A major hurdle in brain-machine interfaces (BMI) is the lack of an implantable neural interface system that remains viable for a lifetime. This paper explores the fundamental system design trade-offs and ultimate size, power, and bandwidth scaling limits of neural recording systems built from low-power CMOS circuitry coupled with ultrasonic power delivery and backscatter communication. In particular, we propose an ultra-miniature as well as extremely compliant system that enables massive scaling in the number of neural recordings from the brain while providing a path towards truly chronic BMI. These goals are achieved via two fundamental technology innovations: 1) thousands of 10 - 100 \mu m scale, free-floating, independent sensor nodes, or neural dust, that detect and report local extracellular electrophysiological data, and 2) a sub-cranial interrogator that establishes power and communication links with the neural dust.
@article{arxiv.1307.2196,
title = {Neural Dust: An Ultrasonic, Low Power Solution for Chronic Brain-Machine Interfaces},
author = {Dongjin Seo and Jose M. Carmena and Jan M. Rabaey and Elad Alon and Michel M. Maharbiz},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1307.2196},
year = {2013}
}