Technical Challenges of Active Implantable Medical Devices for Neurotechnology

Active Implantable Medical Devices used in Neurotechnology as Brain-Computer Interfaces enable paralyzed patients to recover some degree of movement and speech. Impressive results have been achieved already by high-resolution cortical BCIs. Wyss Center is working presently to create wireless implantable BCIs for clinical treatment of neurological disorders. However, translation of existing animal use prototypes to human use BCIs has encountered many technical challenges that are worth mentioning. This article summarizes the technical challenges found in implantable BCIs and some of the solutions available or needed to mitigate them.