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Innovation & Technologie Angebot

Electronic portable interface for epicortical activity acquisition and stimulation

Country of Origin: Italy
Reference Number: TOIT20191111001
Publication Date: 11 November 2019

Summary

An Italian research team has been developing a novel advanced tool for recording superficial brain activity and provide stimulation. It is a fully integrated recording system, including an ultra-flexible microelectrode array with a custom chip for signal amplification, filtering and digitization. It represents a state-of-the-art tool for low-power bio-signals recording and provides enhanced performance if compared to available tools. They look for financial, research and technical agreements.

Description

Ultra-flexible passive microelectrode array (MEA) has been designed to allow an easy adaptation to the brain surface. The MEA is composed of 32 single ended channels for the neuronal signal recording and several stimulation electrodes (at least 4) for the neural stimulation. The MEA is coupled with an electronic interface able to amplify, filter and digitalize the data specifically designed to match the MEA specifications. The electronics is able to simultaneously acquire the signal captured by the whole set of MEA electrodes and moreover, apply independent stimulations on the stimulation electrodes.
The whole system represents a state-of-the-art tool for low-power biosignals recording and provides enhanced performance if compared to commercially available tools. One of its best characteristics is the versatility, indeed, it could be used as a fully integrated system for the electroencephalographic recording or thanks to the directly connection to a computer by USB port and a totally customizable software can be used to perform a plethora of other applications as:
• electrocardiography
• electromyographic
• miniaturized multi-channel headstages for neural or electrocorticography recording
• low-power wireless headstages or backpacks for electrophysiology experiments
• recording spikes and/or local field potentials (LFPs) from microelectrodes
• in vitro recording systems “Smart Petri dish”
• portable electrocardiogram or electromyography monitoring systems
• advanced prosthetic limb controller front-ends
Moreover, taking advantage of the stimulation channels an investigation on algorithms of closed loop control of the neuronal activity could be implemented.
The group is looking for: 1) a technical partner that can provide an implantable water-proof titanium case with the following dimensions 3x1x0.5 cm; 2) financial partners interested in financing the recording and stimulation functions of the implantable electronic card; 3) scientific/academic partners interested in developing methods and technologies to record electrophysiological signals from the cortical, peripheral nerves or spinal cord.

Advantages and Innovations

Advantages of the system are listed below:
- Superficial neuronal activity recording
- Possibility of acquiring 32 channels simultaneously
- Recording and electrical stimulation simultaneously performed
- USB connection
- Customizable software interface and possibility of integrating a closed loop control algorithm of the neuronal activity
- Low power
- Possibility of setting up for other applications like: electrocardiography; miniaturized multi-channel headstages for neural or electrocorticography (ECoG) recording; in vitro recording systems “Smart Petri dish”; electromyographic interface.

Stage Of Development

Under development/lab tested

Stage Of Development Comment

First experiments of neuronal activity have been performed in vitro and in vivo.

Requested partner

The group is looking for companies, SMEs - small and medium size enterprises, academic partners, R&D - research and development institutions and MNE - multinational enterprise, interested in developing innovative solutions for brain computer interface, especially in the perspective of future industrial applications. 
In detail, they are looking for:
1) a technical partner that can provide an implantable water-proof titanium case with the following dimensions 3x1x0.5 cm;
2) financial partners interested in financing the recording and stimulation functions of the implantable electronic card;
3) scientific/academic partners interested in developing methods and technologies to record electrophysiological signals from the cortical, peripheral nerves or spinal cord. In the framework of a research cooperation they are also willing to collaborate, as a third party or as a partner in H2020, EUREKA or EUROSTARS projects.

Cooperation offer ist closed for requests