Neurophotonics Research Center

DARPA CIPhER Program Industrial Advisory Board Meeting January 7, 2011 SMU, Dallas TX

Prof. Marc P. Christensen, Prof. Volkan Otugen, Prof. Duco Jansen, Prof. Anita Mahadevan-Jansen, Prof. Guenter W. Gross, Prof. Dustin Tyler, Prof. Duncan MacFarlane
Mission: Establish a focused university & industry collaborative research center with the mission to: research, prototype, & test novel photonic interfaces to neurons & nerve cells for the purposes of developing highly capable implants for advanced prosthetic devices, novel treatments, and improving understanding of applied neuroscience.

The Challenge
Problem: 1,286 Soldiers / 50,000 Civilian Amputees 259,000 Spinal Cord Injuries $500K-$750K Lifetime Costs Electronic Neural Interface for Neuroscience, Brain-Machine Interfaces and Prosthetics:
High impedance, high noise Not MRI compatible Long term unit recording

Is there a better way to sense and stimulate neural activity? (preferably without metal, semiconductor or retroviruses)

Vision
Complete Neurophotonic Interface

Selective Infrared Neural Stimulation

Whispering Gallery Mode sensor embedded in engineered fiber

The Approach
Brain
Brain perceives feedback from sensory nerves Brain creates nerve signal of motion intent

All steps performed in real time to enable natural movement.

Optical signal stimulates targeted sensory nerves

In Vivo Biocompatible Optical Interface

Electro-chemical wave modifies microsphere WGMs causing change in optical signal in fiber

Electrical feedback signals are converted into optical signals targeting specific sensory nerves

Implantable Control Electronics

Change in optical signal is translated into electrical control signal for prosthetic arm

Prosthetic arm moves and sensors provide electrical feedback signals of pressure, temperatures, etc.

Advanced Prosthetic Arm

Technology Comparison
State of the Art: This Effort:

High impedance High noise MRI compatibility issues Problem with long term unit recording Established approach Limited Bandwidth

Silicon Grid Array Brain Probe

Electronic Nerve Cuff

Glass & Polymer Optical Neural Sensor

Improved Interface Reduced noise MRI compatible Known Biocompatible Materials Revolutionary Leverages Optical Networking BW

Bi-direction Biocompatible Optical Nerve Cuff

The Team

WGM Sensor Development

Prof. Tindaro Ioppolo Department of Mechanical Engineering Southern Methodist University Research Professor

Whispering Gallery Mode Sensor Development

Mission: Establish a focused university & industry collaborative research center with the mission to: research, prototype, & test novel photonic interfaces to neurons & nerve cells for the purposes of developing highly capable implants for advanced prosthetic devices, novel treatments, and improving understanding of applied neuroscience.

WGM Phenomenon
Term coined by Lord Rayleigh who visited the St. Paul's Cathedral

A whisper can be heard by someone standing against the opposite wall, but not by someone standing at the center of the room
Light undergoes total internal reflection It is trapped inside the sphere Light travels much like a whisper around the whispering gallery

Whispering Gallery Mode Sensors

Exploits optical modes of dielectric micro-resonators Resonators are spheres of different size (50 um 1 mm), structure, and materials WGMs of micro-spheres can exhibit extremely large optical quality factors Change in physical condition surrounding the dielectric resonator leads to a perturbation in resonator morphology resulting in WGM shift
Microsphere Laser

Optical fiber/ waveguide

PD

By monitoring WGM shifts the change in the physical condition can be determined with extreme resolution Can be extended to sensor networks

Recent WGM Sensor Studies

Metrology Temperature sensing Force/strain sensing Wall shear stress sensor Concentration / species detection Pressure sensitivity Magnetic field detection/actuation Electric Field Detection

WGM Sensor Characterization

Spectrum

125 um Silica fiber

50 um PDMS sphere

Diode Laser Photodiode

To laser controller

10%/90% Splitter

To PD amplifier

Isolator Sphere To PD amp.

DAQ

Labview

Photodiode

Toxicity and In Vitro Testing

Prof. Guenter W. Gross Center for Network Neuroscience University of North Texas UNT Site Director

Toxicity and In Vitro Testing

Mission: Establish a focused university & industry collaborative research center with the mission to: research, prototype, & test novel photonic interfaces to neurons & nerve cells for the purposes of developing highly capable implants for advanced prosthetic devices, novel treatments, and improving understanding of applied neuroscience.

Dry Run: Experiment Assembly

Experimental platform

SA

Optical probe holder with fiber optics and sensor bead (enhanced with color)

CAP

CAP

chamber with sciatic nerve

CAP:compound action potential (~3 mV) S: stimulus pulse; SA: stimulus artifact

Multichannel Workstation

10% CO2 in air

Heated cap to prevent condensation

200 uM Zn++

Living cells on MEAs. Phase contrast. Arrows in point to electrode craters. Bar: 40 um. Lower panel: living cell and subsequent necrosis from zinc toxicity.

Optical information during recording is important.

Plexon preamps Fixed and Bodian-stained culture 92 d.i.v..

ordered networks are temporally unstable and optically challenged.

Real Time Data Acquisition & Display

40 sec

Time stamp display (raster) for all discriminated units. Colors represent different units on the same electrode (4 max)
ACTION POTENTIAL SIGNATURES

Electrode selection client

Selected electrode window

network area

AP threshold crossing provide a time stamp (25 us resolution; 40

30 sec sterile assembly

Toxicity Testing
40 mm

Plexon Display Microscope uManipulator Control

1

Numbered electrodes

WGM Bead
Chamber Amplifiers Gas and Water Thermocouple Probe

uManipulator

Pressure Bars Heater

Tight geometry w. condenser closed