Periodic Reporting for period 1 - WiseCure (Wireless, Scalable and Implantable Optogenetics for Neurological Disorders Cure)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2020-09-01 do 2022-08-31
Neurological diseases such as epilepsy is a life-threatening progressive disorder causing uncontrolled activity of the brain (seizure); it carries among the highest burden of disease and significant social stigma. To date, epilepsy affects 50 million people worldwide, 8 million of whom live in Europe. In EU, neurological diseases cost €800 Billion annually. The ability to decipher brain functions and understand the neuronal communication networking properties to develop innovative solutions holds the key to treat such neurological diseases.
For the first time, this WiseCure Fellowship aims to bring novel wireless, scalable, MRI-compatible, and biointegrated neural implants for optogenetics to treat neurological diseases. The objectives of this Fellowship, which complement each other in terms of research (Obj1-Obj3) and training (Obj4) are given below:
Obj1) Develop unique self-tracked WPT system for optogenetics.
Obj2) Achieve versatile wireless optogenetics control using neural implants via a smart device for epilepsy.
Obj3) Validate MRI-compatible and biointegrated neural implants to enable chronic in vivo optogenetics.
Obj4) Advance the career toward becoming a recognized research leader in neural engineering, and act as an ambassador for Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA).
For the first time, this WiseCure Fellowship aims to bring novel wireless, scalable, MRI-compatible, and biointegrated neural implants for optogenetics to treat neurological diseases. The objectives of this Fellowship, which complement each other in terms of research (Obj1-Obj3) and training (Obj4) are given below:
Obj1) Develop unique self-tracked WPT system for optogenetics.
Obj2) Achieve versatile wireless optogenetics control using neural implants via a smart device for epilepsy.
Obj3) Validate MRI-compatible and biointegrated neural implants to enable chronic in vivo optogenetics.
Obj4) Advance the career toward becoming a recognized research leader in neural engineering, and act as an ambassador for Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA).
WP1: The mathematical model for self-track WPT system for optogenetics has been developed and simulation was carried out by using the electromagnetic simulation tools Ansys HFSS and Sim4Life (Obj. 1). [Dissemination: A brief overview on the future of neuroscience considering the flexible and wireless implantable neural electronics is discussed in this publication: DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202002693.
WP2: The initial Metamaterial based implantable probe design considered and simulated (Obj. 2). (Dissemination: this result was presented in the 2021 IEEE ISCAS conference and Published in IEEE. Doi: 10.1109/ISCAS51556.2021.9401288)
WP3: The first version of the optogenetics probe fabricated and characterised. (Dissemination and Exploitation: The overall experience gained while working on this project was exploited by proposing a special issue as a lead guest editor in Philosophical Transaction of Royal Society A. The special issue is titled as: Advanced neurotechnologies: translating innovation for health and well-being (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2021.0004). Among various research works in this special issue, I also disseminated my research by publishing two papers: 1) Focusing on challenges of neural probe fabrications (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2021.0009); 2) Neural probe mechanical failure mitigation (https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2021.0007)
WP3: The second version of the optogenetics probe is fabricated. (Exploitation: After showcasing the probe, a new collaboration with University of Glasgow's Institute of Neuroscience was established and planned experiments with rodents for Pain research on December'22 or later)
WP4: Validated the proposed WPT system with the fabricated probe using a dummy rodent and Agar gel based brain (Obj. 3). (Dissemination and Exploitation: A publication based on this finding is ongoing and this result also exploited by using a tutorial demo in IEEE ICECS 2022, Glasgow)
Obj.4. Nov'22- Present: Joined University of Exeter as a Lecturer in Electronic Engineering to advance my career and to become a research leader in neural engineering. (Profile: https://engineering.exeter.ac.uk/staff/rkd204)
WP2: The initial Metamaterial based implantable probe design considered and simulated (Obj. 2). (Dissemination: this result was presented in the 2021 IEEE ISCAS conference and Published in IEEE. Doi: 10.1109/ISCAS51556.2021.9401288)
WP3: The first version of the optogenetics probe fabricated and characterised. (Dissemination and Exploitation: The overall experience gained while working on this project was exploited by proposing a special issue as a lead guest editor in Philosophical Transaction of Royal Society A. The special issue is titled as: Advanced neurotechnologies: translating innovation for health and well-being (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2021.0004). Among various research works in this special issue, I also disseminated my research by publishing two papers: 1) Focusing on challenges of neural probe fabrications (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2021.0009); 2) Neural probe mechanical failure mitigation (https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2021.0007)
WP3: The second version of the optogenetics probe is fabricated. (Exploitation: After showcasing the probe, a new collaboration with University of Glasgow's Institute of Neuroscience was established and planned experiments with rodents for Pain research on December'22 or later)
WP4: Validated the proposed WPT system with the fabricated probe using a dummy rodent and Agar gel based brain (Obj. 3). (Dissemination and Exploitation: A publication based on this finding is ongoing and this result also exploited by using a tutorial demo in IEEE ICECS 2022, Glasgow)
