Wearable, battery-powered, wireless, programmable 8-channel neural stimulator

In this paper, a wearable, battery-powered, low-power, low-size, cost-efficient, fully programmable neural stimulator is presented. The system comprises a wearable stimulator module and an external controller. To receive the settings required for the operation of the system, the wearable module is programmed through wireless connection to the external controller. Implemented using off-the-shelf components, the wearable neural stimulator weighs 60g and measures 9cm×5cm×2cm. The system is capable of generating independent biphasic stimulations on 8 channels with programmable amplitudes and timings. The neural stimulator consumes about 1.5mW in the power-down mode and about 51.2mW in the active mode when all the 8 channels are active. For in-vivo experiments, the system was used to stimulate motor cortex of an anesthetized rat fixed in a stereotaxic instrument.