WO2024046186A1

WO2024046186A1 - Brain electrode apparatus, preparation method therefor, electrode apparatus, and electronic device

Info

Publication number: WO2024046186A1
Application number: PCT/CN2023/114466
Authority: WO
Inventors: 彭雷; 谭正
Original assignee: 上海脑虎科技有限公司
Priority date: 2022-08-31
Filing date: 2023-08-23
Publication date: 2024-03-07
Also published as: CN115381458A

Abstract

Provided are a brain electrode apparatus (100), a preparation method therefor, an electrode apparatus (200), and an electronic device. The brain electrode apparatus (100) comprises: a flexible substrate (10) comprising a first part (101) and a plurality of second parts (102) separated from each other; a probe pad array comprising a plurality of contact pads (11), the plurality of contact pads (11) being formed in the first part (101); a plurality of deep electrodes (13) and a plurality of cortex electrodes (14), which are formed in various tail end sections of the plurality of second parts (102) away from the first part (101); and a plurality of leads (12), which are formed in the plurality of second parts (102) so as to electrically connect the plurality of deep electrodes (13) and the plurality of cortex electrodes (14) to the corresponding contact pads (11), respectively. Each tail end section of the plurality of second parts (102) comprises first-type tail end sections (1021) and a second-type tail end section (1022). The plurality of deep electrodes (13) are formed in the first-type tail end sections (1021). The plurality of cortex electrodes (14) are formed in the second-type tail end section (1022). The second-type tail end section (1022) is provided with a plurality of through holes (10c) penetrating through the flexible substrate (10). The size of each through hole (10c) allows one or more corresponding first-type tail end sections (1021) to pass through.

Description

Brain electrode device and preparation method thereof, electrode device, electronic equipment

Cross-references to related applications

This application claims priority from Chinese Patent Application No. 202211054186X submitted on August 31, 2022, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Technical field

The present disclosure relates to the technical field of microelectronic packaging interconnection, and in particular to a brain electrode device and its preparation method, electrode device, and electronic equipment.

Background technique

Brain-computer interface, sometimes called "brain port" or "brain-computer fusion perception", is a direct connection path established between the human or animal brain (or culture of brain cells) and external devices. As a multidisciplinary technology, brain-computer interface has attracted widespread attention from the scientific research community and industry around the world. Among them, flexible brain-computer interface, as a branch of brain-computer interface, is considered to be "the final form of brain-computer interface" because of its superior biocompatibility.

Contents of the invention

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a brain electrode device is provided, including: a flexible base including a first part and a plurality of second parts, the first part is located at a first end of the brain electrode device, and the plurality of second parts are formed from the first part. a portion extending to a second end of the brain electrode device, the second end being opposite the first end; a probe pad array including a plurality of contact pads formed in the first portion; a plurality of deep electrodes and A plurality of cortical electrodes formed in each end section of the plurality of second parts away from the first part, the end sections serving as probes for implantation into the brain of the organism; and a plurality of leads formed in the plurality of third parts. In the two parts, corresponding electrodes of the plurality of deep electrodes and the plurality of cortical electrodes are electrically connected to corresponding contact pads of the plurality of contact pads, wherein each end section of the plurality of second parts includes a first type A terminal section, a first type terminal section serves as a deep probe for implantation into a deep brain region of an organism, a plurality of deep electrodes are formed in the first type terminal section, wherein each terminal of the plurality of second parts The section also includes a second type end section, the second type end section serves as a cortical flexible membrane for placement on a cerebral cortex surface of the organism, a plurality of cortical electrodes are formed in the second type end section, and wherein, The second type end section is provided with a plurality of through holes extending through the flexible substrate, each through hole being sized to allow passage of one or more corresponding first type end sections.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, an electrode device is provided, including a brain electrode device as described in any one of the above; and a data adapter electrically connected to a plurality of contact pads in a probe pad array, configured To transmit signals to or receive signals from multiple contact pads.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, an electronic device is provided, including the above-mentioned electrode device.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a method of preparing a brain electrode device is provided, the method including: forming a first flexible base layer on a support substrate, the first flexible base layer including a first region and a plurality of second regions, The first region is located at the first end of the brain electrode device, and a plurality of second regions extend from the first region to the second end of the brain electrode device, and the second end is opposite to the first end; formed on the first flexible base layer The metal pattern layer includes a probe pad array, a plurality of deep electrodes, a plurality of cortical electrodes, and a plurality of leads, wherein the probe pad array includes a plurality of contact pads, and the plurality of contact pads are formed on the first On a region, a plurality of deep electrodes and a plurality of cortical electrodes are formed in each end section of a plurality of second regions away from the first region, and wherein each end section of the plurality of second regions includes a first type of end section a section and a second type end section, a plurality of deep electrodes formed in the first type end section, a plurality of cortical electrodes formed in the second type end section, and a plurality of leads formed on the plurality of second regions, To electrically connect corresponding electrodes among the plurality of deep electrodes and the plurality of cortical electrodes to corresponding contact pads among the plurality of contact pads; cover the second flexible base layer on the first flexible base layer on which the metal pattern layer has been formed. ; Etching the second flexible base layer and the first flexible base layer to expose a plurality of contact pads, a plurality of deep electrodes and a plurality of cortical electrodes, forming a first portion of the pattern corresponding to the first region and a plurality of cortical electrodes corresponding to the first region. a plurality of second portions of the pattern of the second regions, and a plurality of through holes penetrating the second flexible base layer and the first flexible base layer etched in the second type end sections of the plurality of second portions, wherein , each through hole being sized to allow one or more first type end sections of the plurality of second portions to pass therethrough; and removing portions of the support substrate other than the first support substrate portion, the first support substrate Part corresponds to the first part.

