A SEMINAR REPORT
ON
“BRAIN GATE TECHNOLOGY”
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the award of the Degree of
BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY
Submitted to
Jawaharlal Nehru Technology University Hyderabad, Hyderabad
Submitted
By
KANEEZ FATIMA 216B1A0447
Under the Esteemed Guidance of
Dr. S. SELVAKUMAR RAJA
M.E., Ph. D
DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING
KAKATIYA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE FOR WOMEN
MANIKBHANDAR, NIZAMABAD, 503003
Approved by AICTE and Affiliated to JNTUH.
(2021-2025)
KAKATIYA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY &
SCIENCE FOR WOMEN
Approved by AICTE and affiliated to JNTUH-Hyderabad.
Manikbhandar Nizamabad-503003.Ph:08462-281077
Date:
CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the seminar entitled “BRAIN GATE TECHNOLOGY” is a record of bonafide
work carried out by KANEEZ FATIMA (216B1A0447) student of B.Tech, under my supervision and
guidance in partial fulfilment for the award of Bachelor of Technology in Electronics and
Communication Engineering during the academic year 2024-2025.
PROJECT GUIDE HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT
Dr. S. SELVAKUMAR RAJA Mr. M. MAHIPAL
M.E., Ph. D M. Tech
Principal Dept. of ECE
PRINCIPAL
Dr. S. SELVAKUMAR RAJA
M.E., Ph. D
EXAMINERS:
1.
2.
Brain Gate Technology
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
Brain Gate is a brain implant system developed by the bio-tech company Cyber kinetics
in 2003 in conjunction with the Department of Neuroscience at Brown University. The device was
designed to help those who have lost control of their limbs, or other bodily functions, such as
patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or spinal cord injury. The computer chip, which
is implanted into the brain, monitors brain activity in the patient and converts the intention of the
user into computer commands.
Cyber kinetics describes that, "Such applications may include novel communications
interfaces for motor impaired patients, as well as the monitoring and treatment of certain diseases
which manifest themselves in patterns of brain activity, such as epilepsy and depression."
According to the Cyber kinetics' website, three patients have been implanted with the Brain
Gate system. The company has confirmed that one patient (Matt Nagle) has a spinal cord injury,
while another has advanced ALS.
The remarkable breakthrough offers hope that people who are paralyzed will one day be
able to independently operate artificial limbs, computers or wheelchairs. The implant, called Brain
Gate, allowed Matthew Nagle, a 25-year-old Massachusetts man who has been paralyzed from the
neck down since 2001, to control a cursor on a screen and to open and close the hand on a prosthetic
limb just by thinking about the relevant actions. Professor Donoghue's work is published today in
Nature. He describes how, after a few minutes spent calibrating the implant, Mr. Nagle could read
emails and play the computer game Pong. He was able to draw circular shapes using a paint
program and could also change channel and turn up the volume on a television, even while talking
to people around him. After several months, he could also operate simple robotic devices such as
a prosthetic hand, which he used to grasp and move objects from his wheelchair. This marks the
first time that neural movement signals have been recorded and decoded in a human with spinal
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cord injury. The system is also the first to allow a human to control his surrounding environment
using his mind.
1.1. Mathew Nagle using Brain Gate
NAGLE’S STATEMENT:
“I can't put it into words. It's just—I use my brain. I just thought it. I said, "Cursor go up to
the top right." And it did, and now I can control it all over the screen. It will give me a sense of
independence.”
In addition to real-time analysis of neuron patterns to relay movement, the Brain gate array
is also capable of recording electrical data for later analysis. A potential use of this feature would
be for a neurologist to study seizure patterns in a patient with epilepsy. The 'Brain Gate' device
can provide paralyzed or motor-impaired patients a mode of communication through the
translation of thought into direct computer control. The technology driving this breakthrough in
the Brain-Machine-Interface field has a myriad of potential applications, including the
development of human augmentation for military and commercial purposes.
The Brain Fate Neural Interface device consists of a tiny chip containing 100 microscopic
electrodes that is surgically implanted in the brain's motor cortex. This tiny chip contains tiny
spikes that will extend down about one millimeter into the brain after being implanted beneath the
skull, monitoring the activity from a small group of neurons. The chip can read signals from the
motor cortex, send that information to a computer via connected wires, and translate it to control
the movement of a computer cursor or a robotic arm. It will now be possible for a patient with
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spinal cord injury to produce brain signals that relay the intention of moving the paralyzed limbs,
as signals to an implanted sensor, which is then output as electronic impulses. These impulses
enable the user to operate mechanical devices with the help of a computer cursor. The whole
apparatus is the size of a baby aspirin.
