A Wireless 32-Channel Implantable Bidirectional Brain Machine Interface

Sensors (Basel). 2016 Sep 24;16(10):1582. doi: 10.3390/s16101582.

Abstract

All neural information systems (NIS) rely on sensing neural activity to supply commands and control signals for computers, machines and a variety of prosthetic devices. Invasive systems achieve a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) by eliminating the volume conduction problems caused by tissue and bone. An implantable brain machine interface (BMI) using intracortical electrodes provides excellent detection of a broad range of frequency oscillatory activities through the placement of a sensor in direct contact with cortex. This paper introduces a compact-sized implantable wireless 32-channel bidirectional brain machine interface (BBMI) to be used with freely-moving primates. The system is designed to monitor brain sensorimotor rhythms and present current stimuli with a configurable duration, frequency and amplitude in real time to the brain based on the brain activity report. The battery is charged via a novel ultrasonic wireless power delivery module developed for efficient delivery of power into a deeply-implanted system. The system was successfully tested through bench tests and in vivo tests on a behaving primate to record the local field potential (LFP) oscillation and stimulate the target area at the same time.

Keywords: brain-machine interfaces; implantable biomedical sensor; local field potential; stimulation; wireless sensor networks.

MeSH terms

  • Biosensing Techniques / methods*
  • Brain-Computer Interfaces
  • Humans
  • Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted
  • Signal-To-Noise Ratio
  • Wireless Technology*