DEVELOPMENT OF FLEXIBLE NEURAL INTERFACE AND NEROMUSCULAR MODEL AIMING AT NEUROPROSTHETIC APPLCATIONS

Abstract

This thesis reports the development of three flexible neural electrodes, including a multiple-channel epimysial electrode for muscle stimulation, a two-sided multiple-channel intramuscular electrode for muscle stimulation, and a 3D spiked intrafascicular electrode for peripheral nerve recording. Using the muscle stimulation electrodes, this thesis reports a new framework of circuit-probability to study electrical stimulation on neural tissue. Based on this circuit-probability framework, firstly, a distributed-parameter circuit model is established to study how electrical stimulation of various parameters interacts with neural tissue. Secondly, disturbance on neuron excitability induced by electrical stimulation is observed by applying specially designed enveloped high frequency stimulation. Thirdly, practical guidance on how to control static and dynamic disturbance on neuron excitability is discussed. In addition, using the intrafascicular electrode, this thesis reports decoding of sensory information. The flexible electrodes, biophysical modeling, and sensory information decoding reported in this thesis all serve for neuroprosthetics applications.