According to Dr. John Donaghue of Cyber kinetics, there is practically no training required
to use Brain Gate because the signals read by a chip implanted, for example, in the area of the
motor cortex for arm movement, are the same signals that would be sent to the real arm. A user
with an implanted chip can immediately begin to move a cursor with thought alone. However,
because movement carries a variety of information such as velocity, direction, and acceleration,
there are many neurons involved in controlling that movement. Brain Gate is only reading signals
from an extremely small sample of those cells and, therefore, only receiving a fraction of the
instructions. Without all of the information, the initial control of a robotic hand may not be as
smooth as the natural movement of a real hand. But with practice, the user can refine those
movements using signals from only that sample of cells.
The Brain Gate technology platform was designed to take advantage of the fact that many
patients with motor impairment have an intact brain that can produce movement commands. This
may allow the Brain Gate system to create an output signal directly from the brain, bypassing the
route through the nerves to the muscles that cannot be used in paralyzed people.
Brain gate is currently recruiting patients with a range of neuromuscular and
neurodegenerative conditions for pilot clinical trials in the United States. Cyber kinetics hopes to
refine the Brain Gate in the next two years to develop a wireless device that is completely
implantable and doesn't have a plug, making it safer and less visible and once the basics of brain
mapping are worked out there is potential for a wide variety of further applications. Surgeon
explains, "If you could detect or predict the onset of epilepsy, which would be a huge therapeutic
application for people who have seizures, which leads to the idea of a 'Pacemaker for the Brain'.
So eventually people may have this technology in their brains and if something starts to go wrong
it will take a therapeutic action. That could be available by 2007 to 2008."
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CHAPTER 2
2. BRAIN GATE
2.1. NEURAL INTERFACE SYSTEM DEVICE
The Brain Gate Neural Interface System is currently the subject of a pilot clinical trial being
conducted under an Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) from the FDA. The system is
designed to restore functionality for a limited, immobile group of severely motor-impaired
individuals. It is expected that people using the Brain Gate System will employ a personal
computer as the gateway to a range of self-directed activities. These activities may extend beyond
typical computer functions (e.g., communication) to include the control of objects in the
environment such as a telephone, a television and lights.
The Brain Gate Neural Interface Device is a proprietary brain computer interface that uses
an internal sensor to detect brain activity and external processors that convert these brain signals
into a computer-mediated output under the person’s own control. The Brain Gate System is a
hardware device that uses software. The sensor consists of a tiny chip, smaller than a baby aspirin,
which contains one hundred electrode sensors that each tap into a separate neuron. Brain Gate
senses, analyses, and transmits the data from the brain to an outside system. This allows the user
to interact with the outside world in a more independent way. The ultimate goal of the Brain Gate
System development program is to create a safe, effective and unobtrusive universal operating
system that will enable those with motor impairments to control a wide range of devices, including
computers, assistive technologies and medical devices, by simply using their thoughts.
Brain Gate contains a chip that is implanted on the surface of the motor cortex area of the
brain. In the pilot version of the device, a cable connects the sensor to an external signal processor
in a cart that contains three computers. The computers translate hard-to detect brain signals to
create the communication output using custom decoding software. When the patient is connected
to the system he or she can mentally move the cursor just like a mouse would do. John Donoghue,
the chair of the Department of Neuroscience at Brown University, led the original project research
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and went on to co-found Cyber kinetics, where he is currently chief scientific officer overseeing
the clinical trial. Hugh Herr, another scientist, also helped in the development of a neural interface
system. Herr became very passionate about the development of a technology that would give
independence and movement back to people that were physically impaired. Herr lost both legs at
a young age from frostbite. He then started research on combining both body and machine, his
research has already made a significant impact for people that are physically challenged. He has
helped in the development of many prosthetics.
The development of the Brain Gate System brain-computer interface is to enable those with
severe paralysis and other neurological conditions to live more productively and independently.
Also, scientists are developing the Brain Gate System’s underlying core technology in the Neuro
Port System to enable improved diagnosis and treatment for a number of neurological conditions,
such as epilepsy and brain trauma. The Neuro Port System is a neural monitor designed for acute
inpatient applications and labeled for temporary recording and monitoring of brain electrical
activity. Brain Gate will be the first human device that has been designed to record, filter, and
amplify multiple channels of simultaneously recorded neural activity at a very high spatial and
temporal resolution. It has been thoroughly researched and will contribute to the diagnosis and
treatment of neurological conditions in patients who have undergone a craniotomy. This will give
neurologists and neurosurgeons a new resource to detect, transmit and analyze neural activity.
2.1. Brain Gate Technology
Dr. Steve Williams, a clinical advisor to Cyber kinetics, presented a description of the Brain
Gate Controller, a next generation, standardized interface system that is under development. The
development of this system would replace the initial prototype controller which has been used in
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the Brain Gate trial until now. The M*Power Controller is designed to allow a Brain Gate System
patient to control a standard wireless computer device. The new interface is also intended to be
easier to use for patients and their families, so they can access the capabilities of the system on a
routine basis without reliance on a technician. These two closely linked efforts are intended to
yield a Brain Gate System allowing patients significant control over their environment, the ability
to readily perform numerous daily activities that are currently beyond their reach, and vastly
enhance communications opportunities. For example, use of the M*Controller as an interface
control, by thought alone would allow patients to perform a range of tasks including: making and
receiving telephone calls, controlling remote devices, accessing the internet, and communicating
via e-mail.
The Brain Gate system includes hardware and software and may be used as a
telecommunication device in the future. This could greatly impact a business or organization. It
will give people with disabilities a chance to work at a business just like anyone else. With this
technology they will be able use a wide variety of devices and may also lead to a decline in the use
of hands on activities. With the development of devices such as these, one day everyone may have
chips in their brain that will allow them to perform tasks without the use of their body.
We have presented to you an overview of the technology known as the Brain Gate System.
Above, we have described the technology, discussed how it could impact a business or
organization, and how the developers are planning to take this technology to the next level. Here
is a recap of the main points:
• Brain Gate is a neural interface system device that has a chip that reads brain activity
through the use of sensors and then transmits the activities to three computers which
convert the thoughts into actions.
• This system is used for people that are physically impaired; it helps give them the
independence and the capabilities of the norm. The scientists working on Brain Gate hope
to create an operating system that is safe, effective and unobtrusive. The neurologists are
constantly trying to come up with more ideas to push this form of emerging technology
further.
2.2. HISTORY
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After 10 years of study and research, Cyber kinetics, a biotech company in Foxboro,
Massachusetts, has developed Brain Gate in 2003. Dr. John Donaghue, director of the brain science
program at Brown University, Rhode Island, and chief scientific officer of Cyber kinetics, the
company behind the brain implant, lead the team to research and develop this brain implant system.
He studied the functioning of Brain gate in monkeys and proved that they were able to control a
cursor on a computer monitor with their thoughts. They have not only demonstrated in preclinical
studies that brain gate can remain safely implanted in the (monkey) brain for at least two years,
but have shown that it can safely be removed as well.
2.3. NEURO CHIP:
Currently the chip uses 100 hair-thin electrodes that 'hear' neurons firing in specific areas of
the brain, for example, the area that controls arm movement. The activities are translated into
electrically charged signals and are then sent and decoded using a program, which can move either
a robotic arm or a computer cursor.
2.3. Brain Gate Chip 2.4. 96 electrode sensors
In addition to real-time analysis of neuron patterns to relay movement, the Brain gate array
is also capable of recording electrical data for later analysis. A potential use of this feature would
be for a neurologist to study seizure patterns in a patient with epilepsy.
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CHAPTER 3
3. IMPLEMENTATION OF BRAIN GATE
3.1. PRINCIPLE
"The principle of operation of the Brain Gate Neural Interface System is that with intact brain
function, neural signals are generated even though they are not sent to the arms, hands and legs.
These signals are interpreted by the System and a cursor is shown to the user on a computer screen
that provides an alternate "Brain Gate pathway". The user can use that cursor to control the
computer, just as a mouse is used."
3.2. HOW DOES THE BRAIN CONTRAL MOTOR FUNCTION?
The brain is "hardwired" with connections, which are made by billions of neurons that make
electricity whenever they are stimulated. The electrical patterns are called brain waves. Neurons
act like the wires and gates in a computer, gathering and transmitting electrochemical signals over
distances as far as several feet. The brain encodes information not by relying on single neurons,
but by spreading it across large populations of neurons, and by rapidly adapting to new
circumstances.
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. Receptors sense things like chemicals, light, and sound and encode this
information into electrochemical signals transmitted by the sensory neurons and interneuron tie
everything together by connecting the various neurons within the brain and spinal cord. The part
of the brain that controls motor skills is located at the ear of the frontal lobe.
