KR-102961773-B1 - NEURAL ELECTRODE STRUCTURE Of BODYIMPLANTABLE DEVICE HAVING IMPROVED FLEXIBILITY AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF

KR102961773B1KR 102961773 B1KR102961773 B1KR 102961773B1KR-102961773-B1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a neural electrode structure of a bioimplantable device with improved flexibility and a method for manufacturing the same. The neural electrode structure of a bioimplantable device may include at least one electrode unit that is bendable, a housing in which the at least one electrode unit is disposed, an electrode hole that exposes a portion of the at least one electrode unit, and at least one wiring that transmits a signal to the at least one electrode unit. The at least one electrode unit may include a plurality of incision areas that are cut to a predetermined length and extend in a first direction, and a plurality of non-incision areas that are formed extending from the plurality of incision areas.

Inventors

민규식
하윤희
최광진
현준우
김상우
신수원

Assignees

주식회사 토닥

Dates

Publication Date: 20260511
Application Date: 20251106
Priority Date: 20250801

Claims (10)

In a neural electrode structure of a bioimplant device, At least one bendable electrode unit; A housing in which the above-mentioned at least one electrode unit is disposed inside; Electrode hole exposing a portion of the at least one electrode unit; and It includes at least one wiring that transmits a signal to the above at least one electrode unit, and Each of the above-mentioned at least one electrode unit is, A plurality of incision regions extended in a first direction and cut to a predetermined length; and It includes a plurality of non-incision regions formed by extending from the plurality of incision regions, and A neural electrode structure in which the plurality of incision regions are spaced apart from each other along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.
In paragraph 1, A neural electrode structure in which the predetermined length of the plurality of incision regions is 70 to 95% of the length in which the at least one electrode unit extends in the first direction.
In paragraph 1, A neural electrode structure having a predetermined spacing between a first incision area and a second incision area adjacent to the first incision area among the plurality of incision areas.
In paragraph 3, A neural electrode structure in which the predetermined spacing of the plurality of incision regions is 6 to 30% of the length in which the at least one electrode unit extends in the second direction.
In paragraph 3, The above housing is, A neural electrode structure formed in a rod-shaped or cylindrical shape.
In paragraph 5, The above housing is of the rod type, and The length extending in the first direction of the at least one electrode unit is 50 to 550 μm, and A neural electrode structure having a length extending in the second direction of at least one electrode unit of the above, which is 50 to 550 μm.
In paragraph 5, The above housing is cylindrical, and The above at least one electrode unit is arranged in an arc shape inside the housing, and The length extending in the first direction of the at least one electrode unit is 50 to 500 μm, and A neural electrode structure having a length extending in the second direction of at least one electrode unit of the above, which is 0.05 to 1.2 mm.
In Paragraph 7, A neural electrode structure having a housing diameter of 300 to 900 μm.
In Paragraph 7, The above housing is, A neural electrode structure comprising a tube located in the inner center of the housing and forming a hollow space for guiding a medical probe.
In a method for manufacturing a neural electrode structure of a bioimplantable device, Step of applying a metal film onto an insulating thin film; A step of forming at least one electrode unit that can be folded on the metal film using laser patterning; A step of forming a housing covering at least one electrode unit; and The method includes the step of removing a portion of the housing to form an electrode hole that exposes a portion of the at least one electrode unit. The step of forming at least one bendable electrode unit is, It includes the step of forming a plurality of incision regions that are extended in a first direction and cut to a predetermined length, and The predetermined length of the plurality of incision regions is smaller than the length of the at least one electrode unit with respect to the first direction, and A method for manufacturing a neural electrode structure in which the plurality of incision regions included in each of the above-mentioned at least one electrode unit are arranged spaced apart from each other along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

Description

Neural electrode structure of a body implantable device having improved flexibility and method of manufacturing the same The present disclosure relates to a neural electrode structure of a bioimplantable device having a structure with improved flexibility and a method for manufacturing the same. Many medical devices are being developed to help people who have lost specific functions, whether congenitally or acquired. For example, bio-implantable devices are being developed that are inserted into the body to replace lost specific functions through electrical stimulation or to record neural signals within the body. Bio-implantable devices are implantable devices equipped with neural electrodes, and various devices such as cochlear implants, DBS (Deep brain stimulators), pacemakers, and SCS (Spinal cord stimulators) may be included in this category. An artificial cochlea is a device in which a neural electrode is inserted into the cochlea (10) to electrically stimulate the auditory nerve. Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating a neural electrode (NE) of a conventional artificial cochlea. Referring to Fig. 1, the conventional artificial cochlea has insufficient flexibility, which raises concerns about potential trauma that may cause tissue damage during the insertion process. For example, because the conventional neural electrode (NE) is manufactured through a manual process, there were technical limitations in achieving high density. To address this, high-density neural electrodes have recently been implemented using laser-based automated manufacturing technology. Accordingly, the neural electrode (NE) of the conventional artificial cochlea can increase the precision of auditory nerve stimulation by increasing the number of electrode channels. However, there is a problem with reduced flexibility of the artificial cochlea due to the high-density neural electrode (NE). To solve the aforementioned problems, there is a need for a neural electrode structure for a bioimplantable device that can secure sufficient flexibility while maintaining a high-density neural electrode array. Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating a conventional artificial cochlear neural electrode. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of a bio-implant device according to one embodiment. FIG. 3 is a drawing illustrating a neural electrode structure according to a first embodiment. Figures 4a and 4b are cross-sectional views along the line AA' of Figure 3. FIGS. 5 and FIGS. 6 are cross-sectional views of an electrode unit according to a first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a drawing illustrating various forms of a neural electrode structure according to a first embodiment. FIGS. 8A and 8B are drawings illustrating experimental results for various forms of a neural electrode structure according to the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a drawing illustrating a neural electrode structure according to a second embodiment. FIGS. 10 and FIGS. 11 are drawings illustrating various forms of a neural electrode structure according to a second embodiment. FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a neural electrode structure of a bioimplantable device according to one embodiment. Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrative for the purpose of explaining the embodiments. Various modifications may be made to the embodiments, and the scope of the present application is not limited by these embodiments. It should be understood that all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions to the embodiments are included within the scope of the rights. In the accompanying drawings, identical or similar components are assigned the same reference numbers. Additionally, when describing embodiments of the present disclosure, descriptions of identical or similar components may be omitted to avoid redundant descriptions. However, such omission of description is not intended to imply that the component is not included in a particular embodiment. Unless otherwise defined, the terms used in this disclosure may have the meaning generally understood by those skilled in the art. In the present disclosure, the expressions “each of a plurality of A” or “each of a plurality of A” may refer to each of all elements included in a plurality of A, or may refer to each of some elements of a plurality of A. In the present disclosure, the expression “one or more A” may mean a set of one or more A's unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this disclosure, expressions such as "first," "second," or "first," "second," etc., do not limit the order, importance, etc., of the components they modify unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. These expressions may be used to distinguish one component from another. In the present disclosure, expressions such as “A, B, or C”, “A, B, and/or C”, “at least one of A, B, and C”, “at least one of A, B, or C”, “