Cleveland Open Source Modular Implant Innovators Community COSMIIC

The Networked Neural Prosthesis (NNP), which forms the basis of the COSMIIC library, is already in use in people with spinal cord injuries and provides a range of recording and stimulation capabilities. Implanting multiple modules at the same time enables 10+ channel operation. However, many applications simply require higher channel count modules for when there is a multichannel electrode array in one location (e.g. Utah arrays, ECoG style cardiac electrodes, multicontact C-FINE nerve cuffs, spinal paddle electrodes, etc.). The goal of this NEST, entitled High-density Interconnects with Variable Electronics or “HIVE”, is to design a high channel count general purpose device for both recording and stimulation. Our team has the unique expertise to complete this task. The existing NNP provides a great deal of reusable circuitry, and the Chestek Lab has already designed a 96-channel NNP recording module that is in use in weekly monkey experiments. Medical device packaging and validation testing experts Drs. Doug Shire and Janet Gbur, meanwhile, have developed world-leading high-density hermetic packaging for visual prosthetics and Nano-Jet aerosol-3D printed connector/lead assemblies. We will achieve our goal in the following three specific aims: Aim 1) Create and validate an electronics module for 64 channel recording. We will design and validate modular circuitry for 64-channel recording, based on our previous published NNP module (Bullard et al. 2019) using microchips from Intan Technologies. Aim 2) Create and validate a general purpose 64-channel package. We will create a general purpose 64-channel package compatible with the NNP network, only slightly larger than existing modules. We will achieve this by using multiple commercial off the shelf 8 channel feedthroughs within the same welded titanium package. This package will be usable with hardwired connections, and we will also develop a novel connector system for up to 64 channels. Aim 3) Create and validate a module for 32 channel stimulation and recording. There are many applications that would benefit from higher channel count stimulation as well as simultaneous recording and stimulation on the same electrodes. Therefore, we will design and validate modular circuitry for a 32-channel bidirectional module. After we are done, there will be a catalog of high channel count implantable device components that can be adopted in whole or in part by academic users or even startup medical companies looking for an initial foothold for a new application. These designs will be fully documented, including the supply chain, with the verification and validation tests results and design files provided publicly online.

Visit the website for the multi-institution group: https://cosmiic.org