Student: Dzifa Kwaku
Project Mentors: Dr. Jitendran Muthuswamy – SBHSE
Dr. Bruce Towe – SBHSE
Dr. Arati Sridharan – SBHSE
YouTube Link: View the video link below before joining the zoom meeting
Zoom Link: https://asu.zoom.us/j/97514620941
Zoom meeting time: 10am - noon
Abstract
Brain stimulation therapy serves to efficiently treat mental disorders and mitigate movement disorders that do not respond to medication by engaging multiple brain circuits. Clinical approved neural stimulators require batteries, leads and active electronics for pulse generation increasing the size of the implant. We tested a novel ultrasound powered, wireless, injectable neurostimulator (WINS) that has the potential of eliminating active electronics and leads increasing the functional life of the device and reducing risks involved in brain surgeries. The goal of this research is to assess the feasibility of delivering power to WINS devices implanted inside the brain using ultrasound transducers placed externally on the skull. We fabricated WINS devices using a piezoelectric ceramic which converts mechanical energy to extractable electrical pulse which is then rectified by a diode. We characterized the performance of the WINS devices using a brain phantom model in a human skull and varying the distance between the device in a conductive agar and ultrasound transducer externally placed on the skull. Electrical signals measured successfully from the output of the WINS device suggests that ultrasound successfully penetrates human skull and activates WINS devices at different depths. Thus, the wireless and battery-less WINS technology have the potential of generating currents sufficient for stimulating neurons in the brain.