Low-Impedance Probes for Wireless Monitoring of Neural Activation

Abstract

To address the need for high-quality brain monitoring, implantable systems are often used. However, these systems require significantly invasive procedures. This paper presents the development of probes specific to a device that can be used to record neural data during normal day-to-day activity. Here, the design of low-impedance neural probes for a fully-passive wireless brain implant is introduced and employed in a series of in vitro experiments. The integration of these neural probes to the neurosensing system results in enhanced impedance matching. As a result, neural signals as low as 15 µVpp can be detected with an RF sensitivity of ~ −135 dBm. This implies that the neurosensing system can record all neural activity measurable at the cortical surface.