title: A fully integrated wireless system for intracranial direct cortical stimulation, real-time electrocorticography data transmission, and smart cage for wireless battery recharge.
abstract: Wireless transmission of cortical signals is an essential step to improve the safety of epilepsy procedures requiring seizure focus localization and to provide chronic recording of brain activity for Brain Computer Interface (BCI) applications. Our group developed a fully implantable and externally rechargeable device, able to provide wireless electrocorticographic (ECoG) recording and cortical stimulation (CS). The first prototype of a wireless multi-channel very low power ECoG system was custom-designed to be implanted on non-human primates. The device, named ECOGIW-16E, is housed in a compact hermetically sealed Polyether ether ketone (PEEK) enclosure, allowing seamless battery recharge. ECOGIW-16E is recharged in a wireless fashion using a special cage designed to facilitate the recharge process in monkeys and developed in accordance with guidelines for accommodation of animals by Council of Europe (ETS123). The inductively recharging cage is made up of nylon and provides a thoroughly novel experimental setting on freely moving animals. The combination of wireless cable-free ECoG and external seamless battery recharge solves the problems and shortcomings caused by the presence of cables leaving the skull, providing a safer and easier way to monitor patients and to perform ECoG recording on primates. Data transmission exploits the newly available Medical Implant Communication Service band (MICS): 402-405 MHz. ECOGIW-16E was implanted over the left sensorimotor cortex of a macaca fascicularis to assess the feasibility of wireless ECoG monitoring and brain mapping through CS. With this device, we were able to record the everyday life ECoG signal from a monkey and to deliver focal brain stimulation with movement elicitation.
authors.affiliation: Computer Science Division, School of Science and Technology, University of Camerino , Camerino , Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Piangerelli
authors.affiliation: Ab Medica Spa , Milan , Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ciavarro
authors.affiliation: Aethra Telecommunications Srl , Ancona , Italy.
authors.forename: Antonino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Paris
authors.affiliation: Aethra Telecommunications Srl , Ancona , Italy.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marchetti
authors.affiliation: Aethra Telecommunications Srl , Ancona , Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cristiani
authors.affiliation: Ab Medica Spa , Milan , Italy.
authors.forename: Cosimo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Puttilli
authors.affiliation: Clinatec, Laboratoire d' Électronique des Technologies de l'Information (LETI), Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives (CEA) , Grenoble , France.
authors.forename: Napoleon
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Torres
authors.affiliation: Clinatec, Laboratoire d' Électronique des Technologies de l'Information (LETI), Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives (CEA) , Grenoble , France.
authors.forename: Alim Louis
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Benabid
authors.affiliation: Ab Medica Spa , Milan , Italy.
authors.forename: Pantaleo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Romanelli
keywords: BCI; EcoG; RF; cortical stimulation; epilepsy; seizures