A short-impulse UWB BPSK transmitter for large-scale neural recording implants

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Electrical Engineering
• Neurotechnology

Background:

• Miniature brain implants require efficient, high-channel-count data transmission.
• Existing ultra-wide band (UWB) transmitters face limitations in power consumption and data rate for neural recording applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel impulse radio UWB transmitter for large-scale neural recordings in miniature brain implants.
• To demonstrate a UWB transmitter with high data rates and low power consumption suitable for invasive neural interfaces.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of an impulse radio UWB transmitter using BPSK modulation in a CMOS 180 nm technology.
• Utilizing two delayed impulses to encode the carrier signal for data transmission.
• Fabrication and testing of the UWB transmitter with a chip size of 300 μm × 230 μm.

Main Results:

• The UWB transmitter operates with a bandwidth of 2.6 GHz to 5.6 GHz.
• Achieved a maximum data rate of 800 Mbps.
• Demonstrated a low power consumption of 6.7 pJ/bit from a 1.8-V supply.

Conclusions:

• The developed UWB transmitter is suitable for enabling thousands of channels in miniature brain implants.
• The transmitter's performance, including bandwidth, data rate, and power efficiency, surpasses existing low-power UWB solutions for neural recording.
• This technology advances the potential for high-density, long-term neural monitoring through miniaturized implants.