title: A wideband wireless neural stimulation platform for high-density microelectrode arrays.
abstract: We describe a system that allows researchers to control an implantable neural microstimulator from a PC via a USB 2.0 interface and a novel dual-carrier wireless link, which provides separate data and power transmission. Our wireless stimulator, Interestim-2B (IS-2B), is a modular device capable of generating controlled-current stimulation pulse trains across 32 sites per module with support for a variety of stimulation schemes (biphasic/monophasic, bipolar/monopolar). We have developed software to generate multi-site stimulation commands for the IS-2B based on streaming data from artificial sensory devices such as cameras and microphones. For PC interfacing, we have developed a USB 2.0 microcontroller-based interface. Data is transmitted using frequency-shift keying (FSK) at 6/12 MHz to achieve a data rate of 3 Mb/s via a pair of rectangular coils. Power is generated using a class-E power amplifier operating at 1 MHz and transmitted via a separate pair of spiral planar coils which are oriented perpendicular to the data coils to minimize cross-coupling. We have successfully demonstrated the operation of the system by applying it as a visual prosthesis. Pulse-frequency modulated stimuli are generated in real-time based on a grayscale image from a webcam. These pulses are projected onto an 11x11 LED matrix that represents a 2D microelectrode array.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Electr. & Comput. Eng., North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Frank B
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Myers
authors.forename: Jim A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.forename: Maysam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ghovanloo
mesh_terms: D003195:Computer Communication Networks; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004566:Electrodes; D004567:Electrodes, Implanted; D004582:Electronics, Medical; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D008839:Microelectrodes; D008904:Miniaturization; D009420:Nervous System; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology*; D011381:Programming Languages; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D012984:Software; D013686:Telemetry / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods