Transparent Electrode Array for Optogenetics

Executive Summary

The development of brain-machine interface technologies offer a host of opportunities for basic research, real-time therapeutic devices, and neural prosthetics. Our bi-directional communication channel provides for a more robust brain-machine interface with greater accuracy.  The bi-directional communication channel is also critical for making use of adaptive feedback. In a neural prosthetic example, a quadriplegic may use this brain-machine interface to trigger a signal specific to movement direction, which can be recorded and mapped to a virtual environment.

Description of Technology

Michigan State University has developed a micro-scale bi-directional communication component of a brain-machine interface. The design is a hybrid optical-electrophysiological array which uses LEDs to stimulate a population of cells, and electrodes to record from the same population of cells. To enable cell stimulation, an emerging technique called Optogenetics is used, in which light-sensitive proteins are transfected into cells to selectively control the electrical activity of the neuron.

Key Benefits

• Highly specific way to stimulate neurons with respect to feedback
• Versatile LED light source for Optogenetics
• Useful as an intraocular sensor, or as a monitor of visual cortex activity

Applications

• Useful as a diagnosis or neuro-engineering tool
• Can provide guidelines for the meaning of brain signals and for future Optogenetics applications
• Opportunities for real-time diagnosis of tissue-level diseases
• How to implement the Optogenetics method in real-time.

Patent Status: 

Patent Pending

Licensing Rights Available

Full licensing rights available

Inventors: Wen Li, Ki Yong Kwon

Tech ID: TEC2013-0092, TEC2013-0093, TEC2013-0011