These and other aspects of the disclosure will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter.

Description of drawings

Further details, features and advantages of the present disclosure are disclosed in the following description of exemplary embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a brain electrode device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a first type end section of the second part of the brain electrode device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a second type end section of the second part of the brain electrode device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional structural diagram of a first type end section passing through a through hole in a second type end section of a brain electrode device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the disassembled structure of an electrode device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

Figure 6 is a schematic flowchart of a method of preparing a brain electrode device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; and

Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a process of preparing a brain electrode device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

Detailed ways

In the following, only certain exemplary embodiments are briefly described. As those skilled in the art would realize, the described embodiments may be modified in various different ways without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive.

In the related art, a flexible brain electrode device includes a pad and a plurality of flexible electrodes connected to the pad. A recording site is provided at the end of each flexible electrode. The end of the flexible electrode is implanted into the brain of an organism to monitor the brain. detect electrical signals. In the related art, flexible brain electrode devices are divided into flexible deep electrode devices and flexible cortical electrode devices. The electrodes provided at the end of each flexible electrode of the flexible deep electrode device are deep electrodes, and the deep electrodes can collect brain signals at different depths within the brain tissue. The flexible cortical electrode device has an electrode set at the end of the flexible electrode as a cortical electrode. The cortical electrode can collect brain signals in a specific area on the surface of the brain tissue.

Please refer to Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3 and Figure 4. Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a brain electrode device 100 provided by some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a first type end section 1021 of the second part of the brain electrode device provided by some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a second type end section 1022 of the second part of the brain electrode device provided by some embodiments of the present disclosure. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional structural diagram of a first type end section passing through a through hole in a second type end section of a brain electrode device provided by some embodiments of the present disclosure.

It should be noted that Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 are only used to schematically represent the characteristics of some structures and do not limit the actual number and size of these structures. For example, FIG. 1 only schematically shows two second parts, one of which has two levels of segmentation, and structures such as leads in each second part, where the number of the second parts, the number of the second parts, etc. The number of segments at each level, the number of leads, etc. do not represent the number of these structures in the actual product. Similarly, the number of electrodes and leads in Figures 2 and 3 does not represent the number of these structures in actual products, and is not intended to limit the disclosure. Figure 4 shows a partial cross-section of a second type end section of the brain electrode device. and a first type end section passing through a through hole of the second type end section, in which only the through holes, cortical electrodes, contact pads and other structures in the brain electrode device are schematically drawn, in which each part The number and size of structures does not represent the number and size of these structures in the actual product.

One aspect of the present disclosure provides a brain electrode device 100. As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the brain electrode device 100 includes a flexible substrate 10, a probe pad array located in the flexible substrate 10, a plurality of deep electrodes 13, a plurality of cortical electrodes 14 and a plurality of strips. Lead 12.

The flexible substrate 10 includes a first part 101 and a plurality of second parts 102. The first part 101 is located at the first end of the brain electrode device. The plurality of second parts 102 extend from the first part 101 to the second end of the brain electrode device. The second end is opposite to the first end.

The flexible substrate 10 is used to carry and protect the probe pad array, the plurality of deep electrodes 13 , the plurality of cortical electrodes 14 and the plurality of leads 12 . In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4 , the flexible substrate 10 may include a stacked first flexible base layer 1001 and a second flexible base layer 1002 , a probe pad array, a plurality of deep electrodes 13 , and a plurality of cortical electrodes. 14 and a plurality of leads 12 are located between the first flexible base layer 1001 and the second flexible base layer 1002 . In some examples, the materials of the first flexible base layer 1001 and the second flexible base layer 1002 may be the same or different. Specifically, polyimide (PI) material may be used.

The probe pad array includes a plurality of contact pads 11 formed in the first part 101 of the flexible substrate 10 for electrical connection with external circuits. In the example of FIG. 4 , the second flexible base layer 1002 is provided with contact holes (contact holes) 10a for exposing a plurality of contact pads 11 so that the contact pads 11 can be electrically connected to external circuits.

A plurality of deep electrodes 13 and a plurality of cortical electrodes 14 are formed in each end section of the plurality of second parts 102 away from the first part 101 , and the end sections serve as probes for implantation into the brain of a living body. The plurality of deep electrodes 13 and the plurality of cortical electrodes 14 are used to collect brain signals or output stimulation signals to brain tissue. Among them, the deep electrode 13 is used to collect brain signals at different depths in the brain tissue or output stimulation signals to different depths in the brain tissue. The cortical electrode 14 is used to collect brain signals from a specific area on the surface of the brain tissue or to output stimulation signals to a specific area on the surface of the brain tissue. The second flexible base layer 1002 is provided with connection holes for exposing the plurality of deep electrodes 13 and the plurality of cortical electrodes 14 so that the plurality of deep electrodes 13 and the plurality of cortical electrodes 14 can contact the brain tissue to collect brain signals. Or output stimulation signals to brain tissue. In the cross-section illustrated in FIG. 4 , there is a connection hole 10 b exposing the cortical electrode 14 .

A plurality of leads 12 are formed in the plurality of second parts 102 to electrically connect respective electrodes of the plurality of deep electrodes 13 and the plurality of skin electrodes 14 to corresponding contact pads 11 of the plurality of contact pads 11 .

