Innovative wireless implantable devices helping scientists control brains

The technology is called optogenetics and it is when scientists utilize light to control activity in the brain.

In addition, scientists are tasked with physically handling the mouse prior to the experiment, which is likely to stress the mouse and deter the animal from its natural behavior. Fiber optic cables linked to the head of mouse can be useful in delivering light to brain though the headgear performing the procedure is typically bulky and can cause difficulties for the mouse in its mobility through its burrow or other closed spaces. In these types of experiments, a mouse would move around a relatively large area, and the scientists needed a way of tracking these movements to provide localized power.

The most significant challenge faced by the device was identifying a means of getting powered efficiently without causing any damage to any electrical component or using any external wire. Restrictions like these hindered the advancement of optogenetics.

A team at Stanford University carried out the research.

To power the device, she had the idea of using the mouse’s own body to transfer radio frequency energy that was just the correct wavelength to resonate in a mouse.

In its native state the open chamber would radiate energy in all directions.

In order to prevent it from getting out, they enclosed the cavity using a grid that had holes smaller than the wavelength of radio waves. But now that the device has finally taken shape, every movement of the mouse results in contact with energy that is drawn in to help keep the device powered.

The mouse essentially becomes a conduit, releasing the energy from the chamber into its body, where it is captured by a 2 mm coil in the device.

The device is the first attempt at wireless optogenetics that is small enough to be implanted under the skin and may even be able to trigger a signal in muscles or some organs, which were previously not accessible to optogenetics. By removing cumbersome external equipment, researchers have enabled mice implanted with the device to move more freely, granting the researchers a better opportunity to observe processes that could advance neuroscientific research. She adds that this represents a new method of delivering wireless power for the goal of optogenetics.

According to the researchers, their work may have potential applications for experiments involving mental health disorders, internal organ diseases and movement disorders. “They have a Stanford Bio-X grant to explore and possibly develop new treatments for chronic pain”, the University concluded.

Earlier this year, Medical News Today reported how an optogenetics method was used to create an artificial link between unrelated memories in mice.