Brain Gate Technology

CHAPTER 1

1. INTRODUCTION

Brain Gate is a brain implant system developed by the bio-tech company

Cyber kinetics in 2003 in conjunction with the Department of Neuroscience at
Brown University. The device was designed to help those who have lost control of
their limbs, or other bodily functions, such as patients with amyotrophic lateral
sclerosis (ALS) or spinal cord injury.The computer chip, which is implanted into
the brain, monitors brain activity in the patient and converts the intention of the
user into computer commands.

Cyber kinetics describes that, "Such applications may include novel

communications interfaces for motor impaired patients, as well as the monitoring
and treatment of certain diseases which manifest themselves in patterns of brain
activity, such as epilepsy and depression."

According to the Cyber kinetics' website, three patients have been implanted
with the Brain Gate system. The company has confirmed that one patient (Matt
Nagle) has a spinal cord injury, while another has advanced ALS.

The remarkable breakthrough offers hope that people who are paralyzed will
one day be able to independently operate artificial limbs, computers or
wheelchairs. The implant, called Brain Gate, allowed Matthew Nagle, a 25-year-
old Massachusetts man who has been paralyzed from the neck down since 2001, to
control a cursor on a screen and to open and close the hand on a prosthetic limb
just by thinking about the relevant actions. Professor Donoghue's work is published

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today in Nature. He describes how, after a few minutes spent calibrating the
implant, Mr. Nagle could read emails and play the computer game Pong. He was
able to draw circular shapes using a paint program and could also change channel
and turn up the volume on a television, even while talking to people around him.
After several months, he could also operate simple robotic devices such as a
prosthetic hand, which he used to grasp and move objects from his wheelchair.
This marks the first time that neural movement signals have been recorded and
decoded in a human with spinal cord injury. The system is also the first to allow a
human to control his surrounding environment using his mind.

1.1. Mathew Nagle using Brain Gate

NAGLE’S STATEMENT:

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“I can't put it into words. It's just—I use my brain. I just thought it. I said,
"Cursor go up to the top right." And it did, and now I can control it all over the
screen. It will give me a sense of independence.”

In addition to real-time analysis of neuron patterns to relay movement, the

Brain gate array is also capable of recording electrical data for later analysis. A
potential use of this feature would be for a neurologist to study seizure patterns in a
patient with epilepsy. The 'Brain Gate' device can provide paralyzed or motor-
impaired patients a mode of communication through the translation of thought into
direct computer control. The technology driving this breakthrough in the Brain-
Machine-Interface field has a myriad of potential applications, including the
development of human augmentation for military and commercial purposes.

The Brain Fate Neural Interface device consists of a tiny chip containing 100
microscopic electrodes that is surgically implanted in the brain's motor cortex. This
tiny chip contains tiny spikes that will extend down about one millimeter into the
brain after being implanted beneath the skull, monitoring the activity from a small
group of neurons. The chip can read signals from the motor cortex, send that
information to a computer via connected wires, and translate it to control the
movement of a computer cursor or a robotic arm. It will now be possible for a
patient with spinal cord injury to produce brain signals that relay the intention of
moving the paralyzed limbs, as signals to an implanted sensor, which is then output
as electronic impulses. These impulses enable the user to operate mechanical
devices with the help of a computer cursor.The whole apparatus is the size of a
baby aspirin.

According to Dr. John Donaghue of Cyber kinetics, there is practically no

training required to use Brain Gate because the signals read by a chip implanted,

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for example, in the area of the motor cortex for arm movement, are the same
signals that would be sent to the real arm. A user with an implanted chip can
immediately begin to move a cursor with thought alone. However, because
movement carries a variety of information such as velocity, direction, and
acceleration, there are many neurons involved in controlling that movement. Brain
Gate is only reading signals from an extremely small sample of those cells and,
therefore, only receiving a fraction of the instructions. Without all of the
information, the initial control of a robotic hand may not be as smooth as the
natural movement of a real hand. But with practice, the user can refine those
movements using signals from only that sample of cells.

The Brain Gate technology platform was designed to take advantage of the
fact that many patients with motor impairment have an intact brain that can
produce movement commands. This may allow the Brain Gate system to create an
output signal directly from the brain, bypassing the route through the nerves to the
muscles that cannot be used in paralyzed people.

Brain gate is currently recruiting patients with a range of neuromuscular and

neurodegenerative conditions for pilot clinical trials in the United States. Cyber
kinetics hopes to refine the Brain Gate in the next two years to develop a wireless
device that is completely implantable and doesn't have a plug, making it safer and
less visible and once the basics of brain mapping are worked out there is potential
for a wide variety of further applications.Surgeon explains, "If you could detect or
predict the onset of epilepsy, which would be a huge therapeutic application for
people who have seizures, which leads to the idea of a 'Pacemaker for the Brain'.
So eventually people may have this technology in their brains and if something
starts to go wrong it will take a therapeutic action. That could be available by 2007
to 2008."

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CHAPTER 2

2. BRAIN GATE

2.1. NEURAL INTERFACE SYSTEM DEVICE

The Brain Gate Neural Interface System is currently the subject of a pilot
clinical trial being conducted under an Investigational Device Exemption (IDE)
from the FDA. The system is designed to restore functionality for a limited,
immobile group of severely motor-impaired individuals. It is expected that people
using the Brain Gate System will employ a personal computer as the gateway to a
range of self-directed activities. These activities may extend beyond typical
computer functions (e.g., communication) to include the control of objects in the
environment such as a telephone, a television and lights.

The Brain Gate Neural Interface Device is a proprietary brain computer

interface that uses an internal sensor to detect brain activity and external processors
that convert these brain signals into a computer-mediated output under the person’s
own control. The Brain Gate System is a hardware device that uses software. The

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sensor consists of a tiny chip, smaller than a baby aspirin, which contains one
hundred electrode sensors that each tap into a separate neuron. Brain Gate senses,
analyses, and transmits the data from the brain to an outside system. This allows
the user to interact with the outside world in a more independent way. The ultimate
goal of the Brain Gate System development program is to create a safe, effective
and unobtrusive universal operating system that will enable those with motor
impairments to control a wide range of devices, including computers, assistive
technologies and medical devices, by simply using their thoughts.

Brain Gate contains a chip that is implanted on the surface of the motor
cortex area of the brain. In the pilot version of the device, a cable connects the
sensor to an external signal processor in a cart that contains three computers. The
computers translate hard-to detect brain signals to create the communication output
using custom decoding software. When the patient is connected to the system he or
she can mentally move the cursor just like a mouse would do. John Donoghue, the
chair of the Department of Neuroscience at Brown University, led the original
project research and went on to co-found Cyber kinetics, where he is currently
chief scientific officer overseeing the clinical trial. Hugh Herr, another scientist,
also helped in the development of a neural interface system. Herr became very
passionate about the development of a technology that would give independence
and movement back to people that were physically impaired. Herr lost both legs at
a young age from frostbite. He then started research on combining both body and
machine, his research has already made a significant impact for people that are
physically challenged. He has helped in the development of many prosthetics.

The development of the Brain Gate System brain-computer interface is to

enable those with severe paralysis and other neurological conditions to live more
productively and independently. Also, scientists are developing the Brain Gate

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System’s underlying core technology in the NeuroPort System to enable improved

diagnosis and treatment for a number of neurological conditions, such as epilepsy
and brain trauma. The NeuroPort System is a neural monitor designed for acute
inpatient applications and labeled for temporary recording and monitoring of brain
electrical activity. Brain Gate will be the first human device that has been designed
to record, filter, and amplify multiple channels of simultaneously recorded neural
activity at a very high spatial and temporal resolution. It has been thoroughly
researched and will contribute to the diagnosis and treatment of neurological
conditions in patients who have undergone a craniotomy. This will give
neurologists and neurosurgeons a new resource to detect, transmit and analyze
neural activity.

2.1. Brain Gate Technology

Dr. Steve Williams, a clinical advisor to Cyber kinetics, presented a

description of the Brain Gate Controller, a next generation, standardized interface
system that is under development. The development of this system would replace
the initial prototype controller which has been used in the Brain Gate trial until

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now. The M*Power Controller is designed to allow a Brain Gate System patient to
control a standard wireless computer device. The new interface is also intended to
be easier to use for patients and their families, so they can access the capabilities of
the system on a routine basis without reliance on a technician. These two closely
linked efforts are intended to yield a Brain Gate System allowing patients
significant control over their environment, the ability to readily perform numerous
daily activities that are currently beyond their reach, and vastly enhance
communications opportunities. For example, use of the M*Controller as an
interface control, by thought alone would allow patients to perform a range of tasks
including: making and receiving telephone calls, controlling remote devices,
accessing the internet, and communicating via e-mail.

