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

该项目的创新涉及设计和开发一种全功能的生物仪器原型，名为“EnerCage”，这是一种无线功率(50 MW)和数据(1 Mbps)传输系统，可以支持与连接到或植入到行为自由的小型动物受试者的电子设备进行双向通信。EnerCage的地板由六角-平面螺旋线圈(Hex-PSC)的模块阵列组成，经过优化的几何结构，能够形成任意大小和形状的实验场地。Hex-PSC在物体周围提供聚焦的磁场，无论物体在笼子中的位置如何，都可以进行无线能量传输。驱动十六进制PSC阵列的功率放大器配备了一个闭环功率控制机制，以补偿动物运动和对线圈的寄生影响。在接收器端，配备了高效电源管理电路的移动单元将电力和数据传送到动物身体上或体内的生物传感器、执行器和药物输送设备。嵌入在移动单元中的磁性跟踪器可以实现3D的实时非视线动物跟踪。磁跟踪与光学跟踪相结合，以指示对象在开放和有遮盖的空间中的行为、位置和头部方向。这些信息也被用来激活处于最佳位置为移动设备供电的十六进制PSC。EnerCage系统的更广泛影响是它能够促进新的行为神经科学实验，并对行为自由的小动物受试者进行表型鉴定。它可以增进我们对阿尔茨海默氏症、S、癫痫和帕金森氏症等神经系统疾病以及高血压、肥胖和癌症等其他疾病的了解。临床前研究涉及从啮齿动物等小动物模型收集各种生理数据，如神经活动、体温、血流/压力、化学浓度和身体/行为活动。传统的实验装置很小，被拴住了，与世隔绝，不自然，导致了一个与物种不同的贫穷环境？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系留和大有效载荷(例如电池供电的无线设备)来创建丰富的环境。它将允许在任何大小的竞技场进行任何持续时间的实验。它适合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。此外，EnerCage允许多个动物受试者在相同的宽敞环境中进行高通量实验，这些实验带有隧道和有盖的房间。所有这些优势都引起了研究中心、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。

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.