Temporal interference stimulator realized with silicon chip for non-invasive neuromodulation.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Neuroscience
• Electrical Engineering

Background:

• Temporal interference stimulation (TIS) is a promising non-invasive neuromodulation technique.
• Existing TIS systems rely on bulky benchtop instruments, limiting portability.
• A dedicated system-on-chip (SoC) for TIS has not been previously reported.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and fabricate a miniaturized, portable TIS chip.
• To enable wearable applications of temporal interference stimulation.
• To address the gap in dedicated TIS hardware.

Main Methods:

• A dual-channel temporal interference stimulator was designed and fabricated using a 0.18 µm CMOS BCD process.
• The TIS chip has a silicon area of 2.66 mm² and generates output signals up to ± 5 V.
• Multiple carrier and beat frequencies were utilized, offering nine distinct operation modes.

Main Results:

• The fabricated chip successfully generated precise and reliable temporally interfering signals.
• In-vivo animal experiments demonstrated the chip's efficacy in eliciting deep brain neural responses in pigs.
• The system-on-chip design significantly enhances portability compared to traditional TIS instruments.

Conclusions:

• A fully integrated silicon chip replaces bulky external TIS stimulators.
• The developed TIS chip enhances portability for future wearable clinical applications.
• This advancement supports the development of next-generation non-invasive neuromodulation devices.