STTR Phase I: Fully Implantable, Ultra-Flexible Wireless Electrode Array for Brain Activity Mapping

这个小型企业技术转移研究(STTR)第一阶段项目建议开发和商业化一种完全可植入的、集成的、超灵活的设备，用于与中枢神经系统的高带宽双向接口，目标是脑-计算机接口(BCI)和神经生物学研究应用。该设备将把多通道无线植入式神经记录和刺激系统(由佐治亚理工学院国家科学基金会资助开发的Winers)的可植入组件与一个微型制造的高密度电极阵列和单个柔性基板上的平面螺旋线圈(PSC)相结合。这个可植入的装置将与现有的Winers外部装置一起运行，略有修改以与PSC兼容。这种设备将允许动物在记录过程中不受限制地移动，没有拴系效应，并且不需要经皮有线连接，从而降低了相关的感染或刺激风险。虽然最初的应用将是脑电地形图(ECoG)，以支持自由漫游动物模型的脑活动地图(BAM)，但开发的技术将对中枢和外周神经系统中广泛的无线神经接口挑战至关重要。该项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力既是动物研究市场的无线记录设备，也是(或许更重要的)用于人类应用的下一代神经接口设备的关键技术。通过将电源和双向数据遥测所需的超柔性电极阵列、IC和线圈紧密集成到单个柔性单元中，建议的ECoG设备将代表着可用于脑机接口、脑AM和其他神经生物学研究的工具的重大进步。先进的生物兼容封装技术使IC变薄到柔性程度(25？m以上)，并完全嵌入到器件中--封装就是器件。高密度连接方案允许1000个电极连接到IC，以实现高带宽神经接口。所开发的技术将直接适用于中枢神经系统和外周神经系统的广泛神经接口设备-脑机接口(BMI)的关键组件，以恢复因损伤、中风或神经退行性疾病而遭受神经损伤的人的运动和感觉功能。因此，所开发的设备将立即引起用于动物研究的生物医学研究人员的兴趣，并将引起医疗设备制造商未来对先进假肢的兴趣。

This Small Business Technology Transfer Research (STTR) Phase I project proposes to develop and commercialize a fully implantable, integrated, ultra-flexible device for high-bandwidth bidirectional interface with the central nervous system aimed at brain-computer interfacing (BCI) and neurobiology research applications. The device will incorporate the implantable component of the multichannel wireless implantable neural recording and stimulating system (WINeRS developed under NSF funding at Georgia Institute of Technology) with a microfabricated high-density electrode array and planar spiral coils (PSC) in a single flexible substrate. This implantable unit will operate in conjunction with the existing WINeRS external unit, slightly modified for compatibility with the PSCs. Such a device will allow unrestricted movement of animals during recording sessions with no tethering effects, and require no transcutaneous wired connections thus reducing associated risks of infection or irritation. While the initial application will be micro-electrocorticography (?ÝECoG) to support brain activity mapping (BAM) in freely roaming animal models, the technology developed will be crucial for a broad range of wireless neural interface challenges in both the central and peripheral nervous system. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is both a wireless recording device for the animal research market and (perhaps more importantly) critical technology for next generation neural interface devices for human applications. By tightly integrating the ultra-flexible electrode array, IC, and coils required for power and bidirectional data telemetry into a single flexible unit, the proposed ?ÝECoG device will represent a significant advancement in tools available for BCI, BAM, and other neurobiology research. The advanced biocompatible packaging technology results in the IC being thinned to the point of flexibility (25?Ým) and fully embedded within the device ¡V the packaging is the device. The high-density connection scheme allows 1000 electrodes to be connected to the IC for high-bandwidth neural interfacing. The technology developed will be directly applicable to a broad range of neural interface devices for the central and peripheral nervous system ¡V key components of brain-machine interfaces (BMI) to restore motor and sensory function to people afflicted with nerve damage from injury, stroke, or neurodegenerative diseases. Thus, the devices developed will be of immediate interest to biomedical researchers for animal studies and the technology of future interest to medical device manufacturers for advanced prosthetics.