The integration of bulk PZT transducers in a microfabricated cuff implant for Vagus Nerve ultrasound neuromodulation: Simulation, design and fabrication

In the emerging research field of bioelectronic medicine, it has been indicated that neuromodulation of the Vagus Nerve (VN) has the potential to treat various conditions such as epilepsy, depression, and autoimmune diseases. In order to reduce side effects, as well as to increase the effectiveness of the delivered therapy, sub-fascicle...

Towards an Energy-Efficient Inductively-Powered Ultra-High Frequency Pulsed Neurostimulator

Electrical stimulation has emerged as a promising therapeutic modality for the treatment of various neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease, chronic pain, epilepsy, and depression. In addition, recent studies have provided evidence supporting the effectiveness of electrical stimulation as a treatment option for patients with chronic...

Graphene with Platinum Nanoparticles for Neural Recording and Stimulation

Numerous advancements have been made in transparent electrode technologies that can complement optogenetics and imaging modalities. However, several obstacles restrict the design and material of electrode devices, including the required flexibility, transparency, low impedance, high charge storage<br/>capacity (CSC), and high charge injection...

Monolithically fabricated flexible graphene-based active implant

Treatment of diseases, illnesses or disorders are always sought without any undesired side-effects and complications. Neurological disorders, such as Epilepsy and Parkinson’s, are currently treated using pharmaceuticals. However, drugs have a low specificity and lose their effectiveness after several years. In addition, prolonged drug usage...

Design and Fabrication of a Thin Film Optogenetic ECoG Array with Individually Addressable micro-LEDs

Optogenetics is a neuromodulation technique that uses light to control genetically modified cells to express light sensitive ion channels. Optogenetics allows stimulation of only the specific cells in the region that have been genetically modified and thus results in a high resolution of stimulation.<br/>Currently optogenetic implants are used...

Improving electrical characteristics of graphene neural electrode: with nanoparticles and doping

Neuroscientists use neural electrodes to explore the working mechanisms of the nervous system. Therefore, ideal electrodes should have a small size and the ability to record and stimulate at a single cell resolution with low noise. Materials used for fabrication should be flexible and stable for a long period in the biological media. However,...

An Efficacious and Safe Multichannel Neurostimulator Powered by an Ultrasonic Wireless Link

Neurostimulation is a common medical treatment modality used to treat neurological disorders. It applies electrical pulses to revert and prevent undesired neural behavior or to create desired neural behavior. The required specificity of said stimulation treatments is oftentimes achieved by implanting the neurostimulator close to the target area....

High-density interconnect technology optimised for flexible implants

Electronic implants are becoming a valuable tool to explore and regulate neural activity, potentially overcoming neural disabilities that are still incurable. On the one hand, neural recording can provide tremendous insight into the neural system and the sometimes accompanied neural diseases. On the other hand, neural stimulation is necessary to...

Flexible Graphene-Based Passive and Active Spinal Cord Implants

The spinal cord, considered to be the most important path of the human body, when injured induces severe motor dysfunction. Therefore, patients affected by lesions on the spinal cord, are most of the time unable to walk, stand or perform motor activities that are trivial for healthy people. To provide a better quality of life for these patients,...

An Implantable Spinal Cord Stimulator with Adaptive Voltage Compliance for Freely Moving Rats

When the neural pathway within the spinal cord gets damaged, a person’s ability to initiate loco- motion can be affected. Currently, no restorative treatments exist for individuals that suffer from such an injury. However, recent studies have shown epidural spinal cord stimulation (ESCS) to be a potential option for re-establishing some...