passive and minimally invasive wireless neurostimulation
As with recording, one of the biggest challenges with stimulating the brain is safety. Another challenge is being able to selectively stimulate individual neuron connections without disturbing neighboring populations.
Some potential alternative techniques that may be useful to explore:
- Creating passive electric current-based tags that are turned on and stimulate upon wireless interrogation.
Similar idea implemented in B.C. Towe, et al., Conf. Proc. IEEE Eng. Med. Biol. Soc. (2012)
- Utilizing nanofabrication technologies to create biologically or chemically encoded stimulation vesicles or circuits that can either diffuse through the BBB and/or can be implanted without burdening surgical placement accuracy.
One such method in H. Huang, et al., Nature Nanotechnology 5, 602-606 (2010)
interests — wireless bioinstrumentation
- neuro -modulation / -stimulation systems
Few interesting work in the field so far:
[externally based-no implant] acoustic wireless stimulation
[internally based-more specific] electrical stimulation through photovoltaics
- passive "tag"-like in- or on- body circuits
- remotely configurable devices
- bio -electrical/-mechanical/-chemical harvesting implantable microsystems
other interests
- biodegradable blood brain barrier penetratable nano-vesicles for therapeutic or rehabilitative purposes
Interesting work:
ultrasound controlled BBB disruption C.D. Arvanitis, et al. PLoS ONE 7(9): 2012.
biodegradable drug delivery J. Panyam & V. Labhasetwar, Adv. Drug Delivery Reviews 64, 61-71, 2012.
imaging through diffusion of BBB impermeable probes R.M. Koffie et al., PNAS 108(46), 18837-18842, 2011.
- liquid-injectable wirelessly induced phase changing tissue or bone grafts