The Brain Gate system includes hardware and software and may be used as a
telecommunication device in the future. This could greatly impact a business or
organization. It will give people with disabilities a chance to work at a business
just like anyone else. With this technology they will be able use a wide variety of
devices and may also lead to a decline in the use of hands onactivities. With the
development of devices such as these, one day everyone may have chips in their
brain that will allow them to perform tasks without the use of their body.

We have presented to you an overview of the technology known as the Brain

Gate System. Above, we have described the technology, discussed how it could
impact a business or organization, and how the developers are planning to take this
technology to the next level. Here is a recap of the main points:

 Brain Gate is a neural interface system device that has a chip that reads brain
activity through the use of sensors and then transmits the activities to three
computers which convert the thoughts into actions.

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 This system is used for people that are physically impaired; it helps give
them the independence and the capabilities of the norm. The scientists
working on Brain Gate hope to create an operating system that is safe,
effective and unobtrusive. The neurologists are constantly trying to come up
with more ideas to push this form of emerging technology further.

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2.2. HISTORY

After 10 years of study and research, Cyber kinetics, a biotech company in

Foxboro, Massachusetts, has developed Brain Gate in 2003. Dr. John Donaghue,
director of the brain science program at Brown University, Rhode Island, and chief
scientific officer of Cyber kinetics, the company behind the brain implant, lead the
team to research and develop this brain implant system. He studied the functioning
of Brain gate in monkeys and proved that they were able to control a cursor on a
computer monitor with their thoughts. They have not only demonstrated in
preclinical studies that brain gate can remain safely implanted in the (monkey)
brain for at least two years, but have shown that it can safely be removed as well.

2.3. ABOUT THE BRAINGATE DEVICE

The Brain gate pilot device consists of a Sensor of the size of a contact
lens, a cable and pedestal, which connects the chip to the computer, a cart which
consists of the signal processing unit.

2.2. Brain Gate Pilot Device

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2.4. NEURO CHIP:

Currently the chip uses 100 hair-thin electrodes that 'hear' neurons firing in
specific areas of the brain, for example, the area that controls arm movement. The
activities are translated into electrically charged signals and are then sent and
decoded using a program, which can move either a robotic arm or a computer
cursor.

2.3. Brain Gate Chip 2.4. 96 electrode sensors

In addition to real-time analysis of neuron patterns to relay movement, the

Brain gate array is also capable of recording electrical data for later analysis. A
potential use of this feature would be for a neurologist to study seizure patterns in a
patient with epilepsy.

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CHAPTER 3
3. BCI TECHNOLOGY

Brain computer interfaces determine the intent of the user from a variety of
different electrophysiological signals which include slow cortical potentials, P300
potentials or beta rhythms recorded from the scalp.

Research on BCIs began in the 1970s, but it wasn't until the mid-1990s that
the first working experimental implants in humans appeared. Following years of
animal experimentation, early working implants in humans now exist, designed to
restore damaged hearing, sight and movement. The common thread throughout the
research is the remarkable cortical plasticity of the brain, which often adapts to
BCIs, treating prostheses controlled by implants as natural limbs. With recent
advances in technology and knowledge, pioneering researchers could now
conceivably attempt to produce BCIs that augment human functions rather than
simply restoring them, previously only the realm of science fiction.

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3.1. BCI Working

3.1. BCI v/s NEUROPROSTHETICS

Neuroprosthetics is an area of neuroscience concerned with neural

prostheses — using artificial devices to replace the function of impaired nervous
systems or sensory organs. The most widely used neuroprosthetic device is the
cochlear implant, which was implanted in approximately 100,000 people
worldwide as of 2006. There are also several neuroprosthetic devices that aim to
restore vision, including retinal implants, although this article only discusses
implants directly into the brain.