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CHAPTER 4
4. WORKING
Operation of the BCI system is not simply listening the EEG of user in a way that let’s tap
this EEG in and listen what happens. The user usually generates some sort of mental activity
pattern that is later detected and classified.
4.1. PREPROCESSING
The raw EEG signal requires some preprocessing before the feature extraction. This
preprocessing includes removing unnecessary frequency bands, averaging the current brain
activity level, transforming the measured scalp potentials to cortex potentials and denoising.
4.2. DETECTION
The detection of the input from the user and them translating it into an action could be
considered as key part of any BCI system. This detection means to try to find out these mental
tasks from the EEG signal. It can be done in time-domain, e.g. by comparing amplitudes of the
EEG and in frequency-domain. This involves usually digital signal processing for sampling and
band pass filtering the signal, then calculating these time -or frequency domain features and then
classifying them. These classification algorithms include simple comparison of amplitudes linear
and non-linear equations and artificial neural networks. By constant feedback from user to the
system and vice versa, both partners gradually learn more from each other and improve the overall
performance.
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4.3. CONTROL
The final part consists of applying the will of the user to the used application. The user chooses
an action by controlling his brain activity, which is then detected and classified to corresponding
action. Feedback is provided to user by audio-visual means e.g. when typing with virtual keyboard,
letter appears to the message box etc.
4.4. SOFTWARE BEHIND BRAIN GATE
Software is necessary for transmission of the signals from the chip implanted on the brain to
the machine and for decoding these signals and to convert it to corresponding action by the
machine.
The computers translate brain activity and create the communication output using custom
decoding software and the algorithms are written in languages like C, Java and MATLAB.The
software is a BCI based on trials which is a time interval where the user generates brainwaves to
perform an action. The signals are processed and associated to a given class and is done by feeding
a neural net with the preprocessed EEG data. Further the neural net’s output is processed and this
final output corresponds to the given class. The software has three operating modes and they are
Simulation, Recording and Training.
4.4.1. SIMULATION & RECORDING
The simulation mode is used to test the BCI. Recording is the same as simulation, with the
difference that the EEG data is recorded and used as training examples.It further has 3
operations within and they are Preparation, Prerecording and Recording.
4.4.2. TRAINING
The training is the part where the user adapts to the BCI system. This training begins with
very simple exercises where the user is familiarized with mental activity which is used to
relay the information to the computer. Motivation, frustration, fatigue, etc. apply also here
and their effect should be taken into consideration when planning the training procedures.
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4.5. BIO FEEDBACK
The definition of the biofeedback is biological information which is returned to the source
that created it, so that source can understand it and have control over it. This biofeedback in BCI
systems is usually provided by visually, e.g. the user sees cursor moving up or down or letter being
selected from the alphabet.
4.6. PLATFORM TECHNOLOGY
Neurons are cells that use a language of electrical impulses to communicate messages from
the brain to the rest of the body. At Cyber kinetics, we have the technology to sense, transmit,
analyze and apply the language of neurons. We are developing products to restore function, as well
as to monitor, detect, and respond to a variety of neurological diseases and disorders.
Cyber kinetics offers a systems approach with a core technology to sense, transmit, analyze and
apply the language of neurons in both short and long-term settings. Our platform technology is
based on the results of several years of research and development at premier academic institutions
such as Brown University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Emory University, and the
University of Utah.
4.7. SENSE
Cyber kinetics unique technology is able to simultaneously sense the electrical activity of
many individual neurons. Our sensor consists of a silicon array about the size of a baby aspirin
that contains one hundred electrodes, each thinner than a human hair. The array is implanted on
the surface of the brain. In the Brain Gate Neural Interface System, the array is implanted in the
area of the brain responsible for limb movement. In other applications the array may be implanted
in areas of the brain responsible for other body processes.
4.8. IMPLANTING THE CHIP
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There will be two surgeries, one to implant the Brain Gate and one to remove it. Before
surgery, there will be several precautionary measures in order to prevent infection; patients will
have daily baths with antimicrobial soap and take antibiotics. In addition, MRI scans will be done
to find the best place on the brain for the sensor. Under sterile conditions and general anesthesia,
Doctor will drill a small hole into the skull and implant the sensor. Patients will receive post-
surgical care including a CT scan, some blood tests, and wound care in the hospital for 1 to 5 days
after surgery.
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CHAPTER 5
5. APPLICATIONS OF BRAIN GATE
• MULTI DEVICE PATIENT AMBULATION SYSTEM
A sensor with a number of electrodes for detecting multi cellular signals, a processing unit
configured to receive the multi cellular signals and produce a processed signal, and transmit
the processed signal to a controlled device. This helps the patient in achieving movement.