The plurality of leads 12 includes a plurality of leads 12 corresponding to the plurality of deep electrodes 13 . Each deep electrode 13 is connected to a contact pad 11 through a corresponding lead 12 and is further connected to an external circuit. The plurality of leads 12 also include a plurality of leads 12 corresponding to a plurality of cortical electrodes 14. Each cortical electrode 14 is connected to a contact pad 11 through a corresponding lead 12, and is further connected to an external circuit. In some examples, the plurality of contact pads 11 are connected to the chip through a data adapter, thereby electrically connecting the plurality of deep electrodes 13 and the plurality of cortical electrodes 14 to circuits of the chip.

According to some embodiments, each end section of the plurality of second portions 102 includes a first type end section 1021, as shown in Figure 2, the first type end section 1021 serves as a deep probe for implantation in the organism. In the deep brain region, a plurality of deep electrodes 13 are formed in the first type end section 1021. In some examples, the first type end section 1021 is in the shape of an elongated needle to facilitate implantation inside the brain tissue, so that the deep electrode 13 therein can contact the deep brain tissue, thereby achieving the collection of brain signals at different depths within the brain tissue. Or output stimulation signals to different depths of brain tissue.

Further, each end section of the plurality of second parts 102 also includes a second type end section 1022. As shown in FIG. 3, the second type end section 1022 serves as a cortical flexible membrane for placement in the brain of a living body. On the cortical surface, a plurality of cortical electrodes 14 are formed in the second type end section 1022 . In some examples, the second type end section 1022 is planar so as to be easily attached to the surface of the cerebral cortex, so that the cortical electrodes 14 therein can be in contact with the surface of the brain tissue, thereby collecting brain signals in a specific area on the surface of the brain tissue. Or output stimulation signals to specific areas on the surface of brain tissue.

In some examples, the second type end section 1022 is provided with a plurality of through holes 10c extending through the flexible substrate 10, with each through hole 10c being sized to allow one or more corresponding first type end sections 1021 to pass therethrough.

In the example of FIG. 4 , the flexible substrate 10 includes a first flexible base layer 1001 and a second flexible base layer 1002 arranged in a stack. The through hole 10c avoids the plurality of cortical electrodes 14 between the first flexible base layer 1001 and the second flexible base layer 1002, and penetrates the first flexible base layer 1001 and the second flexible base layer 1002.

In the example of Figure 4, the through hole 10c allows a first type end section 1021 to pass therethrough. In practical applications, it is also possible that the through hole 10c allows two or more first type end sections 1021 to pass through.

In the brain electrode device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the plurality of second portions 102 include both a first type end section 1021 serving as a deep probe and a second type end section 1022 serving as a cortical flexible membrane, Therefore, the brain electrode device 100 can not only detect brain signals at different depths within the brain tissue, but also detect brain signals in specific areas on the surface of the brain tissue. Furthermore, a through hole 10c is provided in the second type end section 1022 that acts as a cortical flexible membrane, and the first type end section 1021 that acts as a deep probe can pass through the through hole 10c to be implanted in the deep brain region. In this way, cortical EEG signals and deep EEG signals can be collected simultaneously in the same brain area, that is, the same brain area can be collected at the same time. The depth brain signal of a brain region and the brain signal of the cortical region are beneficial to the analysis and detection of brain signals.

In addition, the through hole 10c provided in the second type end section 1022 can also improve the stress of the second type end section 1022 and improve the flexibility of the second type end section 1022, thereby helping to improve the second type end section 1022. 1022’s adhesion to the surface of brain tissue.

According to some embodiments, at least one second portion 102 of the plurality of second portions 102 includes N-level segments, the N-level segments are sequentially arranged along the direction from the first end to the second end, and the second portion of the second portion 102 includes Level N segments include each end section of the second part 102, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2. In other words, for the second part 102 that includes N-level segments, the ends of each segment in the last-level segmentation are its multiple end segments, and the last-level segmentation may be called a probe (for example, Deep probe or cortical flexible membrane), the end section of which can be called the probe implantation part.

For the second part 102 including N-level segments, a plurality of branches are branched from each segment in the n-th level segments as the n+1-th level segment. In other words, the multiple branches branching from each segment in the n-th level segmentation are the multiple segments in the n+1-th level segmentation. Therefore, the number of segments in the n+1th level of segments is greater than the number of segments in the nth level of segments, and the lead 12 formed in each segment in the n+1th level of segments is formed in the n+1th level of segments. A subset of leads 12 in an n-level segment, where n is an integer and 0<n<N.

In the example of FIG. 1 , one of the second parts 102 includes two levels of segments, namely a first level segment 1023 and a second level segment 1024 , that is, N equals 2. Wherein, the first-level segment 1023 of the second part 102 includes one segment, and a plurality of branches are branched from the one segment to form multiple segments of the second-level segment 1024.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the plurality of leads 12 in the first-level segment 1023 are dispersed into each first-type end section 1021 of the second-level section 1024 and are finally connected to each first-type end section. Each electrode 13 in segment 1021. Conversely, the leads 12 in each first-type end section 1021 of the second-level segment 1024 are combined in the first-level segment 1023 and finally connected to the contact pad 11 .

According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the second part adopts a multi-level segmented design. According to the order from the first level segmentation to the Nth level segmentation, the number of segments in each level segmentation gradually increases, so that the last one The number of segments in the first-level segmentation (Nth-level segmentation) can be much greater than the number of segments in the first-level segmentation (such as multiple amplification), and the end regions of each segment in the last-level segmentation are set for the probe. In this way, the brain electrode device has a larger number of probes, can cover a larger implantation range, and can increase the detection area of a single brain electrode device. Furthermore, the number of brain electrode devices required for EEG signal detection can be reduced, and the number of back-end switching interfaces connected to the brain electrode devices can be reduced, thereby reducing trauma to the skull of the implanted person.

In addition, the second part 102 adopts a multi-level segmented design, in order from the Nth level segmentation to the first level segmentation, The number of segments in each level of segmentation is gradually reduced, which also facilitates group management of probes and prevents entanglement between multiple wires.

According to some embodiments, an end section of the second portion 102 including N-level segments is configured as a first type end section 1021 and the remaining end sections of the second section 102 are configured to be configured as a second type end section 1022 .

The example of Figure 1 has two second portions 102, one of which includes multi-level segmentation and the other second portion 102 which does not have multi-level segmentation. The second part 102 including multi-level segments is specifically a two-level segment, that is, N is equal to 2, in which the end section of each segment in the second level section 1024 is configured as a first type end section 1021, each A first type end section 1021 is provided with a plurality of deep electrodes 1323 to serve as a deep probe to detect deep brain signals. The end section of the second part 102 without multi-level segmentation is configured as a second type end section 1022 to serve as a cortical flexible membrane to detect brain signals in the cortical region.

The second type of end section 1022, which acts as a cortical flexible membrane, is used to attach to the surface of the cerebral cortex. Each cortical flexible membrane can cover the surface of a larger brain area, and the corresponding brain area has a larger detection range; while the second type of end section 1022 that acts as a deep probe The first type end section 1021 is used for implantation into deep brain areas. In order to facilitate insertion into deep brain areas and avoid damage to brain tissue, deep probes are generally in the shape of slender needles. Each deep probe can detect the brain area covered. The range is smaller. Therefore, for the same brain area, the number of deep probes used to detect deep EEG signals is generally much greater than the number of cortical flexible membranes required to detect cortical EEG signals.

In some examples, in the brain electrode device 100, each cortical flexible membrane corresponds to a plurality of deep probes, that is, each second type end section 1022 corresponds to a plurality of first type end sections 1021, and each second type end section 1021 corresponds to a plurality of first type end sections 1021. A plurality of through holes 10c is provided in the end section 1022. The number of through holes 10c in each second type end section 1022 is equal to the number of first type end sections 1021 corresponding to the second type end section 1022. Equally, each first type end section 1021 is used to pass through its corresponding through hole 10c and be inserted into deep brain tissue.

In this embodiment, the second part 102 including N-level segments has a large number of end segments, and the end segments of the second part 102 including N-level segments are all configured as first type end sections 1021 , the end segment of the second part 102 that does not include the N-level segments is configured as a second type end section 1022. This can make the number of first type end sections 1021 much larger than the second type end sections 1022, which is advantageous to make the required number of first type end sections 1021 and the number of second type end sections 1022 match, and , which is beneficial to reducing the number of second parts 102 required for EEG signal detection, and is beneficial to group management of probes.

According to some embodiments, the plurality of through holes 10c are distributed in an array in the second type end section 1022. In this way, it is conducive to improving the detection distribution density and distribution uniformity of deep probes, and is conducive to the collection, analysis and detection of deep EEG signals.

In the example of FIG. 3 , the second type end section 1022 includes a plurality of columns of through holes 10 c and a plurality of columns of electrodes, the plurality of columns of through holes 10 c being alternately arranged with the plurality of columns of electrodes. Of course, FIG. 3 is only an example of the form of array-distributed through holes 10c, and other embodiments are possible.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 , according to some embodiments, the brain electrode device 200 further includes a support substrate 15 on which the first part 101 of the flexible substrate 10 is formed. In some examples, support substrate 15 may be a silicon wafer. The first part 101 of the flexible substrate 10 has a probe pad array. The first part 101 is supported by the supporting substrate 15 to facilitate the connection operation between the contact pads 11 of the probe pad array and the external circuit, such as crimping or welding. operate.

According to some embodiments, the thickness of sections of the plurality of second portions 102 except for each end section is greater than the thickness of each end section of the plurality of second portions 102 .

In some examples, the difference between the thickness of the sections other than the end sections of the plurality of second parts 102 and the thickness of each end section of the plurality of second parts 102 may be 5 μm-50 μm, for example, may be 5 μm. , 10μm, 20μm, 30μm, 40μm, 50μm.

In the brain electrode device 100 illustrated in FIG. 1 , the end section of a second part 102 is a first type end section 1021 , and the thickness of sections other than the first type end section 1021 of the second part 102 is is greater than the thickness of the first type end section 1021, the end section of the other second part 102 is the second type end section 1022, and the thickness of the sections of the second part 102 other than the second type end section 1022 Greater than the thickness of the second type end section 1022.

In the example of FIG. 4 , the sections of the second part 102 other than the end section (second type end section 1022 ) have one more reinforcing layer 1000 relative to its end section (second type end section 10220 ). , the thickness d of the reinforcement layer 1000 is 5 μm-50 μm.

The presence of reinforcement layer 1000 can be advantageous. The end section of the second part 102 is used to form a probe, which requires good flexibility to avoid damage to the brain, so its thickness should not be too large. The sections of the second part 102 except the end section are thickened. The strength and hardness of this section can be enhanced to avoid breakage and damage to this section, and to help prevent the plurality of second parts 102 from being entangled.

As shown in Figure 1, according to some embodiments, the first type end section 1021 and/or the second type end section 1022 of the second portion 102 is reinforced with a biocompatible material.

Biocompatible materials refer to materials that can be removed, decomposed, and dissolved under the influence and action of biological tissues after being implanted in an organism. By way of example, and not limitation, biocompatible materials include silk protein. Put the end of Part 2 102 The end section is wrapped with a fibroin solution. After the fibroin solution is dried and solidified, the hardness of the end section of the second part 102 can be enhanced, thereby facilitating implantation into the brain of the organism. After the end section of the second part 102 is implanted into the brain of an organism, the fibroin will dissolve when exposed to brain tissue fluid, allowing the end section to return to its original flexibility, thereby avoiding damage to the brain during later electrical signal collection.

In some examples, the first type end section 1021 of the second portion 102 is reinforced with fibroin to facilitate implantation into a deep brain region of an organism. After the first type end section 1021 is implanted into the deep brain area, the fibroin dissolves and disappears when exposed to brain tissue fluid, allowing the first type end section 1021 to restore its original flexibility to avoid damaging the deep brain area during the later electrical signal collection process. .

Please refer to FIG. 5 , which is a schematic diagram of the disassembled structure of the electrode device 200 provided by some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 5 , the electrode device 200 includes the brain electrode device 100 as described above, and a data adapter 30 .

The data adapter 30 is electrically connected to the plurality of contact pads 11 in the probe pad array and is configured to transmit signals to or receive signals from the plurality of contact pads 11 . In some examples, multiple electrodes (depth electrodes 13 or cortical electrodes 14 ) of each end section of the brain electrode device 100 collect brain tissue signals, and transmit the collected signals to the data adapter through the contact pads 11 30, and then connected to an external circuit through the data adapter 30, such as to a brain signal acquisition chip. In some examples, the external circuit transmits signals to the brain electrode device 100 through the data adapter 30, and the signals act on the brain tissue through the electrodes (depth electrodes 13 or cortical electrodes 14) of the end section of the brain electrode device 100, to output stimulation signals to brain tissue.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, electrode device 200 includes brain electrode device 100 . The brain electrode device 100 includes both a first type end section 1021 that serves as a deep probe and a second type end section 1022 that serves as a cortical flexible membrane. Therefore, the brain electrode device can detect different types of brain tissue. Deep brain signals can also detect brain signals in specific areas on the surface of brain tissue. Furthermore, the second type end section 1022 serving as a cortical flexible membrane is provided with a through hole, and the first type end section 1021 serving as a deep probe can pass through the through hole to be implanted in the deep brain region. In this way, cortical EEG signals and deep EEG signals can be collected simultaneously in the same brain area, that is, deep brain signals and cortical area brain signals in the same brain area can be collected at the same time, which is beneficial to the analysis and detection of brain signals.

As shown in Figure 5, according to some embodiments, the data adapter 30 includes a pad array board 31 and a data interface board 32, and the pad array board 31 and the data interface board 32 are electrically connected.

The pad array board 31 includes a plurality of pads 311, and the plurality of pads 311 are electrically connected to a plurality of contact pads 11 in the probe pad array to realize the connection between the data adapter 30 and the brain electrode device 100. electrical connection. In some embodiments, pad array board 31 is a PCB board.

The data interface board 32 includes a plurality of electrical contacts, and the plurality of electrical contacts are electrically connected to the plurality of pads 311 of the pad array board 31 respectively. In some embodiments, the data interface board 32 is used as a chip interface end and has a specific number (eg, 4) of chip interfaces 320. Each chip interface 320 has multiple electrical contacts, which can connect the chip (eg, brain The signal acquisition chip) is inserted into the chip interface 320 to realize the communication connection between the chip and the electrode device 200 . In some embodiments, data interface board 32 is a PCB board.

As shown in FIG. 5 , according to some embodiments, the data adapter 30 further includes a flexible wiring board 33 . The flexible wiring board 33 includes a plurality of cables 330 that electrically connect corresponding electrical contacts among the plurality of electrical contacts to corresponding pads 311 among the plurality of pads. In some embodiments, the electrical contacts, the pads 311 and the cables 330 are in one-to-one correspondence, and each cable 330 electrically connects the corresponding electrical contact to the corresponding pad 311 . In some embodiments, the flexible wiring board 33 is a flexible PCB board.

The flexible wiring board 33 is used to connect the pad array board 31 and the data interface board 32 to achieve a flexible transition between the pad array board 31 and the data interface board 32 . In this way, the position between the brain electrode device 100 and the chip can be easily set flexibly. For example, the chip can be placed vertically relative to the probe implantation direction of the brain electrode device 100 .

Another aspect of the present disclosure provides an electronic device, which includes the electrode device 200 as described above. The electronic device may include, but is not limited to, an implanted neurostimulator, an implanted neurorecorder, an implanted stimulation-recorder, etc.

Please refer to Figure 6 and Figure 7. Figure 6 is a flow chart of a method 400 for preparing a brain electrode device provided by some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the process of preparing a brain electrode device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

As shown in Figure 6, the method 400 includes the following steps.

Step 401, as shown in (b) of FIG. 7, form a first flexible base layer 52 on the support substrate 50. The first flexible base layer 52 includes a first region and a plurality of second regions, the first region is located at the first end of the brain electrode device, and the plurality of second regions extend from the first region to the second end of the brain electrode device, The second end is opposite the first end.

Step 402, as shown in (c) and (d) in FIG. 7, form a metal pattern layer on the first flexible base layer 52. The metal pattern layer includes a probe pad array, a plurality of electrodes 501 and a plurality of leads. Wherein, the probe pad array includes a plurality of contact pads 502, and the plurality of contact pads 502 are formed on the first area. A plurality of electrodes 501 are formed in each end section of the plurality of second regions away from the first region. The plurality of electrodes 501 include a plurality of deep electrodes and a plurality of cortical electrodes. Each end section of the plurality of second regions includes a third A first type of end section and a second type of end section, a plurality of deep electrodes formed in the first type of end section, and a plurality of cortical electrodes formed in the second type of end section. A plurality of leads are formed on the plurality of second regions to electrically connect corresponding electrodes 501 of the plurality of electrodes 501 to corresponding contact pads 502 of the plurality of contact pads 502 respectively.

