An ASIC System for Closed-Loop Blood Pressure Modulation Through Right Cervical Vagus Nerve Stimulation

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Cardiovascular Research
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Heart disease remains the leading global cause of mortality.
• Hypertension is a primary risk factor for heart failure, with resistant hypertension affecting many patients.
• Current pharmaceutical treatments are insufficient for some individuals with high blood pressure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel closed-loop electroceutical system for blood pressure modulation.
• To integrate electrical stimulation with real-time pressure sensing for improved hypertension management.
• To offer a drug-free therapeutic alternative for resistant hypertension.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of two ASICs for stimulation and pressure sensing using TSMC's 180 nm MS RF G process.
• Integration of ASICs with a microscale pressure sensor and a Python script to create a closed-loop system.
• In vivo testing of the system in six Long Evans rats utilizing vagus nerve stimulation.

Main Results:

• Successful calibration and benchtop verification of the closed-loop system.
• Demonstrated in vivo functionality in lowering and maintaining target blood pressure.
• The system accurately monitored pressure and initiated stimulation when thresholds were exceeded.

Conclusions:

• A novel closed-loop electroceutical system combining stimulation therapy and pressure sensing was developed.
• This system shows potential for monitoring and modulating blood pressure.
• Presents a drug-free, potentially side-effect-free therapeutic for resistant hypertension management.