Wireless Neural Probe With Flexible Substrate and Offloaded Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current neural interface systems face challenges in chronically interfacing with neural tissue, selecting appropriate control signals, acquiring data, and delivering therapy due to power consumption, miniaturization, and tissue disruption issues.
Innovation Solution
The development of an ultra-low-power wireless implantable neural probe with a flexible substrate integrating electrodes and electronics, using asynchronous sampling methods like integrate-and-fire, and offloading processing to a backend computing device to reduce power requirements and minimize tissue disruption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If traditional neural interface systems are used, then basic neural signal acquisition is possible, but power consumption is high and tissue disruption occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides processing tasks into two segments: the implantable probe performs only low-power signal acquisition and analog-to-digital conversion, while complex signal processing and analysis are performed externally by a separate computing device. This segmentation allows the implant to minimize power consumption and tissue disruption while still achieving comprehensive neural interface functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
A wireless communication interface acts as an intermediary between the implantable probe and the external computing device. This intermediary enables the probe to offload processing tasks without direct physical connection, reducing the computational burden and power requirements within the implant itself, thereby minimizing tissue disruption.
2Productivity
If more processing capability is integrated into the implant, then signal processing improves, but device size increases and power consumption rises
Solution Approach 1:
Complex signal processing functions are extracted from the implantable device and relocated to an external computing device. The implant retains only essential functions (signal acquisition, ADC, and wireless transmission), which can be performed in a compact form factor. This extraction resolves the contradiction by providing high signal processing capability without increasing implant size.
3Speed
If higher data transmission rates are used, then bandwidth increases, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system transmits only essential digitized neural signal data at moderate rates from the implant, while leveraging the external computing device's processing power to perform computationally intensive operations. This partial action approach achieves high effective bandwidth for useful information without requiring high-power continuous data transmission from the energy-constrained implant.
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a neural interface system includes an implantable neural probe having a flexible substrate, electrodes that extend from the substrate that are adapted to contact neural tissue of the brain, a signal processing circuit configured to process neural signals collected with the electrodes, and a wireless transmission circuit configured to wirelessly transmit the processed neural signals, and a backend computing device configured to wirelessly receive the processed neural signals, to process the received signals to reconstruct the collected neural signals, and to analyze the collected neural signals.