著者

Masayuki HIRATA Kojiro MATSUSHITA Takafumi SUZUKI Takeshi YOSHIDA Fumihiro SATO Shayne MORRIS Takufumi YANAGISAWA Tetsu GOTO Mitsuo KAWATO Toshiki YOSHIMINE

出版者

The Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers

雑誌

IEICE TRANSACTIONS on Communications (ISSN:09168516)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.E94-B, no.9, pp.2448-2453, 2011-09-01

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The brain-machine interface (BMI) is a new method for man-machine interface, which enables us to control machines and to communicate with others, without input devices but directly using brain signals. Previously, we successfully developed a real time control system for operating a robot arm using brain-machine interfaces based on the brain surface electrodes, with the purpose of restoring motor and communication functions in severely disabled people such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients. A fully-implantable wireless system is indispensable for the clinical application of invasive BMI in order to reduce the risk of infection. This system includes many new technologies such as two 64-channel integrated analog amplifier chips, a Bluetooth wireless data transfer circuit, a wirelessly rechargeable battery, 3 dimensional tissue-fitting high density electrodes, a titanium head casing, and a fluorine polymer body casing. This paper describes key features of the first prototype of the BMI system for clinical application.