Neural interface methods and apparatus to provide artificial sensory capabilities to a subject
| DWPI Title: Operating neural interface to provide artificial sensory capability to subject by sensing attribute of ex-vivo environment, transmitting wirelessly attribute, receiving attribute, translating attribute into command and encoding |
| Abstract: Embodiments of neural interfaces according to the present invention comprise sensor modules for sensing environmental attributes beyond the natural sensory capability of a subject, and communicating the attributes wirelessly to an external (ex-vivo) portable module attached to the subject. The ex-vivo module encodes and communicates the attributes via a transcutaneous inductively coupled link to an internal (in-vivo) module implanted within the subject. The in-vivo module converts the attribute information into electrical neural stimuli that are delivered to a peripheral nerve bundle within the subject, via an implanted electrode. Methods and apparatus according to the invention incorporate implantable batteries to power the in-vivo module allowing for transcutaneous bidirectional communication of low voltage (e.g. on the order of 5 volts) encoded signals as stimuli commands and neural responses, in a robust, low-error rate, communication channel with minimal effects to the subjects' skin. |
| Use: The method is useful for operating a neural interface to provide an artificial sensory capability to a subject. |
| Novelty: Method for operating a neural interface to provide an artificial sensory capability to a subject involves sensing an attribute of an ex-vivo environment by a sensor module within which the subject is operating, in which the attribute is outside the natural sensory capability of the subject and the sensor module comprises a sensor transmitter, transmitting wirelessly the attribute, receiving the attribute by an external module mounted ex-vivo on the subject, translating the attribute into a neural stimulation command, encoding the neural stimulation command, transmitting the neural stimulation command, receiving the neural stimulation command wirelessly by an internal module mounted in-vivo to the subject via an inductively coupled link, decoding the neural stimulation command to recover the neural stimulation command, converting the neural stimulation command into an electrical neural stimulus, and conveying the electrical neural stimulus to neurons within the subject. |
| Filed: 1/20/2017 |
| Application Number: US15411644A |
| Tech ID: SD 10433.2 |
| This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention. |
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