The differences between BCIs and neuroprosthetics are mostly in the ways
the terms are used: neuroprosthetics typically connect the nervous system, to a
device, whereas the term “BCIs” usually connects the brain (or nervous system)
with a computer system. Practical neuroprosthetics can be linked to any part of the
nervous system, for example peripheral nerves, while the term "BCI" usually
designates a narrower class of systems which interface with the central nervous
system.

The terms are sometimes used interchangeably and for good reason.
Neuroprosthetics and BCI seek to achieve the same aims, such as restoring sight,
hearing, movement, ability to communicate, and even cognitive function. Both use
similar experimental methods and surgical techniques.

Based on the communicative Pathway BCI is classified as follows:

3.1.1. One Way BCI: Computers either accept commands from the brain or send
signals to it (for example, to restore vision) but not both.

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3.1.2. Two Way BCI: Brains and external devices can exchange information in
both directions but have yet to be successfully implanted in animals or
humans

Brain Computer interface is of three types based on its features and are

3.2.1 Invasive BCI

3.2.2 Partially Invasive BCI
3.2.3 Non Invasive BCI

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CHAPTER 4
4. IMPLEMENTATION OF BRAIN GATE

4.1. PRINCIPLE

"The principle of operation of the Brain Gate Neural Interface System is that
with intact brain function, neural signals are generated even though they are not
sent to the arms, hands and legs. These signals are interpreted by the System and a
cursor is shown to the user on a computer screen that provides an alternate "Brain
Gate pathway". The user can use that cursor to control the computer, just as a
mouse is used."

4.2. HOW DOES THE BRAIN CONTROL MOTOR FUNCTION?

The brain is "hardwired" with connections, which are made by billions of

neurons that make electricity whenever they are stimulated. The electrical patterns
are called brain waves. Neurons act like the wires and gates in a computer,
gathering and transmitting electrochemical signals over distances as far as several
feet. The brain encodes information not by relying on single neurons, but by
spreading it across large populations of neurons, and by rapidly adapting to new
circumstances.

Motor neurons carry signals from the central nervous system to the muscles,
skin and glands of the body, while sensory neurons carry signals from those outer
parts of the body to the central nervous system. Receptors sense things like

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chemicals, light, and sound and encode this information into electrochemical
signals transmitted by the sensory neurons and interneuron tie everything together
by connecting the various neurons within the brain and spinal cord. The part of the
brain that controls motor skills is located at the ear of the frontal lobe.

4.3. HOW DOES THIS COMMUNICATION HAPPEN?

Muscles in the body's limbs contain embedded sensors called muscle spindles
that measure the length and speed of the muscles as they stretch and contract as
you move. Other sensors in the skin respond to stretching and pressure. Even if
paralysis or disease damages the part of the brain that processes movement, the
brain still makes neural signals. They're just not being sent to the arms, hands and
legs.

A technique called neurofeedback uses connecting sensors on the scalp to

translate brain waves into information a person can learn from. The sensors register
different frequencies of the signals produced in the brain. These changes in brain
wave patterns indicate whether someone is concentrating or suppressing his
impulses, or whether he is relaxed or tense.

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CHAPTER 5
5. WORKING

Operation of the BCI system is not simply listening the EEG of user in a way
that let’s tap this EEG in and listen what happens. The user usually generates some
sort of mental activity pattern that is later detected and classified.

5.1. PREPROCESSING

The raw EEG signal requires some preprocessing before the feature
extraction. This preprocessing includes removing unnecessary frequency bands,
averaging the current brain activity level, transforming the measured scalp
potentials to cortex potentials and denoising.

5.2. DETECTION

The detection of the input from the user and them translating it into an action
could be considered as key part of any BCI system. This detection means to try to
find out these mental tasks from the EEG signal. It can be done in time-domain,
e.g. by comparing amplitudes of the EEG and in frequency-domain. This involves
usually digital signal processing for sampling and band pass filtering the signal,
then calculating these time -or frequency domain features and then classifying
them. These classification algorithms include simple comparison of amplitudes
linear and non-linear equations and artificial neural networks. By constant
feedback from user to the system and vice versa, both partners gradually learn
more from each other and improve the overall performance.

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5.3. CONTROL

The final part consists of applying the will of the user to the used application.
The user chooses an action by controlling his brain activity, which is then detected
and classified to corresponding action. Feedback is provided to user by audio-
visual means e.g. when typing with virtual keyboard, letter appears to the message
box etc.

