Title :
Bidirectional Telemetry Controller for Neuroprosthetic Devices
Author :
Sharma, Vishnu ; McCreery, Douglas B. ; Han, Martin ; Pikov, Victor
Author_Institution :
Neural Eng. Program, Huntington Med. Res. Institutes, Pasadena, CA, USA
Abstract :
We present versatile multifunctional programmable controller with bidirectional data telemetry, implemented using existing commercial microchips and standard Bluetooth protocol, which adds convenience, reliability, and ease-of-use to neuroprosthetic devices. Controller, weighing 190 g, is placed on animal´s back and provides bidirectional sustained telemetry rate of 500 kb/s, allowing real-time control of stimulation parameters and viewing of acquired data. In continuously-active state, controller consumes ~420 mW and operates without recharge for 8 h. It features independent 16-channel current-controlled stimulation, allowing current steering; customizable stimulus current waveforms; recording of stimulus voltage waveforms and evoked neuronal responses with stimulus artifact blanking circuitry. Flexibility, scalability, cost-efficiency, and a user-friendly computer interface of this device allow use in animal testing for variety of neuroprosthetic applications. Initial testing of the controller has been done in a feline model of brainstem auditory prosthesis. In this model, the electrical stimulation is applied to the array of microelectrodes implanted in the ventral cochlear nucleus, while the evoked neuronal activity was recorded with the electrode implanted in the contralateral inferior colliculus. Stimulus voltage waveforms to monitor the access impedance of the electrodes were acquired at the rate of 312 kilosamples/s. Evoked neuronal activity in the inferior colliculus was recorded after the blanking (transient silencing) of the recording amplifier during the stimulus pulse, allowing the detection of neuronal responses within 100 ??s after the end of the stimulus pulse applied in the cochlear nucleus.
Keywords :
Bluetooth; auditory evoked potentials; biomedical electrodes; biomedical telemetry; cochlear implants; medical control systems; microelectrodes; neurophysiology; programmable controllers; Bluetooth; animal testing; bidirectional telemetry controller; brainstem auditory prosthesis; byte rate 500 kByte/s; continuously-active state controller; contralateral inferior colliculus; evoked neuronal activity; evoked neuronal responses; feline model; mass 190 g; microelectrode array; neuroprosthetic devices; real-time control; stimulus artifact blanking circuitry; stimulus voltage waveforms; user-friendly computer interface; ventral cochlear nucleus; versatile multifunctional programmable controller; Bidirectional; electrode; neural prostheses; recording; stimulation; telemetry; wireless; Animals; Auditory Brain Stem Implantation; Cats; Computer Communication Networks; Electric Stimulation Therapy; Equipment Failure Analysis; Feedback; Humans; Prosthesis Design; Telemetry; Therapy, Computer-Assisted;
Journal_Title :
Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering, IEEE Transactions on
DOI :
10.1109/TNSRE.2009.2036849