Brain Computer Interface-

BrainGate Technology

By
Arthi.B (283175017)
Sandhya.S (283175171)
Veenas Katta (283175262)
 Agenda
Introduction

BCI Technology

BrainGate Background

How does the brain control motor function?

Principle

Working

Software Behind BrainGate

BrainGate Research in Animals

Other Applications

Commercial BrainGate

Advantages

Disadvantages

Future Enhancements
Introduction
•A brain computer interface, called as direct neural
interface or brain machine interface is a direct
communication pathway between human or animal
brain and an external device.

•BRAINGATE system, an example of BCI is a clinical

trial ‘to turn thoughts into action’.

•It is a mind-to-movement system that allows a

quadriplegic man to control a computer using his
thoughts.
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.
•Based on the communicative Pathway BCI is
classified as follows
One Way BCI

Two Way BCI

BCI Technology (Cont.)
•One Way BCI: Computers either accept commands from
the brain or send signals to it (for example, to restore vision)
but not both.
•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
Invasive BCI
Partially Invasive BCI
Non Invasive BCI
BrainGate Background
•Brain gate was developed by the bio-tech company
Cyberkinetics in 2003 in conjunction with the Department
of Neuroscience at Brown University.
•The BrainGate 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.
•The implant, BrainGate, allowed Matthew Nagle, a 25
year old Massachusetts man who has been paralyzed, to
perform all movements.
BrainGate Background (cont.)
BrainGate Background (Cont.)

•After few minutes spent calibrating the implant, Mr.

Matthew Nagle could read emails and plays the
computer game Pong and draw circular shapes using a
paint program and could also change channel and turn
up the volume on a television.
•The system is designed to restore functionality for a
limited, immobile group of severely motor-impair
individuals.
How Does the Brain Control Motor Function?
•The electrical patterns generated are called brain
waves are transferred through millions of Neurons that
act like the wires and gates in a computer, gathering &
transmitting the signals over distances.
•A technique called neuro feedback uses connecting
sensors on the scalp to translate brain waves.
•Even if paralysis or disease damages the part of the
brain that processes movement, the brain still generates
neural signals and that will be translated.
Principle
The principle of BrainGate
Neural Interface System is that
with intact brain function, neural
signals generated are interpreted
by the systems and a cursor is
shown to the user on a computer
screen that provides an alternate
"BrainGate pathway". The user can
use that cursor to control the
computer, just as a mouse is used.
Working

The BrainGate Neural Interface device consists of a

tiny chip containing 100 microscopic electrodes that is
surgically implanted in the brain's motor cortex which
can read the signals generated and send that
information to a computer via connected wires and the
neural pathway, and these signals are decoded using a
decoding algorithm and translated to control the
movement of a computer cursor or a robotic arm.
Working (Cont.) Motor Cortex

•The chip is implanted on the

surface of the brain in the motor cortex
area that controls movement. In the
pilot version of the device, a cable
connects the sensor to an external
signal processor in a cart that contains
computers. The computers translate
brain activity and create the
communication output using custom
decoding software.
Phases in Working
SENSE

The sensor consists of a silicon array that contains one

hundred electrodes. The array is implanted on the surface of the
brain and sense the signals that are generated. In other
applications the array may be implanted in areas of the brain
responsible for other body processes.

TRANSMIT AND ANALYSE

A bundle consisting of one hundred 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. The activities are
processed and translated to control signals.
Phases in Working (Cont.)
APPLY

It is the ability to generate control signals and develop

computer application. This interfaces provide us with a platform
to develop multiple clinical products.

IMPLANTING THE CHIP

There will be two surgeries, one to implant the BrainGate

and one to remove it. Braingate is one of electrode implanted in
brain. Individual electrodes are 1-mm long and spaced 4mm apart,
in a 10x10 grid. The electrical signal exchanged by neurons within
brain. Those signals are sent when the brain executes a body
movement.
Phases in Working (Cont.)
Phases in Working (Cont.)
PREPROCESSING

It includes removing unnecessary frequency bands,

averaging the current brain activity level, transforming the
measured scalp potentials to cortex potentials and
demonizing.

DETECTION

Detection involves trying to find out these mental tasks

from the EEG signal. This involves usually digital signal
processing for sampling and band pass filtering the signal
and then classifying them.
Phases in Working (Cont.)
CONTROL

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 .

TRAINING

The training is the part where the user adapts to the BCI
system.

FEEDBACK

In BCI, the biological information which is returned to the

source that created, is provided visually.
Phases in Working (Cont.)
Phases in Working (Cont.)
Software Behind BrainGate

•Softwares are 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.
Working of the Software

•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.
Working of the Software (Cont.)
•The software has three operating modes and they
are Simulation, Recording and Training.

SIMULATION & RECORDING

The simulation mode is used to test the BCI.

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

It further has 3 operations within and they are

Preparation, Prerecording and Recording.
Working of the Software (Cont.)

TRAINING

Pressing the F3 key, the system starts to train the

neural net with the available data. The training set
used for this purpose is the set of the last Trial Buffer
recorded trials' features. Training time depends upon
the complexity of the training data and the amount of
recorded data.
BrainGate Research in Animals

EXPERIMENT ON RAT

Rats implanted with BCIs in the

experiment conducted by Theodore
Berger.

Signals recorded from the

cerebral cortex of rat to operate
BCI and to carry out the
movement.
BrainGate Research in Animals (Cont.)
EXPERIMENT ON MONKEY

Researchers at the University of

Pittsburgh had demonstrated on a
monkey that can feed itself with a
robotic arm simply by using signals
from its brain.

The output is that the monkey

was able to control a cursor on a
computer monitor via Brain Gate
using only its thoughts.
Applications of BrainGate
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.

BIOLOGICAL INTERFACE SYSTEM WITH PATIENT TRAINING

APPARATUS

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.
Applications of BrainGate (Cont.)
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.
Applications of BrainGate (Cont.)
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.
Commercial BrainGate

Although the BrainGate technology system has

been proven possible for real time
implementation, it has not been released yet
commercially. The commercial usage of this
product would take another 3-5 years for its
practical commercial release and use.
Advantages

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
• Control a robotic arm
• Watch and control your Television
Disadvantages

•The switches must be frequently adjusted- a time

consuming process.
•The BrainGate Neural Interface System has not
been approved by the FDA, but has been approved for
IDE status (approved for pre-market clinical trials).
•Difficulty in adaptation and learning.

•Limitation in information transform rate. The

latest technology is 20 bits/min.
Future Enhancements

• Future BrainGate 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 BrainGate system which has a
wireless interface between the implanted server and the
computer.
Conclusion

•Humans and machines are a part of intelligence. We

could say that the BrainGate can’t work without a human
brain and the human brain (for someone who is
paralysed) can’t function without the BrainGate system.
•BrainGate system is a system where a person can
work with a computer just by thoughts.
•BrainGate has proved to be a boon for paralyzed
people.
References
•“Brain computer Interfaces: where Human and Machine

meet”, Published by IEEE Computer Society, IEEE 2007.

•“Real-world Applications for Brain-Computer Interface
Technology”, Melody M.Moore, IEEE Transactions on
Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering, June 2003.
•www.howstuffworks.com

•www.cyberkineticsinc.com/content/medicalproducts/

BrainGate.jsp
•www.scribd.com
Thank you!!!

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