SBIR Phase I: Wireless Instrumentation for Preclinical Research on Small Freely Behaving Animals

SBIR 第一阶段：用于小型自由行为动物临床前研究的无线仪器

• 批准号: 1315626
• 负责人: Maysam Ghovanloo
• 金额: $ 15万
• 依托单位: Bionic Sciences, Inc.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-07-01 至 2014-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1315626&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; Wireless; Instrumentation; Preclinical

The innovation in this project involves design and develop of a fully functional prototype of a bioinstrument, called "EnerCage," a wireless power (50mW) and data (1Mbps) transmission system that can support bidirectional communication with electronic devices that are attached to or implanted in small, freely behaving animal subjects. The floor of the EnerCage consists of a modular array of overlapping hexagonal-planar spiral coils (hex-PSCs) with optimized geometries, capable of forming an experimental arena of arbitrary size and shape. The hex-PSCs provide a focused magnetic field around the subject for wireless power delivery regardless of its position in the cage. Power amplifiers driving the hex-PSC array are equipped with a closed-loop power control mechanism that compensates for animal movement and parasitic effects on the coils. On the receiver side, a mobile unit equipped with efficient power management circuitry delivers power and data to biosensors, actuators, and drug delivery devices on or inside the animal body. A magnetic tracer embedded in the mobile unit allows real time non-line-of-sight animal tracking in 3D. The magnetic tracking is combined with optical tracking to indicate the subject's behavior, position, and head orientation in both open and covered spaces. This information is also used to activate the hex-PSC that is in the best position to power the mobile unit.The broader impact of the EnerCage system is its ability to facilitate new behavioral neuroscience experiments and phenotyping on freely behaving small animal subjects. It can enhance our understanding of neurological diseases such Alzheimer?s, epilepsy, and Parkinson's as well as other illnesses, such as hypertension, obesity, and cancer. Preclinical research involves collecting a variety of physiological data, such as neural activity, body temperature, blood flow/pressure, chemical concentrations, and physical/behavioral activity from small animal models, such as rodents. Traditional experimental setups are small, tethered, secluded, and unnatural, resulting in an impoverished environment that is different from the species? natural habitat, thereby biasing the results, particularly in behavioral experiments. The EnerCage system will create an enriched environment by completely eliminating tethering and large payloads (e.g. battery-powered wireless devices). It will enable experiments of any duration in arenas of any size. It is suited for a wide range of preclinical research, from behavioral neuroscience on rats to genetic engineering and phenotyping of knockout mice. Moreover, the EnerCage allows high throughput experiments with multiple animal subjects socially interacting in the same spacious environment with tunnels and covered chambers. All of these advantages are of great interest to research centers, hospitals, neuroscientists, and drug companies, and contribute to the commercialization potential of the EnerCage.

该项目的创新涉及设计和开发一种名为“EnerCage”的生物仪器的全功能原型，这是一种无线电源（50 mW）和数据（1 Mbps）传输系统，可以支持与连接或植入小型自由行为动物主体的电子设备进行双向通信。EnerCage的地板由具有优化几何形状的重叠六边形平面螺旋线圈（hex-PSC）的模块化阵列组成，能够形成任意尺寸和形状的实验竞技场。hex-PSC在受试者周围提供聚焦磁场，用于无线功率输送，而不管其在笼中的位置如何。驱动hex-PSC阵列的功率放大器配备有闭环功率控制机制，用于补偿动物运动和线圈上的寄生效应。在接收器侧，配备有高效电源管理电路的移动的单元向动物身体上或内部的生物传感器、致动器和药物递送装置递送电力和数据。嵌入在移动的单元中的磁性示踪剂允许在3D中进行真实的时间非视线动物跟踪。磁跟踪与光学跟踪相结合，以指示受试者在开放空间和覆盖空间中的行为、位置和头部方向。该信息还用于激活处于为移动的单元供电的最佳位置的hex-PSC。EnerCage系统的更广泛的影响是其能够促进新的行为神经科学实验和对自由行为的小动物受试者进行表型分析。它可以增强我们对神经系统疾病的理解，比如老年痴呆症？癫痫、帕金森以及其他疾病，如高血压、肥胖和癌症。临床前研究涉及收集各种生理数据，如神经活动，体温，血流量/压力，化学浓度和小动物模型（如啮齿动物）的物理/行为活动。传统的实验装置是小的，拴系的，隐蔽的，不自然的，导致一个贫穷的环境，是不同于物种？自然栖息地，从而使结果产生偏差，特别是在行为实验中。EnerCage系统将通过完全消除网络共享和大型有效载荷（例如电池供电的无线设备）来创建丰富的环境。它将使实验的任何时间在任何规模的竞技场。它适用于广泛的临床前研究，从大鼠的行为神经科学到基因工程和基因敲除小鼠的表型分析。此外，EnerCage允许高通量实验，多个动物受试者在具有隧道和封闭室的相同宽敞环境中进行社交互动。所有这些优点都引起了研究中心、医院、神经科学家和制药公司的极大兴趣，并有助于EnerCage的商业化潜力。