A chronic implantable EMG recording system with wireless power and data transfer

This paper presents an implantable, wireless, 2-channel electromyography (EMG) recording system that was successfully tested in a chronic experiment in a rodent for up to three months. The system comprises of an implanted device and an external reader module. The implanted device is a multi-channel neural amplifier chip coupled with inductive power and data transfer electronics. The external reader module consists of a transcutaneous power supply, EMG data recovery circuitry, and a USB to computer interface for display and storage purposes. Stainless steel EMG electrodes were connected to the implanted device, and the device was then encapsulated using biocompatible FDA compliant silicone. Chronic recordings in a rodent across a three-month period validated this system's ability to acquire EMG signals (at sample rates of 20 kSPS/channel) in in-vivo conditions. This wireless device can be incorporated into a wireless proximal muscle/neural recording and distal muscle stimulation neuroprosthesis to address peripheral nerve injuries.