The overall goal of the joint BRAIN-GUIDE project is to demonstrate and validate in laboratory - starting from TRL-2 level - a new generation of brain electrode probes that significantly enhance the functional capabilities of the probes that are currently used intraoperatively in the acute stage of the functional neurosurgery (DBS) protocol for accurate determination of the anatomical target. The acute probe system to be developed is designed to allow intraoperative wireless electrophysiological guidance through recording of bioelectrical activity from deep brain structures and selective electrical stimulation using a set of segmented macroelectrodes realized from conductive carbon.

In the context of the slow innovation pace related to the electrophysiological guidance probes our new "segmented carbon + wireless headstage" design brings several advantageous features for the DBS surgical procedure, enabling multichannel recording of high-quality local field potentials and more efficient and directionally selective stimulation, while avoiding the need for connection cables that clutter the surgical theatre, pick up motion artifacts and attenuate the signal. The proposed solution is cost-effective and relies on a pre-submitted patent application authored by members of two project partners (CO and P1).

The project leverages both the ideal complementary expertise and starting grounds, available in the consortium. Project coordination and electrode probe realization is ensured by the IMT Bucharest team (CO) specialized in R&D for functional materials and micro-nano technologies. The wireless headstage system will be developed by the Termobit Prod SRL team (P1), that has a proved expertise in electrophysiology and development of electrophysiological equipment. The project will benefit from the rich, specific, expertise of the UMF-CD team (P2) for optimal starting specifications and in-vivo evaluation of the planned prototype.