Neural Interface Inductive Link Bidirectional Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current neural interfaces primarily focus on restoring natural sensory capabilities in individuals with impairments, whereas there is a need for technologies that can provide artificial sensory capabilities beyond the natural range of healthy subjects, enhancing situational awareness and enabling new forms of interaction with environments through bidirectional communication.
Innovation Solution
A neural interface system comprising external and internal modules that use inductively coupled links for low-voltage, low-error rate communication of neural stimulus commands and responses, allowing for the transmission of environmental attributes beyond natural sensing capabilities, such as infrared, ultraviolet, and other sensory inputs, to the nervous system, and enabling bidirectional communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If neural interfaces are used to provide artificial sensory capabilities beyond natural sensing range, then situational awareness and environmental perception are enhanced, but the complexity of the system increases due to bidirectional communication requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The neural interface system is divided into separate functional modules: an external module for sensing environmental attributes beyond natural human range, a communication module for bidirectional data transfer, and an internal module for neural stimulus delivery. This segmentation allows each module to be optimized independently while reducing overall system complexity through modular architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
An inductively coupled communication link serves as an intermediary between the external and internal modules, enabling wireless bidirectional communication. This intermediary approach eliminates the need for direct physical connections across the skin, simplifying the interface while maintaining reliable data transfer for both commands and neural responses.
2Ease of operation
If inductively coupled communication is used for transcutaneous signal transmission, then ease of operation is improved through wireless communication, but energy loss increases due to the nature of inductive coupling
Solution Approach 1:
The inductively coupled communication system uses periodic signal transmission with optimized timing and duty cycle. By transmitting neural stimulus commands and receiving neural responses in periodic bursts rather than continuously, the system maintains wireless operation while minimizing energy loss through reduced active transmission time.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts communication parameters including frequency, amplitude, and data rate based on the operational state and energy requirements. This allows optimization of the inductive coupling efficiency at different operating conditions, reducing energy loss while maintaining ease of wireless operation.
3Loss of energy
If low voltage operation is implemented for inductive coupling, then energy loss is reduced, but communication error rate increases due to signal attenuation
Solution Approach 1:
The bidirectional communication system incorporates feedback mechanisms where neural responses are transmitted back to the external module. This feedback loop enables real-time monitoring of communication quality and allows for adaptive error correction, maintaining low error rates even during low voltage operation through continuous adjustment based on received signal integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements error detection and correction codes in advance of potential communication errors. By preparing redundancy and correction mechanisms before voltage fluctuations or interference occur, the system cushions against potential errors without requiring high voltage operation, thus maintaining both low energy loss and high reliability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables healthy subjects to perceive and interact with environmental attributes beyond their natural range, enhancing situational awareness and allowing intuitive control of remote devices, with potential applications in military and other fields.
Implementation Method 1
transmits the attributes via an inductively coupled link, to an internally mounted module within the subject
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of neural interfaces according to the present invention comprise sensor modules for sensing environmental attributes beyond the natural sensory capability of a subject, and communicating the attributes wirelessly to an external (ex-vivo) portable module attached to the subject. The ex-vivo module encodes and communicates the attributes via a transcutaneous inductively coupled link to an internal (in-vivo) module implanted within the subject. The in-vivo module converts the attribute information into electrical neural stimuli that are delivered to a peripheral nerve bundle within the subject, via an implanted electrode. Methods and apparatus according to the invention incorporate implantable batteries to power the in-vivo module allowing for transcutaneous bidirectional communication of low voltage (e.g. on the order of 5 volts) encoded signals as stimuli commands and neural responses, in a robust, low-error rate, communication channel with minimal effects to the subjects' skin.