A Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)-enabled Wireless Link for Bidirectional Communications with a Neural Microsystem

Abstract

This paper reports on the design and implementation of a Bluetooth low energy (BLE)-enabled wireless link for bidirectional communications between a user base station (UBS) and a neural microsystem. The microsystem comprises a previously developed application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for activity-dependent intracortical microstimulation (ICMS), and the BLE link is dedicated to remote programming of the ICMS ASIC as well as to remote monitoring of several parameters such as the average stimulus rate, electrode site impedance, or power supply level. A prototype system is developed that incorporates the ICMS ASIC, SAMB11 BLE module, and peripheral electronics for supply management and ASIC monitoring, as well as a BLE user interface custom developed in C#. The end-to-end functionality of the BLE-enabled wireless link is experimentally demonstrated in representative benchtop tests in which several ASIC parameters are successfully programmed from the UBS over a distance of > 3.5m. The prototype system consumes ~6181μW from a 3.6V, 1.6Ah, lithium-ion battery and is estimated to feature a lifetime of> 8 months for continuous operation, making it suitable for longitudinal studies with the ICMS ASIC in a non-human primate model.