5.4. SOFTWARE BEHIND BRAIN GATE

Software is necessary for transmission of the signals from the chip implanted
on the brain to the machine and for decoding these signals and to convert it to
corresponding action by the machine.

The computers translate brain activity and create the communication output
using custom decoding software and the algorithms are written in languages like C,
Java and MATLAB.The software is a BCI based on trials which is a time interval
where the user generates brainwaves to perform an action.The signals are
processed and associated to a given class and is done by feeding a neural net with
the preprocessed EEG data. Further the neural net’s output is processed and this
final output corresponds to the given class.The software has three operating modes
and they are Simulation, Recording and Training.

5.4.1. SIMULATION & RECORDING

The simulationmode is used to test the BCI. Recordingis the same as

simulation, with the difference that the EEG data is recorded and used as
training examples.

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It further has 3 operations within and they are Preparation, Prerecording and
Recording.

5.4.2. TRAINING

The training is the part where the user adapts to the BCI system. This
training begins with very simple exercises where the user is familiarized
with mental activity which is used to relay the information to the computer.
Motivation, frustration, fatigue, etc. apply also here and their effect should
be taken into consideration when planning the training procedures.

5.5. BIO FEEDBACK

The definition of the biofeedback is biological information which is returned to

the source that created it, so that source can understand it and have control over it.
This biofeedback in BCI systems is usually provided by visually, e.g. the user sees
cursor moving up or down or letter being selected from the alphabet.

5.6. PLATFORM TECHNOLOGY

Neurons are cells that use a language of electrical impulses to communicate

messages from the brain to the rest of the body. At Cyber kinetics, we have the
technology to sense, transmit, analyze and apply the language of neurons. We are
developing products to restore function, as well as to monitor, detect, and respond
to a variety of neurological diseases and disorders.

Cyber kinetics offers a systems approach with a core technology to sense,

transmit, analyze and apply the language of neurons in both short and long-term
settings. Our platform technology is based on the results of several years of
research and development at premier academic institutions such as Brown

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University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Emory University, and the

University of Utah.

5.7. SENSE

Cyber kinetics unique technology is able to simultaneously sense the electrical

activity of many individual neurons. Our sensor consists of a silicon array about
the size of a baby aspirin that contains one hundred electrodes, each thinner than a
human hair. The array is implanted on the surface of the brain. In the Brain Gate
Neural Interface System, the array is implanted in the area of the brain responsible
for limb movement. In other applications the array may be implanted in areas of
the brain responsible for other body processes.

5.8. TRANSMIT AND ANALYSE

The human brain is a super computer with the ability to instantaneously process
vast amounts of information. Cyber kinetics technology allows for an extensive
amount of electrical activity data to be transmitted from neurons in the brain to
computers for analysis. In the current Brain Gate System, a bundle consisting of
one hundred gold wires connects the array to a pedestal which extends through the
scalp. The pedestal is connected by an external cable to a set of computers in
which the data can be stored for off-line analysis or analyzed in real-time. Signal
processing software algorithms analyze the electrical activity of neurons and
translate it into control signals for use in various computer-based applications.

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5.1. Brain Computer Interface-I

5.2. Brain Computer Interface-II

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5.9. APPLY

Cyber kinetics ability to generate control signals and develop computer application
interfaces provides us with a platform to develop multiple clinical products. For
example, using the Brain Gate Neural Interface System, a person may be able to
use his thoughts to control cursor motion and/or replicate keystrokes on a computer
screen. In another example, a doctor may study patterns of brain electrical activity
in patients with epilepsy before, during and after seizures.

5.10. IMPLANTING THE CHIP

There will be two surgeries, one to implant the Brain Gate and one to remove it.
Before surgery, there will be several precautionary measures in order to prevent
infection; patients will have daily baths with antimicrobial soap and take
antibiotics. In addition, MRI scans will be done to find the best place on the brain
for the sensor. Under sterile conditions and general anesthesia, Doctor will drill a
small hole into the skull and implant the sensor using the same methods as in the
monkey studies. Patients will receive post-surgical care including a CT scan, some
blood tests, and wound care in the hospital for 1 to 5 days after surgery. After
surgery, one of the study doctors will see the patients at least once a week for six
weeks, then monthly and as needed. A nurse will also check the patients regularly
and will always carry a 24-hour pager. The skin around the pedestal will need to be
carefully monitored during the study. Detailed instructions will be provided so that
the patient’s daily care provider can help with skin care.

