Smart Brain-Microsystem Interfaces for Efficient Diagnostic and Treatment of Neurodegenerative diseases

如今，神经退行性疾病是大多数神经中枢系统功能障碍的原因，估计有26%的人口患有其中一些大脑疾病（脑与行为研究基金会），并且几乎无法保证准确的诊断和确保有效的治疗。这些情况促使研究人员提出了先进的植入式脑微系统接口，以促进进入各种大脑区域进行诊断和治疗。尽管在生物界面的开发方面取得了重大进展，但需要进一步的协同作用来实时可靠地诊断功能障碍和有效的治疗程序。监测神经细胞和神经递质的活动，神经调节神经功能，需要先进的微系统的设计，组装和封装过程。* 我们在这个项目中的目标分为五个主要的长期目标：1）建立可穿戴的信号/图像采集接口，用于预测和检测疾病，如视力和癫痫，可能位于视网膜水平或各种皮层外区域;（二）实现可植入定制生物传感器和致动器，包括用于神经编码和神经递质的大规模并行神经记录接口，表征; 3）从无线电波形中收集能量以操作拟议的微系统; 4）微加工金属/光学3D微电极阵列以改善神经接口; 5）实现低功耗高数据速率无线收发器。我们之前在构建智能医疗微设备方面的长期经验，以及在培养的神经细胞中进行测试和/或与相关医学学科的研究人员合作时取得的成果，使我们能够找到最新设备的缺点，以便提出所需的先进生物电子工具，这些工具必须有效地与神经细胞相互作用。* 预计诊断技术和神经假体实施的影响将是主要的，因为准确定位脑神经退行性疾病，有效恢复皮质功能，随后增强/恢复患者失去的重要功能，并了解其他未知疾病。 将注意培养高素质的人才在这些多学科的新兴神经技术专业，这是成为强制性的，以帮助人口老龄化。此外，所提出的涉及远程监测和治疗以及能量收集的微系统可以用于其他几个需要可穿戴和可植入大脑和身体传感器网络的应用中。

Nowadays, neurodegenerative diseases are behind most neural central system dysfunctions, where an estimated 26% of population suffers from some of these brain disorders (Brain & Behavior Research Foundation), and where little can be done to guaranty accurate diagnostics, and to secure efficient treatment. These circumstances motivated researchers to propose advanced implantable brain-microsystem interfaces in a good standing to facilitate access to various brain regions for both diagnostic and treatment purposes. Despite significant progresses in the development of biointerfaces, further synergism is needed for real-time reliable diagnostics of dysfunctions and efficient treatment procedures. Monitoring neural cell and neurotransmitter activities, and neuromodulate neural functions require design, assembly, and packaging processes of advanced microsystems. ***Our goal in this program is grouped into five main long-term objectives: 1) build wearable signal/image acquisition interfaces intended for prediction and detection of diseases, such as vision and epilepsy, that may be located at the retina level or in various extracortical regions; 2) implement implantable custom biosensors and actuators including massively parallel neurorecording interfaces for neural encoding and neurotransmitters' characterization; 3) harvest energy from radio waveforms to operate proposed microsystems; 4) micromachine metallic/optic 3D Microelectrode arrays to improve neural interfaces; 5) implement low-power high data-rate wireless transceivers.***Our previous long term experience on building smart medical microdevices, and achieved results when testing in cultured neural cells and/or in collaboration with researchers from relevant medical disciplines allowed us to locate the drawbacks of latest devices in order to propose needed advanced bioelectronic tools, which must efficiently interact with neural cells. ***The impact of projected diagnostic techniques and neuroprostheses implementation is expected to be major due to accurately locate the brain neurodegenerative diseases and to efficiently restore cortical functions and subsequently enhance/recover lost vital functions for patients, and understand other unknown diseases. Attention will be paid to train highly qualified personal in these multidisciplinary emerging neurotechnology specialities which are becoming mandatory to help aging population. Also, proposed microsystems involving remote monitoring and treatment, as well as energy harvesting, can be used in several other applications requiring wearable and implantable brain and body sensor networks.