Neural Implants Using Transcutaneous Coupling
line 1: Amal Rafeeq line 1: Rifana M A
line 2: Electronics and biomedical line 2: Electronics and biomedical
Engineering Engineering
line 3: Govt.Model Engineering line 3: Govt.Model Engineering
College
line 4: Tirur,India line 4: Ernakulam,India
line 5: amal.rafeeq001@gmail.com line 5: rifana3101@gmail.com
line 1: Arundhati Girish
line 2: Electronics and biomedical
Engineering
line 3: Govt.Model Engineering
College
line 4: Kozhikode,India
line 5: arundhatigirishag@gmail.com
Abstract—Implantable electronic devices have evolved
rapidly, but long-term and reliable powering has remained a
challenge since their introduction. Neural implants utilizing
transcutaneous coupling involve the integration of electronic
devices with the Human Nervous System through non-invasive
means. These implants are designed to transmit and receive
electrical signals across the skin barrier, eliminating the need
for invasive surgical procedures. By leveraging wireless
technology and sophisticated algorithms, Transcutaneous
Coupling enables bidirectional communication between the
implanted device and the central nervous system. This approach
holds great promise for applications such as Neuro-prosthetics,
Brain-Computer Interfaces, and treatment of Neurological
disorders. Its non-invasive nature offers potential benefits in
terms of safety, convenience, and accessibility, making it a
promising avenue for future advancements in Neural Interface
technology.
Keywords—Transcutaneous coupling, neural implants, non-
invasive, skin, neuro-prosthetics, brain-computer interfaces.
I. INTRODUCTION (HEADING 1)
Sensory and motor nerves may be activated by pulsatile
electrical current delivered through electrodes applied to the
skin. This method have been clinically used since 1867 and
till day. A disadvantage of stimulation through skin
electrodes is that nontargeted nerves may be co-activated
along with targeted ones. This causes unwanted sensations
or movements. Selectivity is improved by delivering stimuli
to the target nerves with implanted wires. The integration of
somatosensory feedback in upper and lower limb prostheses
has been found to benefit patients in their everyday tasks,
such as manipulating objects or walking on uneven surfaces.
It also plays a crucial role in restoring the sense of
embodiment and agency, while potentially reducing
phantom limb pain.
Recent studies have shown that stimulating peripheral
nerves through electrical stimulation is a promising
approach. This method offers a less invasive alternative to
directly stimulating the sensorimotor cortex, while still
providing a natural and selective sense of touch. Various
electrode designs, including TIME, TEENI, Cuff, LIFE, and
Slanted-SUEA Utah electrode arrays (UEA), have been
developed to stimulate peripheral nerve pathways.
.However, a limitation of current approaches is the reliance
XXX-X-XXXX-XXXX-X/XX/$XX.00 ©20XX IEEE
line 1: Sana Mariya Rajeev K
line 2: Electronics and biomedical
Engineering
College line 3: Govt.Model Engineering
College
line 4: Ernakulam,India
line 5: sanamariya20@gmail.com
on percutaneous cabling or inductive coupling for energy
and signal supply. Percutaneous cables that penetrate the
skin offer a relatively straightforward way to connect
implanted neural electrodes to an external stimulation
device. However, this method poses a high risk of infection
and skin irritation, making it suitable only for short-term or
acute treatments.
To address these challenges, telemetric communication
through the skin has emerged as a potential solution.
Inductive coupling, which is commonly used in connecting
neural implants like cochlear implants, can be employed to
provide energy and signals to the implanted electronics.
This approach eliminates the need for percutaneous cabling
and reduces the risk of complications associated with it.
II. METHODOLOGY
Experiments in human skin:
Researchers have developed a new wireless method to
stimulate peripheral nerves without the need for implanted
electronics. By transmitting stimuli capacitively through the
skin using electrode pairs, this approach eliminates the
invasiveness of traditional methods. The system’s thin and
flexible structures can be integrated with prosthetic sockets,
reducing the risk of pressure sores.
However, this concept poses design challenges. To provide
proper somatosensory feedback, multiple sensory pathways
need to be stimulated simultaneously, which makes
crosstalk during transcutaneous coupling an important issue.
Additionally, the stimulation pulses are provided externally,
which means that the signal shape and amplitude are altered
as they propagate through the skin and are dependent on the
skin conditions.
To address these challenges, several experiments were
conducted using human skin samples ex vivo. This resulted
in the evaluation of three different capacitive multichannel
coupling mechanisms, considering performance and
crosstalk behavior. Electrode arrays made of stainless steel
base alloy (MP35N) or platinum iridium (PtIr) were used,
either with direct metal-tissue contact or a polymeric
insulation layer to block the resistive path. In some cases,
ground electrodes were placed in a hexagonal arrangement
to minimize crosstalk.
It is being believed that the simplicity of this concept will
enhance the longevity, robustness, and acceptance of
invasive neural interfaces.
Experiments in cats, rabbits etc….
The study was exploratory in nature since it deals with a
completely new way of delivering stimulation to nerves. A