Step 403, as shown in (e) of FIG. 7, cover the second flexible base layer 53 on the first flexible base layer 52 on which the metal pattern layer has been formed. The first flexible base layer 52 and the second flexible base layer 53 together form a flexible base layer.

Step 404, as shown in (f) to (i) in Figure 7, etching the second flexible base layer 53 and the first flexible base layer 52 to expose a plurality of contact pads 502 and a plurality of electrodes 501 ( a plurality of deep electrodes and a plurality of cortical electrodes), and form a first portion corresponding to the pattern of the first region and a plurality of second portions corresponding to the pattern of the plurality of second regions, and a second portion of the plurality of second portions. A plurality of through holes 50c are etched through the second flexible base layer 53 and the first flexible base layer 52 in the type end section, and the size of each through hole 50c allows one or more first types of multiple second parts The end section passes through. In other words, step 404 is to etch the flexible base layer to form a pattern of the flexible base. The pattern of the flexible base includes a first part and a plurality of second parts. The first part is provided with a plurality of contact pads 502 exposed. Contact holes 50a, the plurality of second parts are provided with connection holes 50b exposing a plurality of deep electrodes and a plurality of cortical electrodes, and the second type end sections of the plurality of second parts are provided with a plurality of through holes penetrating the flexible base layer. Hole 50c.

Step 405, as shown in (k) of FIG. 7, the portion of the support substrate 50 except the first support substrate portion 500 is removed. The first support substrate portion 500 corresponds to the first portion.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the plurality of second portions of the brain electrode device include both a first type of end section that serves as a deep probe and a second type of end section that serves as a cortical flexible membrane. Therefore, the brain electrode device The electrode device can not only detect brain signals at different depths within the brain tissue, but also detect brain signals in specific areas on the surface of the brain tissue. Furthermore, a through hole is provided in the second type end section serving as the cortical flexible membrane, and the first type end section serving as a deep probe can pass through the through hole to be implanted in the deep brain region. In this way, cortical EEG signals and deep EEG signals can be collected simultaneously in the same brain area, that is, deep brain signals and cortical area brain signals in the same brain area can be collected at the same time, which is beneficial to the analysis and detection of brain signals.

In addition, the through holes provided in the second type end section can also improve the stress of the second type end section and improve the flexibility of the second type end section, thereby helping to improve the surface between the second type end section and the brain tissue. of adaptability.

According to some embodiments, forming the metal pattern layer on the first flexible base layer 52 (step 402) includes the following steps.

First, as shown in (c) of FIG. 7 , patterns of multiple electrodes 501 and multiple leads are prepared on the second area of the first flexible base layer 52 through an etching patterning process. The plurality of electrodes 501 include multiple deep electrodes and multiple cortical electrodes.

Secondly, as shown in (d) of FIG. 7 , a pattern of the probe pad array is prepared on the first area of the first flexible base layer 52 through an etching patterning process.

According to some embodiments, removing the portion of the support substrate 50 except the first support substrate portion 500 (step 405) includes the following steps.

First, as shown in (a) of FIG. 7 , before forming the first flexible base layer 52 , the sacrificial layer 51 is formed on the portion of the support substrate 50 except the first support substrate portion 500 . In some embodiments, the sacrificial layer 51 is made of metallic aluminum (Al), which can increase the release speed of the sacrificial layer 51 and facilitate the contact between the parts of the support substrate 50 except the first support substrate part 500 and the first flexible base. Peeling off of bottom layer 52.

Secondly, as shown in (j) and (k) in FIG. 7 , the sacrificial layer 51 is etched away, so that the portion of the support substrate 50 except the first support substrate portion 500 is separated from the first flexible base layer 52, The portion of the support substrate 50 except the first support substrate portion 500 is then removed, leaving only the first support substrate portion 500 of the support substrate 50 for supporting the first portion of the flexible substrate.

The first part of the flexible substrate has an array of probe pads, and the first part is supported by the first supporting substrate part 500 of the supporting substrate 50 to facilitate the connection operation between the contact pads 21 of the probe pad array and the external circuit. Each second part of the flexible base is not supported by the support substrate 50 , and each second part can be bent and extended to different areas of the brain, so that probes segmented at the end of the second part can be implanted in different areas of the brain.

According to some embodiments, the method 400 of preparing a brain electrode device further includes the following steps. As shown in (j) in FIG. 7 , before removing the portion of the support substrate 50 except the first support substrate portion 500 , a plurality of second portions are formed on sections other than each end section. Flexible base reinforcement layer 55. In some examples, the thickness d of the reinforcement layer 55 is 5 μm-50 μm.

The end section of the second part is used to form the probe, which requires good flexibility to avoid damage to the brain, so its thickness should not be too large. Thickening the second part except the end section can enhance the strength and hardness of this section, avoid breakage and damage to this section, and help prevent entanglement of multiple second parts.

A specific example of the preparation method 400 of the brain electrode device is described in detail below with reference to FIG. 7 .

As shown in (a) of FIG. 7 , a patterned sacrificial layer 51 is deposited on the support substrate 50 . This step can include the following processes:

1) Use metal sputtering to deposit metal aluminum (Al) on the support substrate 50, with the thickness of the aluminum layer being 100nm-2μm;

2) Coat photoresist on the aluminum layer and pattern the photoresist to form an area to be corroded;

3) Use aluminum etching liquid to corrode the aluminum layer in the area to be corroded (the aluminum layer covered by the photoresist is not corroded);

4) Remove the residual photoresist, leaving a patterned aluminum layer, the sacrificial layer.

