Description:
INV-18124
Background
A major obstacle in designing brain-computer interfaces is the unavailability of a neural implantable device that is μ-scale in size, wireless, self-powered, and long-lasting. Current state-of-the-art implantable devices have many limitations.
Electromagnetic-based wireless devices are big in size due to their large antenna, which must be larger than one-tenth of the wavelength of the operational frequency.
Furthermore, almost all state-of-the-art wireless devices use micro-electrodes for neuronal recording, which is not reliable in long-term monitoring due to direct contact between the tissue and metal electrodes.
Technology Overview
This technology comprises a novel wireless and ultra-compact implantable device termed NanoNeuroRFID. At the core of this device is a magnetoelectric (ME) antenna array. ME antennas are smart and ultra-miniaturized (<200μm diameter), and can perform multiple tasks:
1) They can harvest electromagnetic energy to power the NanoNeuroRFID system. Their limit of detection for RF magnetic fields is 40pT
2) They can sense quasi-static neuronal magnetic fields as small as 200pT without direct contact to the tissue, allowing a long lifetime and reliable neural recording
3) Can communicate with an external transceiver, and their operational frequency could be 10s to 100s of MHz where tissue loss is small
Benefits
- Can harvest EM energy and power the integrated circuits
- Can contactlessly sense neural magnetic field
- Can communicate with an external transceiver
- ME antennas are micro-scale in size and can operate in the 10s to 100s MHz frequency range
Applications
- Biomedical
- Real-time monitoring of brain signal, pH, temperature, strain, pressure, heart monitoring
Opportunity
- License
- Partnering
- Research Collaboration