NeuroModular - A Modular Backend for Fiber-Based Wireless Bioelectronic Interfaces

Abstract

Multifunctional microelectronic fibers are a new class of bioelectronic interfaces that combine the scalability and customization afforded by fiber drawing with the functional maturity of solid-state microdevices. Wireless operation of multifunctional fiber-based devices would allow neuromodulation in the central and peripheral nervous systems in awake behaving animals, allowing more naturalistic behaviors compared to wired operation. In this work I present a modular, versatile, and miniature wireless control platform that supports an array of capabilities in multifunctional fibers. The device is designed with two sub-circuits, the primary module circuit, and multiple fiber control circuits. The primary module circuit communicates with a user-controlled graphic user interface (GUI) via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and controls the fiber control circuits. The fiber control circuits have two different implementations, one for simple fiber control (v1.0), and the other for more advanced fiber control (v1.1). These circuits can each operate up to three functional "channels" simultaneously and independently. Each channel can support microscale light-emitting diodes (µLEDs) for in-vivo optogenetics, microscale temperature sensors, and thermal actuators, and they can be extended to accommodate additional functionalities. The modules can operate using different power solutions, depending on experimental needs: various sizes and capacities of batteries for wireless operation, or wired power for indefinite run time.