Obiettivo To build interfaces between the electronic domain and the human nervous system is one of the most demanding challenges of nowadays engineering. Fascinating developments have already been performed such as visual cortical implants for the blind and cochlear implants for the deaf. Yet implantation of most electrical stimulation systems requires complex surgeries which hamper their use for the development of so-called electroceuticals. More importantly, previously developed systems based on central stimulation units are not adequate for applications in which a large number of sites must be individually stimulated over large and mobile body parts, thus hindering neuroprosthetic solutions for patients suffering paralysis due to spinal cord injury or other neurological disorders. A solution to these challenges could consist in developing addressable single-channel wireless microstimulators which could be implanted with simple procedures such as injection. And, indeed, such solution was proposed and tried in the past. However, previous attempts did not achieve satisfactory success because the developed implants were stiff and too large. Further miniaturization was prevented because of the use of inductive coupling and batteries as energy sources. Here I propose to explore an innovative method for performing electrical stimulation in which the implanted microstimulators will operate as rectifiers of bursts of innocuous high frequency current supplied through skin electrodes shaped as garments. This approach has the potential to reduce the diameter of the implants to one-fifth the diameter of current microstimulators and, more significantly, to allow that most of the implants’ volume consists of materials whose density and flexibility match those of neighbouring living tissues for minimizing invasiveness. In fact, implants based on the proposed method will look like short pieces of flexible thread. Campo scientifico natural sciencesbiological sciencesneurobiologymedical and health sciencesclinical medicinesurgeryengineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringinformation engineeringtelecommunicationsradio technologymedical and health sciencesmedical biotechnologyimplantsmedical and health sciencesbasic medicineneurology Parole chiave Biomedical electronics biomedical engineering biomedical implants electrical stimulation neuroprosthetics rectifiers minimal invasiveness electroceuticals paralysis neuropathic pain Programma(i) H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme Argomento(i) ERC-2016-COG - ERC Consolidator Grant Invito a presentare proposte ERC-2016-COG Vedi altri progetti per questo bando Meccanismo di finanziamento ERC-COG - Consolidator Grant Istituzione ospitante UNIVERSIDAD POMPEU FABRA Contribution nette de l'UE € 1 999 813,00 Indirizzo PLACA DE LA MERCE, 10-12 08002 Barcelona Spagna Mostra sulla mappa Regione Este Cataluña Barcelona Tipo di attività Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Collegamenti Contatta l’organizzazione Opens in new window Sito web Opens in new window Partecipazione a programmi di R&I dell'UE Opens in new window Rete di collaborazione HORIZON Opens in new window Costo totale € 1 999 813,00 Beneficiari (1) Classifica in ordine alfabetico Classifica per Contributo netto dell'UE Espandi tutto Riduci tutto UNIVERSIDAD POMPEU FABRA Spagna Contribution nette de l'UE € 1 999 813,00 Indirizzo PLACA DE LA MERCE, 10-12 08002 Barcelona Mostra sulla mappa Regione Este Cataluña Barcelona Tipo di attività Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Collegamenti Contatta l’organizzazione Opens in new window Sito web Opens in new window Partecipazione a programmi di R&I dell'UE Opens in new window Rete di collaborazione HORIZON Opens in new window Costo totale € 1 999 813,00