HermesC: Low-Power Wireless Neural Recording System for Freely Moving Primates

Abstract—Neural prosthetic systems have the potential to re-store lost functionality to amputees or patients suffering from neurological injury or disease. Current systems have primarily been designed for immobile patients, such as tetraplegics func-tioning in a rather static, carefully tailored environment. However, an active patient such as amputee in a normal dynamic, everyday environment may be quite different in terms of the neural control of movement. In order to study motor control in a more uncon-strained natural setting, we seek to develop an animal model of freely moving humans. Therefore, we have developed and tested HermesC-INI3, a system for recording and wirelessly transmitting neural data from electrode arrays implanted in rhesus macaques who are freely moving. This system is based on the integrated neural interface (INI3) microchip which amplifies, digitizes, and transmits neural data across a wireless channel