in diameter (which can be designed for the size of the area to be illuminated), and two LEDs 11 being 300um apart from each other in center. Specifically, cleaning a silicon epitaxial wafer, patterning a P-type mesa by using photoresist, removing P-type doped gallium nitride outside a light-emitting area by using a wet etching mode, defining an N-type light-emitting area by a method similar to that for defining the P-type light-emitting area, using plasma chemical vapor deposition silicon dioxide as a passivation layer, evaporating metal, patterning a metal wire by using the photoresist, depositing an insulating layer, and patterning to leak out P-type and N-type metal pads for powering on the LED 11. A schematic diagram of the prepared uv LED array is shown in fig. 4.

Step S2 of determining the type of the photo-setting material 4 based on the selected light emitting means 1;

in the embodiment, the light emitting part 1 is classified into different types according to its light emitting material and light emitting wavelength, which determines the color and brightness of light emission. In some embodiments, the light emitting part 1 may be divided into a visible light LED, an ultraviolet LED, and an infrared LED according to the light emitting wavelength. The photocurable material 4 can be classified into different types according to its material and wavelength, which determines the curing time, curing speed, and curing properties. The light emitting component 1 is matched with the wavelength of the light guide layer 2, the light with different wavelengths corresponds to different energies, and the curing reaction of the light emitting curing material 4 can be triggered only when the energy of the light reaches a certain threshold value, so that an ideal curing layer can be smoothly formed.

Optionally, the step S2 further includes:

s21, selecting the photocurable material 4 having the wavelength parameter matching the wavelength parameter based on the wavelength parameter of the light emitting member 1.

Wherein the photocurable material 4 can be selected to be close to the wavelength parameter of the selected light-emitting member 1, depending on the wavelength parameter. For example, the light-curable material 4 may be an ultraviolet-curable adhesive, and the light-emitting member 1 may be an ultraviolet LED. The light-curing material 4 may be an infrared curing glue, and the light-emitting component 1 is an infrared LED. The light-curing material 4 may be a visible light-curing glue, and the light-emitting component 1 is a visible light LED.

Preferably, the light emitting component 1 is an ultraviolet light emitting diode, and the light curable material 4 is ultraviolet curable glue.

Step S3 of coating the light-curable material 4 on the light-emitting surface facing the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting member 1;

and S4, curing and forming the light-cured material 4 on the light-emitting surface in a preset shape by a light-curing technology to form the light guide layer 2.

Optionally, the step S3 further includes:

step S31, covering the metal pads in the light-emitting component 1 with a shielding object;

step S32, dropping the photocurable material 4 on the light emitting member 1.

The shielding object can be an adhesive tape, the adhesive tape can be used for covering the positive and negative metal pads of the LED11, and ultraviolet curing adhesive is coated on the ultraviolet LED array in a spin mode, so that the ultraviolet LED array is uniformly covered.

Optionally, the step S32 further includes:

step S33 of homogenizing the photocurable material 4 on the light emitting member 1 so that the photocurable material 4 uniformly covers the outer peripheral surface of the light emitting member 1.

In this embodiment, the uv curable glue may be uniformly spread using a glue spreader to uniformly cover the LED array.

Optionally, after the step S32 or step S33 further includes:

Step S34, removing the mask covering the metal pads in the light emitting part 1.

Optionally, the step S4 further includes:

step S41, connecting an external power supply to a metal bonding pad in the light-emitting component 1;

step S42, adjusting the output parameters of the external power supply, and setting the light source parameters of the light-emitting component 1;

step S43, curing and forming the light-cured material 4 into a preset shape based on the preset light source parameters, so as to form the light guide layer 2.

Specifically, in the present embodiment, the output parameter includes at least one of a current time and a current intensity; the light source parameters include at least one of a light emission intensity, a light emission time, and a curing area 5.

In this embodiment, after the tape is removed, two probes of the probe stage may be used to contact the positive and negative metal pads of the LED11, respectively, and the current source is connected to the two probes of the probe stage to supply power to the LED11, so that the ultraviolet LED emits light, and the ultraviolet curable adhesive is cured. In this embodiment, a light source with adjustable parameters is used, and the curing speed, the curing depth and the curing shrinkage rate of the ultraviolet curing adhesive can be affected by adjusting the light emitting intensity, the light emitting time and the curing area 5 of the light source, so as to further affect the curing shape of the curing adhesive. The above parameters are affected by the current time and the current intensity.