number of experiments were performed in cats, rabbits etc..
A.SRS Design: The main component of the SRS is the
subcutaneous terminal that “picks up” some of the current
flowing between a pair of surface electrodes and delivers it
through an insulated wire to a nerve.
B. Surface electrodes: These consisted of pairs of self-
adhesive conductive gel surface electrodes.
C. Implanted Conductors: Here the pick-up terminals
included discs or rectangles of stainless-steel or bared
lengths of Cooner AS814 lead wire coiled tightly around 2/0
prolene suture thread.
D. Stimulators: Among the two stimulators, the first was a
custom stimulator and second was a Grass SD9 stimulator.
E. “Internal” Versus “Total” Current: The current
delivered through the surface electrodes was measured
indirectly by measuring the voltage across a 100 ohm
resistor in series with the negative output of the stimulator
and the cathodal surface electrode.
F. Amplifiers: Three ISO-DAM8A differential amplifiers
were used to measure voltage across the surface electrodes
G. Force Transducer: The force produced by the activated
muscles was measured with a custom proving-ring strain
gauge transducer.
H. Surgical Procedures: In the acute experiments, the
animals were first deeply anesthetized. A tracheotomy was
performed, and an endotracheal tube was inserted to enable
controlled ventilation using a veterinary anesthesia delivery
system. An intravenous cannula was inserted into the
jugular vein for medication administration. The acute
experiments lasted approximately 12 hours, after which the
animals were euthanized using intravenous sodium
pentobarbital
III. RESULT
The studies conducted were primarily based on the coupling
performance, as the stimulation of nerves with various
electrode designs has already been extensively studied. The
main objective was to determine if the current picked up
subcutaneously was sufficient to activate nerve responses.
a)Coupling behavior with direct metal tissue interfaces: The
electrical coupling of electrode arrays with direct metal
(MP35N) tissue contact using four human skin samples
were evaluated. The current picked up as a function of the
total number of channels and the distance from the direct
coupling electrode pair was measured. The findings showed
that the maximum coupled current at the pickup array varied
depending on the number of channels, with the highest
current observed with one channel and the lowest with ten
channels. The transmitted current was greatly influenced by
the electrode distance for smaller channel counts, but this
influence decreased with more channels. The current picked
up at adjacent channels in relation to the direct coupled path
was higher with two channels and decreased with more
channels. The current picked up at different electrode
distances had a maximum at the direct path and decreased
with increasing distance. The pulse shapes measured at the
pickup array were slightly deformed after transcutaneous
coupling, with a slight decrease in the amplitude of the
plateau at short distances. A short negative peak at the end
of the pulse was observed due to forced charge balance of
the stimulator system. Significant differences in coupling
behavior based on variations in skin thickness among the
samples were not observed.
b) Influence of electrode pitch: The influence of varying the
electrode pitch using the same electrode arrays were
examined. In every second, the pick-up channels were
disconnected , resulting in an electrode pitch of
approximately 20 mm. These results were compared with
the 10 mm pitch, focusing on measurements with five
channels. The coupling behavior between the different
pitches was similar, with a slightly higher current picked up
at the direct coupling path for the larger pitch. The
amplitude difference decreased as the distance increased,
reaching a minimum difference of +0.3 μA .
c) Integration of extracorporeal hexagonally arranged
ground electrodes: The influence of hexagonally arranged
ground electrodes on the extracorporeal electrode array were
assessed using two skin samples . In this experiment, both
the extracorporeal array and the pick-up array were in direct
contact with the skin tissue. The electrical coupling behavior
showed a significant alteration compared to when the
ground electrodes were not implemented. However, the
overall coupling characteristics remained comparable within
the observed range. When normalizing the coupling
currents, no significant change was observed, indicating
similar behavior but with a general reduction in amplitude
of 2.50 ± 0.40 μA.
d)Transcutaneous coupling with a blocked resistive path:
Using electrode arrays with a polymeric insulation,
transcutaneous coupling was evaluated and showed that the
current at pick-up array showed constant at one specific
channel, despite of the variation in extra corporeal
stimulation site.
e)Influence of electrode material: Different metals like
MP35N, PtIr behaved analogously with polymeric
insulation layer and the picked-up current had an amplitude
constant. Total channels on the coupling path was
compared.
 IV. CONCLUSION
In recent years there has been a growing interest in
developing novel techniques for stimulating the human body
through non-invasive means. One such approach involves
coupling stimulation pulses through human skin using a
multi-channel configuration. This ex-vivo proof of concept
study aims to demonstrate the successful transmission of
signals from a transmitting electrode array placed on the
skin to a subcutaneous counterpart.