Obj.4. Nov'22- Present: Joined University of Exeter as a Lecturer in Electronic Engineering to advance my career and to become a research leader in neural engineering. (Profile: https://engineering.exeter.ac.uk/staff/rkd204)
Recent developments in material science and electrical engineering combine the optical control with the use of soft, flexible optoelectronic implants that deliver light directly to regions of interest using ultraminiaturized μLEDs, which powered and controlled wirelessly. Such devices enable a range of experiments with freely behaving animals, in isolation or in social groups, and in simple or elaborate environments. The prospects of wireless optogenetics have already generated significant interest from companies such as NeuroLux and Cambridge Neurotech, which are developing wireless implants based on the Radio Frequency (RF) based energy harvesting. However, these systems require external tracking mechanism to track the motion of a mouse or rat for effective power transmission. Another EU project STARDUST, developing the ultrasound based wireless implantable and independent micro-scale device for optogenetics to treat the Parkinson’s disease. Ultrasound based wireless systems enables low signal attenuation in biological tissue, minimized geometry, and can be used safely with human. Nonetheless, complicated circuitry and complexity in addressing the ultrasound frequency remain the main bottlenecks. In addition, ultrasound based wireless system has low data rate, has a signal is greatly attenuated by the skull and needs an intermediate transceiver based on electromagnetic coupling beneath the skull. Photovoltaic based energy harvesting from light is another option that has been explored to wirelessly power the neural implants for optogenetics. Due to the lossy nature of biological tissues, photovoltaic based system suffers from low efficiency14 as well as light sources nature, proximity, and direction limits the solar cells wireless powering ability for implantable neural devices. Due to the special properties (e.g. negative refractive index), metamaterials have been used to improve the WPT efficiency, operating range, and larger misalignment tolerance for electronic devices.
A metamaterial is defined as an artificial composite that gains its electromagnetic properties from its engineered structure rather than the materials it is composed of. This is the first time, this fellowship uses a novel self-tracked high dielectric-metamaterial based WPT systems for optogenetics. This wireless powering system will be integrated with a unique multichannel scalable neural implant. Apart from fabrication of neural implants through biocompatible polymer, this probe will achieve the implant-tissue biointegration by using the novel PEA encapsulation for chronic in vivo functionalities and to promote the MRI compatibility. The probe is ready for in vivo test, which will be performed in December or next year as we are waiting for the appropriate rodent model to arrive in December.
The impact of this research is obvious as due to the unique application of metamaterials in wireless optogenetics and healthcare helped me to secure my position as a Lecturer at the University of Exeter, which I started immediately after this fellowship. The University of Exeter is renowned for Metamaterial research and being aligned with the current quest to understand the brain (e.g. EU human brain project, US presidential BRAIN initiative, IEEE brain), the WiseCure Fellowship paved me to establish myself as a key player and a leader in the field of implantable bioelectronics, nanofabrication and neural engineering to pursuit of new and innovative ideas, and to provide control over the future direction in neural engineering.
At the University of Glasgow, this fellowship helped me to be a part of two more big grants CROSSBRAIN (GA n.101070908) and BRAINSTORM (GA n.101099355) as a Co-I, which indicates investment and creation of new technology, bringing with it the opportunity for new jobs and wealth creation. These synergies will promote the long-term impact of WiseCure on EU economy, healthcare and society.
A metamaterial is defined as an artificial composite that gains its electromagnetic properties from its engineered structure rather than the materials it is composed of. This is the first time, this fellowship uses a novel self-tracked high dielectric-metamaterial based WPT systems for optogenetics. This wireless powering system will be integrated with a unique multichannel scalable neural implant. Apart from fabrication of neural implants through biocompatible polymer, this probe will achieve the implant-tissue biointegration by using the novel PEA encapsulation for chronic in vivo functionalities and to promote the MRI compatibility. The probe is ready for in vivo test, which will be performed in December or next year as we are waiting for the appropriate rodent model to arrive in December.
The impact of this research is obvious as due to the unique application of metamaterials in wireless optogenetics and healthcare helped me to secure my position as a Lecturer at the University of Exeter, which I started immediately after this fellowship. The University of Exeter is renowned for Metamaterial research and being aligned with the current quest to understand the brain (e.g. EU human brain project, US presidential BRAIN initiative, IEEE brain), the WiseCure Fellowship paved me to establish myself as a key player and a leader in the field of implantable bioelectronics, nanofabrication and neural engineering to pursuit of new and innovative ideas, and to provide control over the future direction in neural engineering.
At the University of Glasgow, this fellowship helped me to be a part of two more big grants CROSSBRAIN (GA n.101070908) and BRAINSTORM (GA n.101099355) as a Co-I, which indicates investment and creation of new technology, bringing with it the opportunity for new jobs and wealth creation. These synergies will promote the long-term impact of WiseCure on EU economy, healthcare and society.