A High-Frequency Flexible Ultrasonic Cuff Implant for High-Precision Vagus Nerve Ultrasound Neuromodulation

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel high-frequency, flexible ultrasonic cuff implant designed for precise vagus nerve neuromodulation, utilizing integrated PZT transducers and microfabrication to achieve high spatial selectivity non-invasively.

Contribution

It presents a new cuff-shaped ultrasonic device with integrated PZT transducers for high-precision, non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation, employing wafer-level microfabrication techniques.

Findings

Achieved a focal spot size of approximately 200 μm by 200 μm.

Constructive interference increased focal pressure by 45%.

Demonstrated potential for high-precision, non-invasive nerve neuromodulation.

Abstract

In the emerging research field of bioelectronic medicine, it has been indicated that neuromodulation of the Vagus Nerve (VN) has the potential to treat various conditions such as epilepsy, depression, and autoimmune diseases. In order to reduce side effects, as well as to increase the effectiveness of the delivered therapy, subfascicle stimulation specificity is required. In the electrical domain, increasing spatial selectivity can only be achieved using invasive and potentially damaging approaches like compressive forces or nerve penetration. To avoid these invasive methods, while obtaining a high spatial selectivity, a 2 mm diameter extraneural cuff-shaped proof-of-concept design with integrated Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT) based ultrasound (US) transducers is proposed in this paper. For the development of the proposed concept, wafer-level microfabrication techniques are employed. Moreover, acoustic measurements are performed on the device, in order to characterize the ultrasonic beam profiles of the integrated PZT-based US transducers. A focal spot size of around 200 {\mu}m by 200 {\mu}m is measured for the proposed cuff. Moreover, the curvature of the device leads to constructive interference of the US waves originating from multiple PZT-based US transducers, which in turn leads to an increase of 45% in focal pressure compared to the focal pressure of a single PZT-based US transducer. Integrating PZT-based US transducers in an extraneural cuff-shaped design has the potential to achieve high-precision US neuromodulation of the Vagus Nerve without requiring intraneural implantation.