• BIOLOGICAL INTERFACE SYSTEM WITH PATIENT TRAINING
APPARATUS
The system includes a patient training apparatus configured to receive a patient training
signal that causes the patient training apparatus to controllably move one or more joints of
the patient.
• BIOLOGICAL INTERFACE SYSTEM WITH SURROGATE CONTROLLED
DEVICE
Multi cellular signals emanating from one or more living cells of a patient, and a processing
unit configured to receive the multi cellular signals from the sensor and process the multi
cellular signals to produce a processed signal. The processing unit may be configured to
transmit the processed signal to a controlled device.
• LIMB AND DIGIT MOVEMENT SYSTEM
Data from the joint movement device is transmitted to the processing unit for determining
a value of a configuration parameter of the system and controlled cables that produce the
forces required.
• MENTAL TYPEWRITER
This application demonstrates how a paralyzed patient could communicate by using a
mental typewriter alone without touching the keyboard.
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CHAPTER 6
6. COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
6.1. ADVANTAGES
• The Brain Gate Neural Interface System is being designed to one day allow the user to
interface with a computer and/or other devices at a level of speed, accuracy and precision
that is comparable to, or even faster than, what is possible with the hands of a non-disabled
person. The Brain Gate System may offer substantial improvement over existing assistive
technologies.
• Potential advantages of the Brain Gate System over other muscle driven or brain-based
computer interface approaches include: its potential to interface with a computer without
weeks or months of training; its potential to be used in an interactive environment, where
the user's ability to operate the device is not affected by their speech, eye movements or
ambient noise; and the ability to provide significantly more usefulness and utility than other
approaches by connecting directly to the part of the brain that controls hand movement and
gestures.
6.2. DISADVANTAGES
• The disadvantage of the Brain Gate System is that at this time, while still being perfected,
the switches must be frequently adjusted which is a time consuming process. As the device
is perfected this will not be an issue. There is also a worry that devices such as this will
“normalize” society. The Brain Gate Neural Interface System has not been approved by
the FDA, but has been approved for IDE status, which means that it has been approved for
pre-market clinical trials. There are no estimates on cost or insurance at this time.
• Difficulty in adaptation and learning.
• Limitation in information transform rate. The latest technology is 20 bits/min.
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CHAPTER 7
7. FUTURE ENHANCEMENTS
• Future Brain Gate system products may control devices that allow breathing, bladder and
bowel movements.
• Development of second generation patient interface software that will enable users to
perform a wide variety of daily activities without the assistance of the technician.
• Development of a Brain Gate system which has a wireless interface between the implanted
server and the computer.
7.1. FUTURE OF NEURAL INTERFACES
Cyber kinetics has a vision, CEO Tim Surgeon explained to Gizmag, but it is not
promising "miracle cures", or that quadriplegic people will be able to walk again yet. Their primary
goal is to help restore many activities of daily living that are impossible for paralyzed people and
to provide a platform for the development of a wide range of other assistive devices .Cyber kinetics
hopes to refine the Brain Gate in the next two years to develop a wireless device that is completely
implantable and doesn't have a plug, making it safer and less visible. Surgeon also sees a time not
too far off where normal humans are interfacing with Brain Gate technology to enhance their
relationship with the digital world - if they're willing to be implanted. Scientists have for the first
time developed a brain implant that allows people to control electronic devices by thought alone.
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CHAPTER 8
8. 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. Medical
cures are unavailable for many forms of neural and muscular paralysis. The enormity of the deficits
caused by paralysis is a strong motivation to pursue BMI solutions. So this idea helps many
patients to control the prosthetic devices of their own by simply thinking about the task.
This technology is well supported by the latest fields of Biomedical Instrumentation,
Microelectronics; signal processing, Artificial Neural Networks and Robotics which has
overwhelming developments. Hope these systems will be effectively implemented for many
biomedical applications.
WITH A BRAINGATE YOU CAN:
• Turn on or off the lights on your room
• Check and read E-mails
• Play games in computer
• Use your PC
• Watch and control your Television
• Control a robotic arm
8.1 Advantages of Brain Gate
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CHAPTER 9
9. BIBILIOGRAPHY
Websites:
• http://www.cyberkineticsinc.com
• http://www.bbcnews.com
• http://www.wikipedia.org
• http://www.wired.com
• http://www.howstuffworks.com
• http://www.google.com
• http://www.scribd.com
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