Multi-contact intracerebral functional exploration probe with an integrated drug delivery system

A multi-contact device for functional study and/or stimulation and/or treatment of the brain by radiofrequency, comprising a multi-contact probe, and at least one device connected said multi-contact probe for recording and/or stimulating and/or treating a patient, said multi-contact neural probe for functional study and/or stimulation and/or treatment of the brain by radiofrequency, comprising:

• an elongated tubular housing with a proximal end, a distal end intended to be implanted inside a patient's brain, and an internal lumen forming a longitudinal passage inside the housing from the proximal end to the distal end,
• a multi-layer film arranged on an outer surface of said elongated tubular housing, said multi-layer film comprising:
• a polymer substrate and
• at least one conductive layer deposited on said substrate and including:
• one intracerebral contact arranged on said distal end,
• at least one connecting contact arranged on said proximal end and intended to be connected to at least one external device for recording and/or stimulating and/or treating, said at least one external device being external from a body of said patient, and
• at least one transmission track connected to said at least one intracerebral contacts and said connector contacts,
• at least one opening arranged on said distal end of said housing and allowing a fluid communication between the lumen and an aera facing said at least one opening, and
• a catheter designed to transport a liquid drug and having an aperture, said catheter being removably lodged inside the lumen and being movable inside the opening between a first position where said aperture of the catheter faces one of said at least one opening of the housing in order to deliver some liquid drug and a second position where said aperture of the catheter is blocked by a portion of a wall of the housing in order to prevent any liquid drug delivery outside of the housing.

A method of manufacturing a multi-contact probe for functional study and/or stimulation and/or treatment of the brain by radiofrequency as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprising the following steps:

• a) Step a:
• forming a multilayer film by flatly depositing at least one conductive layer on at least a portion of the substrate, said at least one conductive layer forming at least one intracerebral contact, at least one connector contact and at least one transmission track, each transmission track being connected to the intracerebral contact and the connector contact,
• b) Step b:
• forming a cylinder around a catheter extending along the longitudinal axis from at least a first portion of the multilayer film to obtain the distal portion to a second portion of the multilayer film to obtain the proximal portion.