The experimental setup consisted of a multi-channel

configuration comprising a transmitting electrode array and
a subcutaneous counterpart. The transmitting electrode was
placed on the skin, while the subcutaneous counterpart was
positioned beneath the skin to pick up the transmitted
signals. The electrode array consisted of multiple channels,
each capable of delivering stimulation pulses. The
subcutaneous counterpart was equipped with sensors to
detect and record the received signals. To conduct the
experiment, human skin samples were obtained from
consenting donor. The samples were carefully prepared and
mounted onto a specialized platform. The transmitting
electrode was placed on the skin surface, ensuring proper
contact and alignment with the underlying subcutaneous
counterpart. Stimulation pulses were delivered through each
channel of the electrode array, and the corresponding signals
were recorded by the subcutaneous counterpart

In conclusion, this ex-vivo proof of concept study

demonstrates the successful coupling of stimulation pulses
through human skin using a multi-channel configuration.
The experimental results validate the feasibility of this
technique and its potential for non-invasive stimulation
applications. By further refining the electrode array design
and conducting in-vivo studies, this approach could
revolutionize the field of non-invasive stimulation, offering
new avenues for pain relief, rehabilitation and therapeutic
interventions.

V. ACKNOWLEDGMENT
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to our
advisor Dr. Minimol B, Associate Professor, Govt. Model
Engineering College, for her valuable guidance and support.
Also we wish to thank IEEE SB TKM IT for giving us this
great opportunity.
REFERENCES

[1] Patrick Kiele, David Braig, Jacob Wei, Yara Baslan Cristian Pasluosta
and Thomas Stieglitz, “Neural Implants without Electronics: A proof-
of-concept study on a Human Skin Mode”l, 16 March 2020.
[2] Liu Shi Gan, Arthur Prochazka, Troy D. Bornes, Allen A. Denington
and K. Ming Chan, “A new means of transcutaneous coupling for
Neural Prosthesis”, IEEE transactions on biomedical
engineering,vol.54, no.3 March 2007.
[3] F. M Petrini, “Sensory feedback restoration in leg amputees improves
walking speed, metabolic cost, and phantom pain”, Nature Med,vol.25
no.9, 2019.
[4] D. J Tyler, “Neural interfaces for somatosensory feedback: Bringing
life to a prosthesis”, vol.28, no.6, 2015.