The light-emitting intensity is too strong, so that the ultraviolet curing glue is excessively cured, the intensity of the formed light guide layer 2 is affected, the ultraviolet curing glue is insufficiently cured due to the too weak light-emitting intensity, and the shape and quality of the light guide layer 2 are affected. Excessive shrinkage of the ultraviolet curing adhesive can be caused due to overlong light-emitting time, so that defects such as stress and cracks are generated, and the shape and the integrity of the light guide layer 2 are affected; too short a light emitting time can cause incomplete curing of the ultraviolet curing adhesive, which affects the shape and performance of the light guide layer 2; the curing area 5 directly affects the shape and size of the light guiding layer 2 after final curing, for example, the curing area in fig. 3 is an illumination area, so that the liquid ultraviolet curing adhesive is converted into a solid state under the irradiation of the curing area 5, and finally the light guiding layer 2 matched with the curing area 5 is formed. The present embodiment may require adjustment and optimization of output parameters according to the specific type, formulation and shape of the light guide layer 2 required for the uv curable adhesive, so as to achieve an ideal curing effect by adjusting the above-mentioned light source parameters.

Optionally, the step S43 further includes:

step S431, curing and molding the light-curable material 4 to have an outer edge profile protruding toward the light-emitting surface based on the first light-emitting intensity, the first light-emitting time, and the first curing region.

Specifically, by adjusting the current of the constant current source, the light source parameters of the ultraviolet LED11 are set to be the first luminous intensity, the first luminous time and the first curing area, and the ultraviolet curing glue is cured into a hemisphere.

Optionally, the step S43 further includes:

and S44, placing the light guide layer 2 into a dissolving solution, and removing the uncured light-cured material 4 to obtain the photoelectrode 200.

The whole structure can be put into acetone, the uncured ultraviolet curing glue is dissolved, and the cured ultraviolet curing agent is not dissolved in the acetone any more, so as to obtain the photoelectrode 200 provided by the embodiment of the invention.

It should be noted that, for simplicity of description, the method embodiments are shown as a series of acts, but it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments are not limited by the order of acts described, as some steps may occur in other orders or concurrently in accordance with the embodiments. Further, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments described in the specification are all preferred embodiments and that the acts referred to are not necessarily required by the embodiments of the present application.

In order to make the present invention more clearly understood by those skilled in the art, the following examples will now be given to illustrate the preparation of the present invention:

a method for preparing a photoelectrode 200 with light guide, the method comprising the steps of:

s101, preparing a customized ultraviolet LED array by using a photoelectric process as in the step (1) in fig. 3.

S102, as in step (2) in fig. 3, covering the metal pads of the ultraviolet LED array with an adhesive tape, and dripping ultraviolet curing adhesive on the LED array.

And S103, uniformly spreading ultraviolet curing glue by using a glue spreading machine so as to uniformly cover the LED array.

S104, tearing off the adhesive tape, binding probes of the probe station on positive and negative metal pads of the LED11, and electrifying the LED11 by using a constant current source to enable the ultraviolet LED to emit ultraviolet light;

s105, as in step (3) in fig. 3, the luminous intensity of the ultraviolet LED is changed by adjusting the current of the constant current source, and the solidification shape of the ultraviolet solidified glue is controlled to be solidified into a hemisphere.

S106, as shown in step (4) in fig. 3, the ultraviolet LED array after curing is put into acetone, the acetone is used for dissolving the uncured ultraviolet curing adhesive, and the ultraviolet curing adhesive after curing is insoluble in the acetone to form the hemispherical light guide layer 2.

And S107, carrying out waterproof encapsulation on the LED array with the light guide layer 2, namely implanting the LED array into the brain, and using the LED array as an in-vivo implantation light source.

In summary, the ultraviolet curing glue is spin-coated on the ultraviolet LED array, and the ultraviolet curing glue can be cured into a hemispherical shape by utilizing the ultraviolet light emitted by the ultraviolet LED, so that the ultraviolet curing glue can form a natural lens function after being cured, and the light emitted by the LED11 is converged. In addition, by using the curing glue with different wavelengths, the LEDs 11 with different wavelengths can have the light guide function.

The preparation method replaces the conventional packaging means of adding an optical lens and the like outside a light source, achieves the function similar to a lens by presetting the shape of the light-emitting material 4 on the light-emitting surface, reduces the light-emitting range 100 of the light-emitting component 1, and realizes local light stimulation. After light is converged, the stimulation range of light in the brain can be reduced, the activity of neurons can be regulated and controlled more accurately, and the method has the advantages of simple preparation mode and low cost.

