A Software-Defined Radio Receiver for Wireless Recording From Freely Behaving Animals

To eliminate tethering effects on the small animals’ behavior during electrophysiology experiments, such as neural interfacing, a robust and wideband wireless data link is needed for communicating with the implanted sensing elements without blind spots. We present a software-defined radio (SDR) based scalable data acquisition system, which can be programmed to provide coverage over standard-sized or customized experimental arenas. The incoming RF signal with the highest power among SDRs is selected in real-time to prevent data loss in the presence of spatial and angular misalignments between the transmitter (Tx) and receiver (Rx) antennas. A 32-channel wireless neural recording system-on-a-chip (SoC), known as WINeRS-8, is embedded in a headstage and transmits digitalized raw neural signals, which are sampled at 25 kHz/ch, at 9 Mbps via on-off keying (OOK) of a 434 MHz RF carrier. Measurement results show that the dual-SDR Rx system reduces the packet loss down to 0.12%, on average, by eliminating the blind spots caused by the moving Tx directionality. The system operation is verified in vivo on a freely behaving rat and compared with a commercial hardwired system.

[1]  Maysam Ghovanloo,et al.  An Implantable Peripheral Nerve Recording and Stimulation System for Experiments on Freely Moving Animal Subjects , 2018, Scientific Reports.

[2]  Jihyun Cho,et al.  Modular 128-Channel $\Delta$ - $\Delta \Sigma$ Analog Front-End Architecture Using Spectrum Equalization Scheme for 1024-Channel 3-D Neural Recording Microsystems , 2018, IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits.

[3]  Maysam Ghovanloo,et al.  An Adaptive Averaging Low Noise Front-End for Central and Peripheral Nerve Recording , 2018, IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems II: Express Briefs.

[4]  H. Elsadek,et al.  Ultrawide Bandwidth Umbrella-Shaped Microstrip Monopole Antenna Using Spiral Artificial Magnetic Conductor (SAMC) , 2009, IEEE Antennas and Wireless Propagation Letters.

[5]  Yves De Koninck,et al.  A Wireless Headstage for Combined Optogenetics and Multichannel Electrophysiological Recording , 2017, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Circuits and Systems.

[6]  Maysam Ghovanloo,et al.  Toward A Robust Multi-Antenna Receiver for Wireless Recording From Freely-Behaving Animals , 2018, 2018 IEEE Biomedical Circuits and Systems Conference (BioCAS).

[7]  Yao Lu,et al.  Wireless Neurosensor for Full-Spectrum Electrophysiology Recordings during Free Behavior , 2014, Neuron.

[8]  Maysam Ghovanloo,et al.  EnerCage: A Smart Experimental Arena With Scalable Architecture for Behavioral Experiments , 2014, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering.

[9]  Peng Cong.  Neural Interfaces for Implantable Medical Devices: Circuit Design Considerations for Sensing, Stimulation, and Safety , 2016, IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine.

[10]  Jing Wang,et al.  Integrated device for combined optical neuromodulation and electrical recording for chronic in vivo applications , 2012, Journal of neural engineering.

[11]  Maysam Ghovanloo,et al.  Position and Orientation Insensitive Wireless Power Transmission for EnerCage-Homecage System , 2017, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering.

[12]  Maysam Ghovanloo,et al.  A Wideband Dual-Antenna Receiver for Wireless Recording From Animals Behaving in Large Arenas , 2013, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering.

[13]  Michael P. Flynn,et al.  A Fully Self-Contained Logarithmic Closed-Loop Deep Brain Stimulation SoC With Wireless Telemetry and Wireless Power Management , 2014, IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits.

[14]  Srinjoy Mitra,et al.  A Neural Probe With Up to 966 Electrodes and Up to 384 Configurable Channels in 0.13 $\mu$m SOI CMOS , 2017, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Circuits and Systems.

[15]  Miguel A. L. Nicolelis,et al.  Interbrain cortical synchronization encodes multiple aspects of social interactions in monkey pairs , 2018, Scientific Reports.

[16]  M. Ghovanloo,et al.  Wireless opto-electro neural interface for experiments with small freely behaving animals , 2017, 2017 IEEE Biomedical Circuits and Systems Conference (BioCAS).

[17]  Pui-In Mak,et al.  An Integrated Circuit for Simultaneous Extracellular Electrophysiology Recording and Optogenetic Neural Manipulation , 2017, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering.

[18]  Wenfeng Zhao,et al.  A Streaming PCA VLSI Chip for Neural Data Compression , 2017, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Circuits and Systems.

[19]  T. Milligan.  Modern Antenna Design , 1985 .

[20]  Andrea Bevilacqua,et al.  A 64-Channel 965- $\mu\text{W}$ Neural Recording SoC With UWB Wireless Transmission in 130-nm CMOS , 2016, IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems II: Express Briefs.

[21]  Jan M. Rabaey,et al.  Reliable Next-Generation Cortical Interfaces for Chronic Brain–Machine Interfaces and Neuroscience , 2017, Proceedings of the IEEE.

[22]  Hsi-Pin Ma,et al.  A Battery-Less, Implantable Neuro-Electronic Interface for Studying the Mechanisms of Deep Brain Stimulation in Rat Models , 2016, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Circuits and Systems.

[23]  Warren M Grill,et al.  Implanted neural interfaces: biochallenges and engineered solutions. , 2009, Annual review of biomedical engineering.

[24]  Ruslana Shulyzki,et al.  320-Channel Active Probe for High-Resolution Neuromonitoring and Responsive Neurostimulation , 2015, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Circuits and Systems.

[25]  Nitish V. Thakor,et al.  Erratum to: Implantable neurotechnologies: bidirectional neural interfaces—applications and VLSI circuit implementations , 2016, Medical & Biological Engineering & Computing.

[26]  Khalil Najafi,et al.  A Low Power Light Weight Wireless Multichannel Microsystem for Reliable Neural Recording , 2014, IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits.

[27]  R. Jacob Baker,et al.  CMOS Circuit Design, Layout, and Simulation , 1997 .

[28]  Brian P. Grone,et al.  Animal models in epilepsy research: legacies and new directions , 2015, Nature Neuroscience.

[29]  Chih-Wei Chang,et al.  A Fully Integrated Wireless SoC for Motor Function Recovery After Spinal Cord Injury , 2017, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Circuits and Systems.

[30]  John G. R. Jefferys,et al.  Cavity Resonator Wireless Power Transfer System for Freely Moving Animal Experiments , 2017, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering.

[31]  Maysam Ghovanloo,et al.  An Inductively-Powered Wireless Neural Recording and Stimulation System for Freely-Behaving Animals , 2019, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Circuits and Systems.

[32]  Karim Abdelhalim,et al.  Battery-less Tri-band-Radio Neuro-monitor and Responsive Neurostimulator for Diagnostics and Treatment of Neurological Disorders , 2016, IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits.

[33]  Maysam Ghovanloo,et al.  A Wirelessly-Powered Homecage With Segmented Copper Foils and Closed-Loop Power Control , 2016, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Circuits and Systems.

[34]  Jan Van der Spiegel,et al.  A Fully Integrated Wireless Compressed Sensing Neural Signal Acquisition System for Chronic Recording and Brain Machine Interface , 2016, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Circuits and Systems.

[35]  John P. Donoghue,et al.  Bridging the Brain to the World: A Perspective on Neural Interface Systems , 2008, Neuron.

[36]  Maysam Ghovanloo,et al.  Antennas for Intraoral Tongue Drive System at 2.4 GHz: Design, Characterization, and Comparison , 2018, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.