Key Takeaways & Executive Findings
- •• A 2 mm × 2 mm battery-free neural interface chip integrates 72 recording channels using dual overlapped on-chip antennas for simultaneous wireless power transfer and high-data-rate backscatter communication. • The chip achieves an 18 Mbps backscatter data rate, enabling real-time transmission of massive multi-channel neural data without a battery. • An orthogonal coding and sampling technique reduces per-channel power consumption and area, facilitating high-density integration. • Fabricated in 65 nm CMOS, the design demonstrates a compact, scalable solution for high-channel-count implantable neural interfaces.
Abstract
Battery-free radio systems utilizing wireless power transfer (WPT) further facilitate the miniaturization of neural implants. However, simultaneous monitoring of multiple neuronal activities is required to obtain high-fidelity neural signals. Consequently, the integration of numerous channels on a single chip and the wireless transmission of massive multi-channel data pose significant challenges for implantable battery-free neural interfaces. This work introduces dual overlapped on-chip antennas to eliminate the need for a battery in the neural implants and enable high-data-rate backscatter for transmitting the massive data acquired simultaneously from 72 channels. Additionally, an orthogonal coding and sampling technique is employed to reduce both power consumption and area per channel. Fabricated in a 65 nm CMOS process, the proposed chip integrates 72 neural recording channels within a 2 mm × 2 mm area and achieves a backscatter data rate of 18 Mbps.
1. Introduction
Wireless neural-recording technology has significantly advanced brain-computer interface (BCI) applications by enabling fully implantable neural interfaces[1, 2]. To gain profound insights into the complex mechanisms of brain functions, it is essential for neural-recording systems to achieve high-fidelity signal acquisition and large-scale parallel monitoring across numerous channels simultaneously[3−6]. Consequently, battery-free multi-channel neural-recording systems leveraging wireless power transfer (WPT) have substantially contributed to the miniaturization of neural implants. This progress enables minimally invasive deployment over extended brain regions, thereby facilitating the acquisition of neural signals across diverse cortical areas.
However, the transmission of massive data from parallel recording channels through a battery-free radio presents significant challenges: (1) Active radios use one antenna or electrode for power harvesting while another is dedicated to data communication[1, 3, 7, 8], as depicted in Fig. 1(a). This architecture avoids interference between power transfer and communication by operating at distinct frequencies, thereby allowing for a higher data rate. For instance, a data rate of 20.48 Mbps has been achieved for four simultaneously recording channels[1]. However, the active transmitter in this method consumes large power (655 µW in Ref. [1]), while two separate antennas enlarge the implantable system.
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Yili Shen, Yunshan Zhang, Changgui Yang, Yuxuan Luo, Bo Zhao (2025). A 2 mm × 2 mm battery-free neural interface achieving 72-channel wireless simultaneous recording by dual overlapped on-chip antennas. SinoTechIntel Verified Research. https://doi.org/10.1088/1674-4926/25120027
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main innovation of this neural interface chip?
The chip uses dual overlapped on-chip antennas to enable simultaneous wireless power transfer and high-data-rate backscatter communication, eliminating the need for a battery and achieving 72-channel recording in a 2 mm × 2 mm area.
How does the chip achieve high data rate without a battery?
It employs backscatter communication, which reflects the incident RF power to transmit data, achieving an 18 Mbps data rate while harvesting power from the same antennas.
What is the significance of the orthogonal coding and sampling technique?
This technique reduces power consumption and area per channel, allowing integration of 72 channels in a compact footprint without compromising performance.
What are the potential applications of this technology?
It can be used in brain-computer interfaces, neural prosthetics, and other implantable devices requiring high-channel-count, battery-free operation for long-term monitoring.
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