In the above embodiments, it may be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, may be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When loaded and executed on a computer, produces a flow or function in accordance with embodiments of the present application, in whole or in part. The computer may be a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable apparatus. The computer instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium, for example, the computer instructions may be transmitted from one website, computer, server 100, or data center to another website, computer, server 100, or data center by a wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical line, digital Subscriber Line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.). The computer readable storage medium may be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as server 100, a data center, etc. that contains an integration of one or more available media. The usable medium may be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy Disk, hard Disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., DVD), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., solid State Disk (SSD)), etc.

It is noted that relational terms such as first and second, and the like are used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. Moreover, the terms "comprises," "comprising," or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one … …" does not exclude the presence of other like elements in a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises the element.

In this specification, each embodiment is described in a related manner, and identical and similar parts of each embodiment are all referred to each other, and each embodiment mainly describes differences from other embodiments. For embodiments of an apparatus, an electronic device, a computer-readable storage medium, and a computer program product containing instructions, the description is relatively simple, as it is substantially similar to method embodiments, with reference to the section of the method embodiments being relevant.

The foregoing description is only of the preferred embodiments of the present application and is not intended to limit the scope of the present application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. which are within the spirit and principles of the present application are intended to be included within the scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A photoelectrode with light guide, comprising:

a light emitting part for emitting a plurality of light rays;

2. The self-contained light-directing photoelectrode of claim 1 wherein said light-directing layer comprises a light-transmissive body, an outer edge profile of said light-transmissive body forming a light-directing surface, said light-directing surface being convex relative to said light-emitting surface.

3. The photoelectrode with a function of guiding light according to claim 2, wherein in a case where said light guiding surface is convex with respect to said light emitting surface, said light guiding surface includes any one of a parabolic surface, a semi-elliptical surface, a hyperboloid and a hemispherical surface.

4. The self-contained light-guiding photoelectrode of claim 1 wherein said light-emitting component and said light-guiding layer are wavelength matched.

5. The self-contained light-guiding photoelectrode of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of said light-guiding layer covers said light-emitting member.

6. The self-contained light-guiding photoelectrode according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of light-emitting members are provided, a plurality of light-guiding layers are provided, and each light-guiding layer covers each light-emitting member in a one-to-one correspondence.

7. The self-contained light-guiding photoelectrode of claim 6 wherein a plurality of said light-guiding layers, any adjacent two of said light-guiding layers do not intersect.

8. The self-contained light-guiding photoelectrode of any of claims 1 to 7, wherein each of said light-emitting elements is a light-emitting diode and each of said light-guiding layers is a transparent photocurable adhesive; wherein,

wherein the carrier comprises at least a silicon substrate;

9. The self-contained light directing photoelectrode of claim 8, wherein said light emitting diode comprises a light emitting die and a metal wire for connection to an external power source.

10. An implantable neural electrode, comprising a light stimulating electrode unit and a recording electrode unit, wherein the light stimulating electrode unit is a self-contained light-guiding photoelectrode according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. A method for preparing a photoelectrode with light guide, comprising the steps of:

Preparing a light emitting part;

12. The method for manufacturing a self-contained light-guiding photoelectrode according to claim 11, wherein said position of said light-emitting face facing said light-emitting member is coated with said photocurable material on said light-emitting face, comprising:

covering a metal pad in the light emitting component with a shield;

the photocurable material is dropped onto the light emitting member.

13. The method of manufacturing a self-contained light-guiding photoelectrode according to claim 12, wherein said dropping said photocurable material onto said light-emitting member comprises:

14. The method of manufacturing a self-contained light-guiding photoelectrode according to claim 12 or 13, comprising, after said dropping said photocurable material onto said light-emitting member:

The mask is removed overlying the metal pads in the light emitting component.

15. The method for manufacturing a self-contained light-guiding photoelectrode according to claim 11, wherein said curing and molding said photocurable material in a predetermined shape on said light-emitting surface by a photocuring technique, comprising:

16. The method of manufacturing a self-contained light-guiding photoelectrode according to claim 15, wherein said output parameter includes at least one of a current time and a current intensity; the light source parameters include at least one of a light emission intensity, a light emission time, and a curing region.

17. The method of claim 15 or 16, wherein the curing the photocurable material into a predetermined shape based on the predetermined light source parameters comprises:

18. The method according to claim 15, characterized by further comprising, after the curing of the photocurable material into a preset shape based on the preset light source parameters:

19. The method of manufacturing a self-contained light-guiding photoelectrode according to claim 11, wherein said determining a type of photo-setting material based on said light-emitting member selected comprises:

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the light emitting element is an ultraviolet light emitting diode and the light curable material is an ultraviolet curable glue.