As shown in (b) of FIG. 7 , the first flexible base layer 52 is spin-coated on the patterned sacrificial layer, and the first flexible base layer 52 is cured by stepwise heating in a vacuum oven. For example, the material of the first flexible base layer 52 is polyimide (PI), the thickness is 1 μm-10 μm, and the maximum curing temperature is 380°C.

As shown in (c) of FIG. 7 , electrodes 501 and leads are prepared on the first flexible base layer 52 . This step can include the following processes:

1) Apply photoresist and pattern the photoresist to form a layout area for electrodes and leads, which layout area is located on the second area of the first flexible base layer 52;

2) Use metal evaporation method to deposit titanium (Ti) and gold (Au) on the arrangement area of the electrodes and leads to form the electrodes and leads; the thicknesses of titanium (Ti) and gold (Au) are Ti=5nm- 50nm, Au=50nm-500nm;

3) Use acetone to peel off the photoresist. The metal layer on the photoresist will be removed together. After peeling off, only the electrodes and leads in the layout area will be left. The electrodes include deep electrodes and cortical electrodes.

As shown in (d) of FIG. 7 , contact solder points 502 are prepared on the first flexible base layer 52 . The preparation process is the same as that of the electrodes 501 and leads. The difference is that the arrangement area of the contact solder points 502 is It is located on the first area of the first flexible base layer 52, and its metal evaporation layer includes three layers of titanium (Ti), nickel (Ni), and gold (Au). The thicknesses of the three layers are Ti=5nm-50nm and Ni respectively. =100nm-1500nm, Au=50nm-500nm;

As shown in (e) of FIG. 7 , a second flexible base layer 53 (i.e., encapsulation layer) is prepared on the electrode 501 , the lead wire, and the contact solder joint 502 , and the second flexible base layer 53 is cured by stepwise heating in a vacuum oven. For example, the material of the second flexible base layer 53 is polyimide (PI), the thickness is 2 μm-20 μm, and the maximum curing temperature is 380°C. At this time, the electrodes, leads, and contact solder joints are all encapsulated in the flexible base layer.

As shown in (f) of FIG. 7 , a sputtering process is used to form an aluminum hardmask layer 54 on the second flexible base layer 53 with a thickness of 50 nm to 200 nm.

As shown in (g) of FIG. 7 , the aluminum hard mask layer 54 is patterned. This step can include the following processes:

1) Coat photoresist on the metal aluminum layer, and pattern the photoresist to form an area to be corroded;

2) Use aluminum etching liquid to corrode the aluminum layer in the area to be corroded, and the aluminum layer covered by the photoresist is not corroded;

3) Remove the residual photoresist, leaving a patterned aluminum layer, which is used as a mask layer for etching the first flexible base layer and the second flexible base layer.

As shown in (h) in FIG. 7 , using the patterned aluminum hard mask layer 54 as a mask, the first flexible base layer 52 and the second flexible base layer 53 are etched. This step can include the following processes:

Use deep silicon etching technology to etch the PI layer (the first flexible base layer 52 and the second flexible base layer 53) in the area to be etched (the area not covered by the aluminum hard mask layer 54), where the etched sides of the PI layer The unilateral erosion is ±0.5um;

After the PI layer is etched, the patterns of the first part and each second part can be formed, as well as the connection hole 50b exposing the electrode 501, the contact hole 50a exposing the contact pad 502, and the through hole 50c penetrating the PI layer.

Use aluminum etching liquid to remove the patterned aluminum hard mask layer 54. The structure after removing the aluminum hard mask layer 54 is as shown in (i) in Figure 7;

As shown in (j) in FIG. 7 , spin coating and photolithographic patterning techniques are again used to form a reinforcement layer 55 on the sections of each second part of the flexible substrate except the end section. The material of the reinforcement layer 55 is It is polyimide (PI) with a thickness of 5μm-50μm. The photolithography patterning technical process of the reinforcement layer can refer to the photolithography process of the flexible base layer, which will not be described again here.

As shown in (j) in FIG. 7 , the sacrificial layer 51 is etched with an etching solution, and the supporting substrate portion corresponding to the sacrificial layer 51 is removed, leaving only the first supporting substrate portion 500 for supporting the first portion of the flexible substrate. , the structure after removing the supporting substrate portion corresponding to the sacrificial layer 51 is shown in (k) in Figure 7 .

It should be noted that the above preparation steps are only examples of the preparation method 400. The preparation method 400 is not limited to the above embodiments and can be adjusted according to actual process requirements.

The brain electrode device and its preparation method according to the embodiment of the present disclosure are based on the same inventive concept. Therefore, the preparation method according to the embodiment of the present disclosure also has the same or similar beneficial effects as the brain electrode device described above. Here No longer.

It should be understood that in this specification, the terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear" , "Left", "Right", "Vertical", "Horizontal", "Top", "Bottom", "Inside", "Outside", "Clockwise", "Counterclockwise", "Axis", " The orientation or positional relationship or dimensions indicated by "radial", "circumferential", etc. are based on the orientation or positional relationship or dimensions shown in the drawings. These terms are used only for convenience of description and do not indicate or imply the device or device to which they are referred. Elements must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operate in a specific orientation and therefore should not be construed as limiting the scope of the disclosure.

