Advancing Brain-Machine Interfaces: High Data Rate Battery-Free Implants

Abstract

Implantable wireless brain-machine interfaces (BMI) encounter significant challenges in miniaturization, power consumption, and high data volume. While systems utilizing high resolution microelectrode arrays offer precision brain readout and/or stimulation, achieving high-rate wireless connectivity (32-128 Mbps) consumes excessive power, unsuitable for long-term use with implant batteries. This paper addresses wireless connectivity and power challenges by employing radio frequency backscatter and near-field wireless charging. This approach eliminates transceiver electronics in the implantable, reducing implant power consumption by offloading complexity to off-body reader electronics. It enables wireless powering of implantable neural recording and stimulation chips through magnetic coupling, enabling a fully implantable brain-machine interface. We present preliminary test results for this design scenario, demonstrating the feasibility of our approach.