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 60 g and measures 9 cm × 5 cm × 2 cm. The system is capable of generating independent biphasic stimulations on 8 channels with programmable amplitudes and timings. The neural stimulator consumes about 1.5 mW in the power-down mode and about 51.2 mW 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.