Furthermore, the terms “first”, “second”, “third”, etc. are used for descriptive purposes only and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the quantity of indicated technical features. Thus, features defined as "first", "second", and "third" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of these features. In the description of the present disclosure, "plurality" means two or more, unless otherwise expressly and specifically limited.

In this disclosure, unless otherwise explicitly stated and limited, the terms "installation", "connection", "connection", "fixing" and other terms should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection or a detachable connection. , or integrated; it can be a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a communication; it can be a direct connection, or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or an internal connection between two elements or an interaction between two elements . For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in this disclosure can be understood according to specific circumstances.

In this disclosure, unless otherwise expressly stated and limited, a first feature "on" or "below" a second feature may include the first and second features in direct contact, or may include the first and second features. Not in direct contact but through additional characteristic contact between them. Furthermore, the terms "above", "above" and "above" a first feature on a second feature include the first feature being directly above and diagonally above the second feature, or simply mean that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. “Below”, “under” and “under” the first feature is the second feature includes the first feature being directly below and diagonally below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is less horizontally than the second feature.

This specification provides many different embodiments or examples that can be used to implement the disclosure. It should be understood that these various embodiments or examples are purely exemplary and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.

Claims

A brain electrode device including:

A flexible substrate includes a first portion located at a first end of the brain electrode device and a plurality of second portions extending from the first portion to a first end of the brain electrode device. a second end, the second end being opposite to the first end;

an array of probe pads including a plurality of contact pads formed in the first portion;

A plurality of deep electrodes and a plurality of cortical electrodes formed in each end section of the plurality of second portions remote from the first portion; and

A plurality of leads formed in the plurality of second portions to electrically connect respective ones of the plurality of deep electrodes and the plurality of skin electrodes to respective contact pads of the plurality of contact pads. plate,

Wherein, each end section of the plurality of second parts includes a first type end section, the first type end section serves as a deep probe for implantation into a deep brain region of the organism, and the A plurality of deep electrodes are formed in the first type end section,

Wherein, each end section of the plurality of second parts also includes a second type end section, the second type end section serves as a cortical flexible membrane for placement on the cerebral cortex surface of the organism, so the plurality of cortical electrodes are formed in the second type end section, and

Wherein, the second type end section is provided with a plurality of through holes penetrating the flexible base, and the size of each through hole allows one or more corresponding first type end sections to pass through.
The brain electrode device according to claim 1,

Wherein, at least one second part among the plurality of second parts includes N-level segments, the N-level segments are sequentially arranged along the direction from the first end to the second end, and the at least an Nth level segment of a second part includes each end section of the at least one second part, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2, and

Wherein, a plurality of branches are branched from each segment in the n-th level segment as the n+1-th level segment, and the leads in each segment in the n+1-th level segmentation are formed. is a subset of leads formed in the nth level segment, where n is an integer and 0<n<N.
The brain electrode device of claim 2 , wherein the end section of the at least one second part including N-level segments is configured as a first type end section, and the remaining end sections of the second part Segments are constructed as Type II terminal segments.
The brain electrode device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of through holes are distributed in an array in the second type end section.
The brain electrode device of claim 1, further comprising a support substrate on which the first portion of the flexible base is formed.
The brain electrode device according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of sections other than each end section of the plurality of second parts is greater than the thickness of each end section of the plurality of second parts.
The brain electrode device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the first type end section and/or the second type end section is reinforced with a biocompatible material to facilitate implantation. into the brain of an organism.
The brain electrode device of claim 7, wherein the biocompatible material includes silk protein.
An electrode device including:

The brain electrode device according to any one of claims 1 to 8; and

A data adapter electrically connected to the plurality of contact pads in the array of probe pads and configured to transmit signals to or receive signals from the plurality of contact pads.
An electronic device including the electrode device according to claim 9.
A method of preparing a brain electrode device, the method comprising:

A first flexible base layer is formed on the support substrate, the first flexible base layer includes a first region and a plurality of second regions, the first region is located at a first end of the brain electrode device, and the plurality of second regions a second region extending from the first region to a second end of the brain electrode device, the second end being opposite to the first end;

A metal pattern layer is formed on the first flexible base layer. The metal pattern layer includes a probe pad array, a plurality of deep electrodes, a plurality of cortical electrodes and a plurality of leads, wherein the probe pad array includes multiple contact pads, The plurality of contact pads are formed on the first region, and the plurality of deep electrodes and the plurality of skin electrodes are formed on each end section of the plurality of second regions away from the first region. , and wherein each end section of the plurality of second regions includes a first type end section and a second type end section, and the plurality of deep electrodes are formed in the first type end section, The plurality of cortical electrodes are formed in the second type end section, and the plurality of leads are formed on the plurality of second regions to connect the plurality of deep electrodes and the plurality of cortical electrodes. The corresponding electrodes are respectively electrically connected to corresponding contact pads in the plurality of contact pads;

covering the first flexible base layer on which the metal pattern layer has been formed with a second flexible base layer;

The second flexible base layer and the first flexible base layer are etched to expose the plurality of contact pads, the plurality of deep electrodes and the plurality of skin electrodes to form a layer corresponding to the first flexible base layer. a first portion of a pattern of regions and a plurality of second portions corresponding to the pattern of said plurality of second regions, and etching through said first portion in a second type end section of said plurality of second portions a plurality of through holes of the two flexible base layers and the first flexible base layer, wherein each through hole is sized to allow one or more first type end sections of the plurality of second portions to pass therethrough; and

A portion of the support substrate other than a first support substrate portion corresponding to the first portion is removed.
The method of claim 11, further comprising:

A flexible base reinforcement layer is formed on a section of the plurality of second sections other than each end section before removing a section of the support substrate other than a first support substrate section.