Apparatus for acquiring electric activity in the brain and utilization of the same

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an apparatus including: one or more needle-like bases enabled to be inserted into the brain; a first electrode having a first impedance and enabling an input of an electric activity of a nucleus with which the first electrode comes into contact; and a second electrode having a second impedance lower than the first impedance and being able to output an electric stimulation to the nucleus, wherein the first electrode is provided at a tip portion of at least one of the bases, and the second electrode is provided on a part of the at least one of the bases at a position identical to a position of at least one of the first electrode or on a proximal side with respect to the first electrode, in a direction along a long axis of the base on which the first electrode is provided.

1 . An apparatus for identifying a target site in the brain, comprising:
 one or more needle-like bases enabled to be inserted into the brain;   a first electrode having a first impedance and enabling an input of an electric activity of a possible target site with which the first electrode comes into contact; and   a second electrode having a second impedance lower than the first impedance and being able to output an electric stimulation to the possible target site, wherein   the first electrode is provided at a tip portion of at least one of the one or more bases, and the second electrode is provided as a pair of an anode and a cathode on a part of the at least one of the one or more bases at a position identical to a position of at least one of the first electrode or on a proximal side with respect to the first electrode, in a direction along a long axis of the base on which the first electrode is provided, and   the apparatus is configured to identify the target site by acquiring, from the first electrode, the electric activity induced based on the electric stimulation output from the pair of the anode and the cathode as the second electrode.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , at least one electrode of the pair of the anode and the cathode are positioned near the first electrode along with the long axis of the base. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a distance between the anode and the cathode of the pair electrode is at least 300 micrometers and at most 1000 micrometers. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , the second electrode is provided on the base provided with the first electrode at the tip portion. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the second electrode is provided within a range in which the second electrode is placed in the same tissue as the tissue in which the first electrode is placed. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein a distance between the first electrode and the second electrode along a long axis direction of the base provided with the first electrode is at most 200 micrometers. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the distance is at most 100 micrometers. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the target site is one of a component nucleus of basal ganglia or a thalamus. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the component nucleus is one selected from the group consisting of the internal segment of a globus pallidus, the external segment of the globus pallidus, a putamen, a caudate nucleus, a ventral striatum, a ventral pallidum, a subthalamic nucleus, and a substantia nigra. 
     
     
         10 . An apparatus for acquiring electric activity in the brain, comprising:
 one or more needle-like bases enabled to be inserted into the brain;   a first electrode having a first impedance and enabling an input of an electric activity of a possible target site with which the first electrode comes into contact; and   a second electrode having a second impedance lower than the first impedance and being able to output an electric stimulation to the possible target site, wherein   the first electrode is provided at a tip portion of at least one of the one or more bases, the second electrode is provided as a pair of an anode and a cathode on a part of the at least one of the one or more bases at a position identical to a position of at least one of the first electrode or on a proximal side with respect to the first electrode, in a direction along a long axis of the base on which the first electrode is provided, and   the apparatus is configured to acquire, from the first electrode, the electric activity induced based on the electric stimulation output from the pair of the anode and the cathode as the second electrode.   
     
     
         11 . An apparatus for stimulating a target site in the brain, comprising:
 one or more needle-like bases enabled to be inserted into the brain;   a first electrode having a first impedance and enabling an input of an electric activity of a contact site; and   a second electrode having a second impedance lower than the first impedance and being able to output an electric stimulation to the contact site or a vicinity of the contact site, wherein   the first electrode is provided at a tip portion of at least one of the one or more bases, the second electrode is provided as a pair of an anode and a cathode on a part of the at least one of the one or more bases at a position identical to a position of at least one of the first electrode or on a proximal side with respect to the first electrode, in a direction along a long axis of the base on which the first electrode is provided, and   the apparatus identifies the target site by acquiring the electric activity which is induced based on the electric stimulation output from the second electrode and which is input from the first electrode and outputs the electric stimulation to the target site from the second electrode.   
     
