Implantable Ultrasonic Neural Probe for Programmable Deep Brain Stimulation and in Situ Synchronous Monitoring

Abstract Deep brain stimulation (DBS) plays a crucial role in treating neurological disorders. In addition to being cumbersome, the currently available DBS probes can only stimulate fixed sites without integrated surveillance techniques. However, therapeutic approaches to neurological disorders often require the targeting and detection of multiple brain regions or neural pathways. In this study, an implantable miniaturized ultrasonic neural probe (IUNP) capable of programmable DBS with in situ synchronous monitoring is introduced. The IUNP comprises a 3 × 3 piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducer array and three recording microelectrodes. Using the phased array method, it can create an ultrasonic field at a controllable focal point with a lateral resolution of 450 µm. Furthermore, the IUNP enables 2D imaging and simultaneous in situ electrophysiological signal acquisition during ultrasonic stimulation. These results have considerable implications for multifocal neurotherapy, which requires flexible stimulation sites and real‐time monitoring.