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5.3. Neuromotor Prosthetic Device

The sensor of the size of a contact lens is implanted in brain’s percental gyrus
which control hand and arm movements. A tiny wire connects the chip to a small
pedestal secured in the scull. A cable connects the pedestal to a computer. The
brain's 100bn neurons fire between 20 and 200 times a second .The sensor
implanted in the brain senses these electrical signals and passes to the pedestal
through the wire. The pedestal passes this signals to the computer through the
cable. The computer translates the signals into a communication output, allowing a
person to move a cursor on a computer screen merely by thinking about it.

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CHAPTER 6
6. BRAIN GATE RESEARCH IN ANIMALS

Rats implanted with BCIs in Theodore Berger's experiments. Several laboratories

have managed to record signals from monkey and rat cerebral cortexes in order to
operate BCIs to carry out movement. Monkeys have navigated computer cursors
on screen and commanded robotic arms to perform simple tasks simply by thinking
about the task and without any motor output. Other research on cats has decoded
visual signals.

6.1. Brain Gate Research in Animals

Garrett Stanley's recordings of cat vision using a BCI implanted in the lateral
geniculation nucleus (top row: original image; bottom row: recording) in 1999,
researchers led by Garrett Stanley at Harvard University decoded neuronal firings
to reproduce images seen by cats. The team used an array of electrodes embedded
in the thalamus (which integrates all of the brain’s sensory input) of sharp-eyed
cats. Researchers targeted 177 brain cells in the thalamus lateral geniculation
nucleus area, which decodes signals from the retina. The cats were shown eight

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short movies, and their neuron firings were recorded. Using mathematical filters,
the researchers decoded the signals to generate movies of what the cats saw and
were able to reconstruct recognizable scenes and moving objects.

There has been rapid development in BCIs since the mid-1990s. Several groups
have been able to capture complex brain motor centre signals using recordings
from neural ensembles (groups of neurons) and use these to control external
devices, including research groups led by Richard Andersen, John Donoghue,
Phillip Kennedy, Miguel Nicolelis, and Andrew Schwartz.

Later experiments by Nicolelis using rhesus monkeys, succeeded in closing the

feedback loop and reproduced monkey reaching and grasping movements in a
robot arm. With their deeply cleft and furrowed brains, rhesus monkeys are
considered to be better models for human neurophysiology than owl monkeys. The
monkeys were trained to reach and grasp objects on a computer screen by
manipulating a joystick while corresponding movements by a robot arm were
hidden. The monkeys were later shown the robot directly and learned to control it
by viewing its movements. The BCI used velocity predictions to control reaching
movements and simultaneously predicted hand gripping force.

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CHAPTER 7
7. APPLICATIONS OF BRAIN GATE

 MULTI DEVICE PATIENT AMBULATION SYSTEM

A sensor with a number of electrodes for detecting multi cellular signals, a
processing unit configured to receive the multi cellular signals and produce a
processed signal, and transmit the processed signal to a controlled device.
This helps the patient in achieving movement.
 BIOLOGICALINTERFACESYSTEMWITHPATIENTTRAI
NINGAPPARATUS
The system includes a patient training apparatus configured to receive a
patient training signal that causes the patient training apparatus to
controllably move one or more joints of the patient.
 BIOLOGICAL INTERFACE SYSTEM WITH SURROGATE
CONTROLLED DEVICE
Multi cellular signals emanating from one or more living cells of a patient,
and a processing unit configured to receive the multi cellular signals from
the sensor and process the multi cellular signals to produce a processed
signal. The processing unit may be configured to transmit the processed
signal to a controlled device.
 LIMB AND DIGIT MOVEMENT SYSTEM
Data from the joint movement device is transmitted to the processing unit
for determining a value of a configuration parameter of the system and
controlled cables that produce the forces required.

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 DARPA
DARPA has been interested in Brain-Machine-Interfaces (BMI) for military
applications like wiring fighter pilots directly to their planes to allow
autonomous flight from the safety of the ground.
 MENTAL TYPEWRITER
This application demonstrates how a paralyzed patient could communicate
by using a mental typewriter alone without touching the keyboard.