     
         12 . An apparatus improving or treating an electric activity of a target site in the brain, the apparatus comprising:
 one or more needle-like bases enabled to be inserted into the brain;   a first electrode having a first impedance and enabling an input of an electric activity of a contact site; and   a second electrode having a second impedance lower than the first impedance and being able to output an electric stimulation to the contact site or a vicinity of the contact site, wherein   the first electrode is provided at a tip portion of at least one of the one or more bases, the second electrode is provided as a pair of an anode and a cathode on a part of the at least one of the one or more bases at a position identical to a position of at least one of the first electrode or on a proximal side with respect to the first electrode, in a direction along a long axis of the base on which the first electrode is provided, and   the apparatus is configured to identify by acquiring, from the first electrode, the electric activity induced based on the electric stimulation output from the pair of the anode and the cathode as the second electrode and outputs the electric stimulation to the target site from the second electrode.   
     
     
         13 . An apparatus solidifying or cauterizing of a target site in the brain, the apparatus comprising:
 one or more needle-like bases enabled to be inserted into the brain;   a first electrode having a first impedance and enabling an input of an electric activity of a contact site;   a second electrode having a second impedance lower than the first impedance and being able to output an electric stimulation to the contact site or a vicinity of the contact site, and   at least one electrode for solidifying or cauterizing a tissue, wherein   the first electrode is provided at a tip portion of at least one of the one or more bases, the second electrode is provided as a pair of an anode and a cathode on a part of the at least one of the one or more bases at a position identical to a position of at least one of the first electrode or on a proximal side with respect to the first electrode, in a direction along a long axis of the base on which the first electrode is provided, and   the apparatus is configured to identify the target site by acquiring, from the first electrode, the electric activity induced based on the electric stimulation output from the pair of the anode and the cathode as the second electrode and solidifies or cauterizes the target site by the at least one electrode for solidifying or cauterizing.   
     
     
         14 . An apparatus for injecting a target site in the brain, comprising:
 one or more needle-like bases enabled to be inserted into the brain;   a first electrode having a first impedance and enabling an input of an electric activity of a contact site; and   a second electrode having a second impedance lower than the first impedance and being able to output an electric stimulation to the contact site or a vicinity of the contact site, wherein   the first electrode is provided at a tip portion of at least one of the one or more bases, the second electrode is provided as a pair of an anode and a cathode on a part of the at least one of the one or more bases at a position identical to a position of at least one of the first electrode or on a proximal side with respect to the first electrode, in a direction along a long axis of the base on which the first electrode is provided, and   the apparatus identifies the target site by acquiring the electric activity which is induced based on the electric stimulation output from the second electrode and which is input from the first electrode and outputs the electric stimulation to the target site from the second electrode.   
     
     
         15 . A system for recording an electric activity in the brain, comprising:
 the apparatus for identifying a target site in the brain according to  claim 1 ,   an output apparatus that outputs an electric stimulation from the second electrode;   an input apparatus that acquires the electric activity induced by the electric stimulation and recorded from the first electrode; and   a control apparatus that determines whether or not an insertion site of the first electrode is a preset particular tissue, based on the acquired electric activity and an electric activity characteristic of the particular tissue.   
     
     
         16 . The system according to  claim 15 , wherein the output apparatus or the control apparatus controls a current value and/or a current waveform of the electric stimulation output from the second electrode. 
     
     
         17 . The system according to  claim 15 , further comprising a storage apparatus, the storage apparatus storing the electric activity characteristic of the preset particular tissue. 
     
     
         18 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein the storage apparatus stores the electric activity characteristic of the preset particular tissue. 
     
     
         19 . The system according to  claim 15 , further comprising a display apparatus that displays the electric activity received from the first electrode. 
     
     
         20 . The system according to  claim 15 , wherein the target site is the internal segment or external segment of globus pallidus. 
     
     
         21 . A method for operating a system for acquiring electric activity, the system including:
 the apparatus for identifying a target site in the brain according to  claim 1 ,   an output apparatus that outputs an electric stimulation from the second electrode;   an input apparatus that acquires the electric activity induced by the electric stimulation and recorded from the first electrode; and   a control apparatus,   the method comprising:   the output apparatus outputting the electric stimulation to an insertion site of the first electrode or a vicinity of the insertion site from the pair of the anode and cathode electrodes, and   the input apparatus acquiring the electric activity induced by the electric stimulation and recorded from the first electrode.   
     
     
         22 . A method for improving or treating an electric activity of a target site in the brain,
 the method, in use of the apparatus for identifying a target site in the brain according to  claim 1 , executing:   a step of identifying the target site by acquiring the electric activity which is induced based on the electric stimulation output from the second electrode and which is input from the first electrode; and   a step of outputting the electric stimulation to the target site by the second electrode.   
     
     
         23 . (canceled)