“TO TURN THOUGHTS INTO ACTION”

BRAINGATE

Introduction

Brain Gate is a developing technology design devices to help those who have lost control of their limbs, or other bodily function.

Brain Gate was developed by the bio-tech company Cyber kinetics in 2003.

It consists of electrode chip, implanted into the brain which monitors brain activity in patient and convert the intentions of user into computer commands.

This can be used to control robotic arms and cursor on screen

Objectives

The goal of the Brain Gate program is to develop a fast and reliable connection between the brain of a severely disabled person and a personal computer

The ‘Brain-Gate’ device can provide paralysed or motor-impaired patients a mode of communication through the translation of thought into direct computer control

The first to allow a human to control his surrounding environment using his mind.

Brain Computer Interface

A Brain Computer Interface, called as direct neural interface or brain machine interface is a direct communication pathway between human or animal brain and an external device.

This technology is based on to sense, transmit,analyze the language of neurons and translate it in computer commands.

Based on the communicative Pathway BCI is classified as follows

One Way BCI

Two Way BCI

Brain Gate Researches on Animals

At first, rats were implanted with BCI.

Signals recorded from cerebral cortex of rat to operate BCI to carry out the movement.

Researchers at the university of Pittsburgh had demonstrated on a monkey that can feed itself with a robotic arm simply by using signals from its brain.

IT WORKED!!!

HOW DOES THE BRAIN CONTROL MOTOR FUNCTION?

The brain is "hardwired" with connections, which are made by billions of neurons that make electricity whenever they are stimulated.

Motor neurons carry signals from the central nervous system to the muscles, skin and glands of the body, while sensory neurons carry signals from those outer parts of the body to the central nervous system.

The part of the brain that controls motor skills is located at the ear of the frontal lobe.

How does it work ?

In paralyzed person, The brain still makes neural signals but they're just not being sent to the arms, hands and legs.

A technique called neurofeedback uses connecting sensors on the scalp to translate brain waves into information a person can learn from.

The sensors register different frequencies of the signals produced in the brain. These changes in brain wave patterns indicate whether someone is concentrating or suppressing his impulses, or whether he is relaxed or tense.

Flow of System

1)Neuro chip Currently the chip uses 100 hair-thin

spins like structures which are implanted in specific areas of the brain, for example, the area that controls arm movement.

Preprocessing

Detection

Control

Bio Feedback

Signal by Neurochip

2)PREPROCESSING:remove unnecessary frequency bands, averaging the current brain activity level, transforming the measured scalp potentials 3)DETECTION:detection of the input from the user and them translating it into an action.4)CONTROL:apply the will of the user to the used application. 5)TRAINING:make user familiar with the device.6)BIO FEEDBACK:biological information which is returned to the source that created it, so that source can understand it and have control over it.

Flow of structure

Advantages

Controlling remote devices Making and receiving

telephone callsAccessing the internet.Control robotic armWatch and control television & Use the pcLocking or unlocking doorsMotorized wheelchairTurn on or off the lights

Disadvantages

ExpensiveRisky SurgeryNot Wireless yetBulky structureDifficulty in adaptation and learning.Limitation in information transform rate. The

latest technology is 20 bits/min.

Applications

Provide disabled people with communication, environment , control, and movement restoration.

Provide enhanced control of devices such as wheelchairs & assistance robots for people with disabilities

For Eg. Matthew Nagle, a 25- year-old with a severe spinal cord injury,unable to move his arms and legs. After experiment , Nagle learned to open simulated e-mail, draw circular shapes using a paint program on the computer and play a simple videogame.

Future Scope

Enable users to perform a wide variety of daily activities without assistances of technician.

Smaller ,wireless device.Cyber kinetics is also developing products to allow for

robotic control, such as a thought-controlled wheelchair. Next generation products may be able to provide an individual with the ability to control devices that allow breathing, bladder and bowel movements.

Control robots that function in dangerous or inhospitable situations.

Conclusion

The invention of Brain gate is such a revolution in medical field. The remarkable breakthrough offers hope that people who are paralyzed will one day be able to independently operate artificial limbs, computers or wheelchairs.

The idea of moving robots or prosthetic devices not by manual control, but by mere “thinking” (i.e., the brain activity of human subjects) has been a fascinated approach