Neural Prosthetics Laboratory

Floating Light Activated  Micro- Electrical Stimulators 

Microelectrode implants often fail either due to the chronic tissue response caused by the tethering forces of the wires or their breakage.

Facilities

 

Our laboratory is developing a floating light activated micro electric stimulator (FLAMES) that is a wireless implantable device for neural stimulation where near-infrared (NIR) light is used for energy transfer to the microstimulator through neural tissue.

The FLAMES was acutely tested in the rat spinal cord for feasibility of the main concept. Temperature elevation profile was also measured experimentally using a micro termoprobe inside the rat brain induced by an NIR laser beam to determine the maximum allowable optical power. Our latest chronic implants have shown minimal tissue response to untethered devices implanted into the brain and the spinal cord in rats.

These studies so far produced supportive evidence for a wireless microstimulator that can be activated optically by NIR light through neural tissue. Devices at submillimeter scale were designed for wireless activation of neurons in the central nervous system. Prototypes were fabricated in collaboration with Dr. Unlu's group at Boston University.