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CHAPTER 8
8. COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES AND
DISADVANTAGES

8.1. ADVANTAGES

The Brain Gate Neural Interface System is being designed to one day allow the
user to interface with a computer and/or other devices at a level of speed, accuracy
and precision that is comparable to, or even faster than, what is possible with the
hands of a non-disabled person. The Brain Gate System may offer substantial
improvement over existing assistive technologies. Currently available assistive
devices have significant limitations for both the person in need and the caregiver.
For example, even simple switches must be adjusted frequently, a process that can
be time consuming. In addition, these devices are often obtrusive and may prevent
the user from being able to simultaneously use the device and at the same time
establish eye contact or carry on conversations with others.

Potential advantages of the Brain Gate System over other muscle driven or
brain-based computer interface approaches include: its potential to interface with a
computer without weeks or months of training; its potential to be used in an
interactive environment, where the user's ability to operate the device is not
affected by their speech, eye movements or ambient noise; and the ability to
provide significantly more usefulness and utility than other approaches by
connecting directly to the part of the brain that controls hand movement and
gestures.

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8.2. DISADVANTAGES

 The disadvantage of the Brain Gate System is that at this time, while still
being perfected, the switches must be frequently adjusted which is a time
consuming process. As the device is perfected this will not be an issue.
There is also a worry that devices such as this will “normalize” society. The
Brain Gate Neural Interface System has not been approved by the FDA, but
has been approved for IDE status, which means that it has been approved for
pre-market clinical trials. There are no estimates on cost or insurance at this
time.
 Difficulty in adaptation and learning.
 Limitation in information transform rate. The latest technology is 20
bits/min.

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CHAPTER 9
9. FUTURE ENHANCEMENTS

 Future Brain Gate system products may control devices that allow breathing,
bladder and bowel movements.
 Development of second generation patient interface software that will enable
users to perform a wide variety of daily activities without the assistance of
the technician.
 Development of a Brain Gate system which has a wireless interface between
the implanted server and the computer.

9.1. FUTURE OF NEURAL INTERFACES

Cyber kinetics has a vision, CEO Tim Surgeon explained to Gizmag, but it is not
promising "miracle cures", or that quadriplegic people will be able to walk again
yet. Their primary goal is to help restore many activities of daily living that are
impossible for paralyzed people and to provide a platform for the development of a
wide range of other assistive devices.Cyber kinetics hopes to refine the Brain Gate
in the next two years to develop a wireless device that iscompletely implantable
and doesn't have a plug, making it safer and less visible. Surgeon also sees a time
not too far off where normal humans are interfacing with Brain Gate technology to
enhance their relationship with the digital world - if they're willing to be
implanted.Scientists have for the first time developed a brain implant that allows
people to control electronic devices by thought alone.

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CHAPTER 10
10. CONCLUSION

The invention of Brain gate is such a revolution in medical field. The remarkable
breakthrough offers hope that people who are paralyzed will one day be able to
independently operate artificial limbs, computers or wheelchairs.

The idea of moving robots or prosthetic devices not by manual control, but
by mere “thinking” (i.e., the brain activity of human subjects) has been a fascinated
approach. Medical cures are unavailable for many forms of neural and muscular
paralysis. The enormity of the deficits caused by paralysis is a strong motivation to
pursue BMI solutions. So this idea helps many patients to control the prosthetic
devices of their own by simply thinking about the task.

This technology is well supported by the latest fields of Biomedical

Instrumentation, Microelectronics; signal processing, Artificial Neural Networks
and Robotics which has overwhelming developments. Hope these systems will be
effectively implemented for many biomedical applications.

WITH A BRAINGATE YOU CAN:

 Turn on or off the lights on your room

 Check and read E-mails
 Play games in computer
 Use your PC
 Watch and control your Television

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 Brain Gate Technology

 Control a robotic arm 10.1 Advantages of Brain

Gate

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CHAPTER 11
11. BIBILIOGRAPHY

Websites:

 http://www.cyberkineticsinc.com
 http://www.bbcnews.com
 http://www.wikipedia.org
 http://www.wired.com
 http://www.howstuffworks.com
 http://www.google.com
 http://www.scribd.com

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