An Intracortical Implantable Brain-Computer Interface for Telemetric Real-Time Recording and Manipulation of Neuronal Circuits for Closed-Loop Intervention.

Recording and manipulating neuronal ensemble activity is a key requirement in advanced neuromodulatory and behavior studies. Devices capable of both recording and manipulating neuronal activity brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) should ideally operate un-tethered and allow chronic longitudinal manipulations in the freely moving animal. In this study, we designed a new intracortical BCI feasible of telemetric recording and stimulating local gray and white matter of visual neural circuit after irradiation exposure. To increase the translational reliance, we put forward a Göttingen minipig model. The animal was stereotactically irradiated at the level of the visual cortex upon defining the target by a fused cerebral MRI and CT scan. A fully implantable neural telemetry system consisting of a 64 channel intracortical multielectrode array, a telemetry capsule, and an inductive rechargeable battery was then implanted into the visual cortex to record and manipulate local field potentials, and multi-unit activity. We achieved a 3-month stability of the functionality of the un-tethered BCI in terms of telemetric radio-communication, inductive battery charging, and device biocompatibility for 3 months. Finally, we could reliably record the local signature of sub- and suprathreshold neuronal activity in the visual cortex with high bandwidth without complications. The ability to wireless induction charging combined with the entirely implantable design, the rather high recording bandwidth, and the ability to record and stimulate simultaneously put forward a wireless BCI capable of long-term un-tethered real-time communication for causal preclinical circuit-based closed-loop interventions.

Fully implantable neural recording and stimulation interfaces: Peripheral nerve interface applications.

BACKGROUND: Peripheral nerve interfacing has many applications ranging from investigation of neural signals to therapeutic intervention for varied diseases. This need has driven technological advancements in the field of electrode arrays and wireless systems for in-vivo electrophysiological experiments. Hence we present our fully implantable, programmable miniaturized wireless stimulation and recording devices. NEW METHOD: The method consists of technological advancements enabling implantable wireless recording up to 128 channels with a sampling rate of 50Khz and stimulation up to ±4 mA from 15 independent channels. The novelty of the technique consists of induction charging cages which enables freely moving small animals to undergo continuous electrophysiological and behavioral studies without any impediments. The biocompatible hermetic packaging technology for implantable capsules ensures stability for long-term chronic studies. RESULTS: Electromyographs wirelessly recorded from leg muscles of a macaque and a rat using implantable technology are presented during different behavioral task studies. The device's simultaneous stimulation and recording capabilities are reported when interfaced with the vagus and pelvic nerves. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHOD(S): The wireless interfacing technology has a large number of recording and stimulating channels without compromising on the signal quality due to sampling rates or stimulating current output capabilities. The induction charging technology along with transceiver and software interface allows experiments on multiple animals to be carried out simultaneously. CONCLUSIONS: This customizable technology using wireless power transmission, reduced battery size, and miniaturized electronics has paved way for a robust, fully implantable, hermetic neural interface system enabling the study of bioelectronic medical therapies.