Noninvasive Deep Brain Stimulation via Temporally Interfering Electric Fields

Wireless deep brain stimulation of well-defined neuronal populations could facilitate the study of intact brain circuits and the treatment of neurological disorders. Here, we demonstrate minimally invasive and remote neural excitation through the activation of the heat-sensitive capsaicin receptor TRPV1 by magnetic nanoparticles. When exposed to alternating magnetic fields, the nanoparticles dissipate heat generated by hysteresis, triggering widespread and reversible firing of TRPV1(+) neurons. Wireless magnetothermal stimulation in the ventral tegmental area of mice evoked excitation in subpopulations of neurons in the targeted brain region and in structures receiving excitatory projections. The nanoparticles persisted in the brain for over a month, allowing for chronic stimulation without the need for implants and connectors.

https://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/347/6229/1477.full.pdf

Wireless Magnetothermal Deep Brain Stimulation

Lead-DBS v2: Towards a comprehensive pipeline for deep brain stimulation imaging.

The Virtual Family computational whole-body anatomical human models were originally developed for electromagnetic (EM) exposure evaluations, in particular to study how absorption of radiofrequency radiation from external sources depends on anatomy. However, the models immediately garnered much broader interest and are now applied by over 300 research groups, many from medical applications research fields. In a first step, the Virtual Family was expanded to the Virtual Population to provide considerably broader population coverage with the inclusion of models of both sexes ranging in age from 5 to 84 years old. Although these models have proven to be invaluable for EM dosimetry, it became evident that significantly enhanced models are needed for reliable effectiveness and safety evaluations of diagnostic and therapeutic applications, including medical implants safety. This paper describes the research and development performed to obtain anatomical models that meet the requirements necessary for medical implant safety assessment applications. These include implementation of quality control procedures, re-segmentation at higher resolution, more-consistent tissue assignments, enhanced surface processing and numerous anatomical refinements. Several tools were developed to enhance the functionality of the models, including discretization tools, posing tools to expand the posture space covered, and multiple morphing tools, e.g., to develop pathological models or variations of existing ones. A comprehensive tissue properties database was compiled to complement the library of models. The results are a set of anatomically independent, accurate, and detailed models with smooth, yet feature-rich and topologically conforming surfaces. The models are therefore suited for the creation of unstructured meshes, and the possible applications of the models are extended to a wider range of solvers and physics. The impact of these improvements is shown for the MRI exposure of an adult woman with an orthopedic spinal implant. Future developments include the functionalization of the models for specific physical and physiological modeling tasks.

/pdf/development-of-a-new-generation-of-high-resolution-kfibrg3n7x.pdf

Development of a new generation of high-resolution anatomical models for medical device evaluation: the Virtual Population 3.0

This study provides recommendations for scientifically sound methods of evaluating compliance of wireless power transfer systems with respect to human electromagnetic exposure limits. Methods for both numerical analysis and measurements are discussed. An exposure assessment of a representative wireless power transfer system, under a limited set of operating conditions, is provided in order to estimate the maximum SAR levels. The system operates at low MHz frequencies and it achieves power transfer via near field coupling between two resonant coils located within a few meters of each other. Numerical modeling of the system next to each of four high-resolution anatomical models shows that the local and whole-body SAR limits are generally reached when the transmit coil currents are 0.5 ARMS - 1.2 ARMS at 8 MHz for the maximal-exposure orientation of the coil and 10-mm distance to the body. For the same coil configurations, the exposure can vary by more than 3 dB for different human models. A simplified experimental setup for the exposure evaluation of wireless power transfer systems is also described.

P.A. Hasgall

Papers

IT’IS Database for Thermal and Electromagnetic Parameters of Biological Tissues