Floating EMG sensors and stimulators wirelessly powered and operated by volume conduction for networked neuroprosthetics.
Laura Becerra-Fajardo, Marc Oliver Krob, Jesus Minguillon and 7 others
PMID 35672857WHAT IT FOUND
Wireless devices powered by high-frequency currents through the body successfully recorded muscle activity and stimulated movement in anaesthetised rabbits.
The system met safety limits for tissue heating, but the devices are not yet suitable for chronic human use.
Key findings
01The devices successfully recorded EMG signals and generated muscle contractions in the hindlimbs of anaesthetised rabbits.
02The high-frequency current bursts used for power and communication stayed below safety limits for tissue heating.
03Bidirectional communication with the devices was reliable, achieving a 100% success rate in configuration tests.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
The study was performed in anaesthetised rabbits, not humans. The devices are semi-implantable with external components, making them unsuitable for chronic use due to infection and extraction risks. The external electrodes saturated the EMG amplifier, requiring specific timing windows to record muscle activity accurately. The system uses a single channel for both power and communication, preventing simultaneous data transfer from multiple devices.
Declared interests
The work was supported by non-U.S. government funding and was part of the EXTEND collaborative project funded by the European Commission.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume this technology is ready for human clinical application. The devices tested were semi-implantable and not suitable for chronic use, and the results are limited to acute experiments in anaesthetised animals.