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US-20260124002-A1 - SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR HIGH-BANDWIDTH MINIMALLY INVASIVE BRAIN-COMPUTER INTERFACES

US20260124002A1US 20260124002 A1US20260124002 A1US 20260124002A1US-20260124002-A1

Abstract

Systems and methods for high-bandwidth, minimally invasive brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are disclosed. The BCIs are configured for deployment and operation in conjunction with a comprehensive interventional electrophysiology procedural suite. Three primary methods of minimally invasive electrode array delivery are disclosed: (1) cortical surface delivery, (2) ventricular delivery, and (3) endovascular delivery. Additionally, systems and methods for interacting with such high-bandwidth electrode arrays are discussed, including real-time imaging, signal processing, and neural decoding. Systems and methods for architectures for accelerating the underlying computational processes (such as graphics processing units or tensor processing units) are also discussed. Multiple applications of BCIs are discussed, with emphasis on restoration, rehabilitation, and augmentation of neurologic function.

Inventors

  • Benjamin Isaac Rapoport
  • Demetrios Philip PAPAGEORGIOU
  • Mark James HETTICK

Assignees

  • PRECISION NEUROSCIENCE CORPORATION

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20251229

Claims (15)

  1. 1 . A method for minimally invasively treating epilepsy in a patient, the method comprising: inserting one or more electrode arrays through an entry slit formed on the patient; advancing the one or more electrode arrays through at least a subdural space along a cortical surface to a target area on a brain of the patient; receiving, via the one or more electrode arrays, electrical signals of the brain; decoding the electrical signals to acquire electrical measurements of neural activity of the brain; determining an anatomical location of the one or more electrode arrays on the brain based on the electrical measurements of neural activity; displaying, via a display, an image comprising electrophysiological information corresponding to the anatomical location of the one or more electrode arrays; and deploying the one or more electrode arrays to the target area on the brain of the patient, wherein the one or more electrode arrays are positioned and configured to record electrical measurements from the target area on the brain.
  2. 2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising monitoring real-time information related to a location of the one or more electrode arrays from an imaging modality during advancement of the one or more electrode arrays to the target area on the brain.
  3. 3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the imaging modality comprises at least one of fluoroscopy, computed tomography (CT), and angiography.
  4. 4 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising confirming a position of the one or more electrode arrays at the target area on the brain by the image of the electrophysiological information.
  5. 5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is for treating impaired vision.
  6. 6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the target area on the brain comprises a visual cortex.
  7. 7 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the impaired vision is related to macular degeneration in the patient.
  8. 8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising confirming a position of the one or more electrode arrays at the target area by the image of the electrophysiological information.
  9. 9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is for treating impairment of movement.
  10. 10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the impairment of movement is caused by a condition selected from the group consisting of: Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, essential tremor, ataxia, dystonia, an impulse control disorder, paralysis, stroke, spinal cord injury, and spinal cord degeneration.
  11. 11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more electrode arrays comprise at least about 200 microelectrodes.
  12. 12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more electrode arrays comprise at least about 500 microelectrodes.
  13. 13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more electrode arrays comprise at least about 1,000 microelectrodes.
  14. 14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is for treating epilepsy.
  15. 15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the target area comprises a temporal lobe.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/956,834, titled SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR HIGH-BANDWIDTH MINIMALLY INVASIVE BRAIN-COMPUTER INTERFACES, filed Nov. 22, 2024, which is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/810,768, titled SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR HIGH-BANDWIDTH MINIMALLY INVASIVE BRAIN-COMPUTER INTERFACES, filed Jul. 5, 2022, which claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/218,063, titled SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR HIGH-BANDWIDTH MINIMALLY INVASIVE BRAIN-COMPUTER INTERFACES, filed Jul. 2, 2021, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates generally to high-bandwidth neural interfaces. More particularly, the present disclose relates to procedural suites and methods of use thereof that enable the insertion and placement of high-bandwidth neural interfaces to a target area of the brain, e.g., the temporal lobe, the visual cortex, and/or additional anatomical locations. The disclosed techniques may be applied to, for example, insertion of an electrode interface to treat epilepsy, blindness, paralysis, stroke, impulse control disorders, and other conditions relating to the electrophysiology of the brain. BACKGROUND Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) rely upon neural recording and stimulation techniques. Neural recording and stimulation techniques often involve design trade-offs among (1) spatial resolution, (2) temporal resolution, (3) degree of invasiveness and collateral damage to normal brain tissue, and (4) optimization for electrical recording and/or electrical stimulation. Conventional techniques for recording and/or stimulating the nervous system face many challenges. For example, imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) provide non-invasive methods for examining brain tissue. However, these non-invasive imaging techniques are unable to detect all functional lesions and lack temporal resolution. Furthermore, these techniques may not be adequate for imaging electrical activity in the nervous system and lack a mechanism for therapeutic electrophysiologic intervention. Electromagnetic recording techniques such as electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) are non-invasive and provide temporal resolution of electrical activity in the brain. However, the resolution of such techniques is limited, due to both the physical distance separating the electrodes from the brain and the dielectric properties of the scalp and skull. Accordingly, conventional recording of neural activity lacks adequate spatial resolution for some applications. Additional techniques such as electrocorticography (ECoG) or intracranial EEG include forms of electroencephalography that offer improved spatial resolution by placing electrodes directly onto the cortical surface of the brain. However, the improved spatial resolution is conventionally achieved only by way of a highly invasive surgical procedure, a craniotomy, which requires the temporary surgical removal of a significant portion of the skull. Yet another technique for recording and/or stimulating the nervous system involves the use of depth electrodes, which are capable of recording electrical activity in the nervous system with high spatial and temporal resolution. However, conventional depth electrodes are only able to record from a small volume of tissue or a small population of neurons. Additionally, the placement of depth electrodes is highly invasive and may result in damage or destruction of normal brain tissue including neurons. As such, only a limited number of depth electrodes may be placed safely and there is limited ability to adjust the spatial placement of the electrodes after initial placement, except for minor depth adjustments during placement. Yet another technique for recording and/or stimulating the nervous system involves deep brain stimulation (DBS) electrodes, which may be configured to stimulate brain regions with millimetric and sub-millimetric precision. DBS electrodes may be used for stimulation as a way of treating conditions such as Parkinson's disease and essential tremor, and potentially some forms of epilepsy. Although DBS electrodes may be implanted through minimally invasive surgical techniques, the DBS electrodes are nonetheless configured to penetrate the brain and thus carry a risk of damage to the brain, hemorrhage, stroke, and/or seizures. Furthermore, only a limited number of DBS electrodes may be placed safely and there is limited ability to adjust the spatial placement of the electrodes after initial placement. While DBS techniques have an excellent safety profile demonstrated over two decades of standard clinical use, these electrodes are macroscopic and only a small number (typically one or two electrodes) are placed in any single patient, thus limiting their utility for neural interfaces. Accordi