Research Team: Martin Lombard, Zachary Nairac, Timothy Constandinou (PI)
Collaborators: Rylie Green (海角社区), Nir Grossman (海角社区), Sam Barnes (海角社区), Andrew Jackson (Newcastle University), MintNeurotechnologies Ltd
Funding: Advanced Research and Innovation Agency (ARIA)
Background
Temporal interference (TI) is a novel neurostimulation technique that promises to allow the targetting of deep regions without requiring penetrating electrodes. Current TI techniques, which use external electrodes, are limited in the precision and efficacy of their neural activation. They are also typically implemented using large, general purpose laboratory electronic systems.
Our approach
This project is focussed on developing a fully implantable network of TI “pod” units, capable of both precise cortical and deep brain stimulation through their synchronised activity. Through the use of advanced integrated circuits designed for highly efficient stimulation, developed by our partners at MintNeuro, the project also envisages that the system will be capable of activating multiple independent regions simultaneously.
Parallel investigative work will also be done to discover the optimal stimulation parameters to target different cell populations by type, unveiling an entirely new paradigm of selectivity within electrical brain stimulation which could provide options to treat an enormous range of neurological conditions.