EnerCage: A Scalable Array of Intelligent Wireless Sensor Modules to Energize and

描述（由申请人提供）：神经科学的主要目标是研究动物神经系统的功能组织，以产生最终有助于预防、诊断和治疗人类大脑疾病和功能障碍的知识。 体内电生理学（活体动物受试者）一直是追求这一目标的有力工具。 它提供了从初级视觉皮层的组织到工作记忆的神经相关物等领域的开创性信息，这有助于治疗从精神分裂症到癫痫症到抑郁症等疾病。 它还有助于评估新药和神经假体装置转化研究中的各种干预措施。 许多实验问题，特别是在行为神经科学中，需要唤醒自由移动的受试者，并且后勤限制，如成本，寿命和住房问题，通常需要使用啮齿动物等小动物。 这种方法的技术挑战集中在寻找长时间记录高质量神经信号的方法，同时允许小动物不受限制或记录电缆的限制，并且不受电池供电的无线记录仪器的重量和尺寸的负担。 目前的提案描述了旨在开发和测试新技术以克服这些挑战的研究。 特别是，我们建议开发一种新的感应供电的无线电生理数据采集系统，称为EnerCage，它不仅无线采集和传输神经信号，而且还无线接收功率。 因此，它允许在大型和完全封闭的实验场所（类似于啮齿动物的自然栖息地）进行多通道记录。 大多数无线数据采集解决方案使用电池为动物携带的电子设备供电，这需要在实验持续时间和动物可以携带的重量之间进行折衷。 因此，大多数研究人员放弃了无线数据采集系统的众多好处，而使用通过电缆将行为动物拴在电生理仪器上的系统。 这些线缆的使用导致了对重量、动物可以穿越的范围、对噪声的敏感性、运动伪影以及对昂贵的消除器的需要的实质性限制，以消除缠结和扭曲。 另一方面，EnerCage系统将提供关键的优点，包括1）应由动物支撑的头台的重量和尺寸的显著减小，2）感应供电发射器的无限操作时间，3）动物可以穿过的可扩展区域，以及4）精确监测固定到动物头部的磁性示踪剂的3-D位置和方向，这不需要动物在视线内。 公共卫生相关性：我们提出了一种新的感应供电的无线电生理数据采集系统，它不仅可以无线采集和传输神经信号，而且还可以无线接收功率。 因此，它允许多通道记录数小时，无需在大型和完全封闭的实验场所（类似于啮齿动物的自然栖息地）的动物身上携带电池。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): A major goal of neuroscience is to study the functional organization of the nervous system in animals to generate the knowledge that will eventually aid in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease and dysfunction in the human brain. In vivo electrophysiology (in live animal subjects) has been a powerful tool in pursuing that goal. It has provided groundbreaking information on areas ranging from the organization of primary visual cortex to neural correlates of working memory, which has helped in the treatment of disorders ranging from schizophrenia to epilepsy to depression. It has also helped in evaluation of various interventions in translational research on new medications and neuroprosthetic devices. Many experimental questions, particularly in behavioral neuroscience, require awaken freely moving subjects, and logistical constraints such as issues of cost, life-span, and housing often necessitate using small animals such as rodents. The technical challenges to this approach center on finding ways to record high quality neural signals for extended periods, while allowing small animals to move unencumbered by restraints or recording cables and unburdened by the weight and size of the battery-powered wireless recording instrumentation. The current proposal describes research which aim is to develop and test a new technology to overcome these challenges. In particular, we propose to develop a new inductively-powered wireless electrophysiological data acquisition system, called the EnerCage, which not only acquires and transmits neural signals wirelessly but also receives power wirelessly. Therefore it permits multichannel recordings for many hours in large and completely enclosed experimental arenas, similar to rodents' natural habitat. Most wireless data acquisition solutions use batteries to power the electronics carried by the animal, which necessitates a compromise between the duration of the experiments and the weight that the animal can carry. As a result, most researchers forgo the numerous benefits of wireless data acquisition systems and use systems that tether behaving animals to electrophysiology instrumentation through cables. The use of these cables results in substantial limitations on weight, the range over which an animal can traverse, susceptibility to noise, motion artifacts, and the need for expensive commutators to eliminate tangling and twisting. The EnerCage system, on the other hand, will offer key advantages including 1) a substantial reduction in the weight and size of the headstage that should be supported by the animal, 2) an unlimited operating time of the inductively powered transmitter, 3) an extendable area over which the animal can traverse, and 4) accurate monitoring of the 3-D position and orientation of a magnetic tracer affixed to the animal's headstage, which does not require the animal to be in the line of sight. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: We propose to develop a new inductively-powered wireless electrophysiological data acquisition system, which not only acquires and transmits neural signals wirelessly but also receives power wirelessly. Therefore it permits multichannel recordings for many hours by eliminating the need for carrying batteries on the animal body in large and completely enclosed experimental arenas, similar to rodents' natural habitat.