Brain Gate is a neuroprosthetic device developed by Cyberkinetics that uses a silicon chip implanted in the motor cortex to detect brain signals and transmit them via fiber optic cables to an external computer. The computer translates the brain signals into movement commands using decoding software. Research at Brown University has shown the Brain Gate device allows paralyzed individuals to control external devices with their thoughts. While promising, the Brain Gate technology still has limitations including low information transfer rates, difficulty adapting to devices, and high costs. Further research aims to improve the safety, accuracy and robustness of brain-computer interface sensors.

1. BRAIN
GATE
Presented
By:
Manpreet
Singh
187/2011

2. CONTENTS
 Introduction
 History
 Brain gate pilot device
 Underlying principle
 Components
Working
 Transmission of information
 Software
 Research in human
 Advantages
 Limitation
 Future scope
 References
 Conclusion

3. INTRODUCTION
What is Brain Gate Technology?
Brain gate is a neuroprosthetic device that
converts brain activity into computer
commands.
This system is designed to help those who have
lost control of their limbs,
or other bodily functions, such as patients
with amyotropic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or
spinal cord injury.

4. DEVELOPMENT
Company and Scientist:
 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.

6. UNDERLYING PRINCIPLE
 The brain is hardwired with
connections, which are made by
billions of neurons that make
electrical signals whenever they
are stimulated

”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”

7. The components in this system
• The Neuro chip: A 4-millimeter
square silicon chip studded
with 100 hair-thin
microelectrodes is embedded
in the primary motor cortex
the region of the brain
responsible for controlling
movement
• The connector: When the user
thinks “move cursor up and
down”, the cortical neurons fire
in a distinctive pattern: the signal
is transmitted through the
pedestal plug attached to the
skull

8. Continued…
• The converter: The signal
travels to a shoebox-sized
amplifier mounted on the
user’s wheelchair, where
it’s converted to optical
data and bounced by fiber-optic
cable to a computer.
• The computer: The
computer translates brain
activity and creates the
communication output
using custom decoding
software

9. WORKING
 The Brain Gate neural interface device
is a brain-computer interface that
consist of an Inter neural signal
sensor and External Processors.
 The sensor consists of a tiny chip
containing 100 microscopic electrodes
that detect brain cell electrical activity.
 The chip is implanted on the surface of
brain in the motor cortex area that
controls movement
Motor Cortex
Area(controls
Movement)

10. WORKING(cont.) • External Processors convert
neural signals into an output
signal under the users own
control.
• The computers translate brain
activity and create the
communication output using
custom decoding software.

12. HOW INFORMATION IS
TRANSMITTED?
• When a work is done through any
part of body then a potential
difference is created in the brain.
• This potential difference is
captured by the electrodes and is
transmitted via fiber optic to the
Digitizer(external processor).
• The digitizer converts the signal
into some 0’s and 1’s and that is
feed into the computer.

13. • Thus a new path for
propagation of brain
commands from the brain
to the computer via Brain
Gate are created.
• Now when external devices
are connected to the
computer work according
to the thought produced in
the brain.

14. Software behind Brain Gate…
 The computers translate brain activity and create the
communication output using custom decoding software.
 System uses translation algorithms written in
1) C++
2) JAVA
3) MATLAB

15. Brain Gate Research in Human
Mathew-Nagel the first person to use the brain-computer
interface to restore functionality lost due to
paralysis…
A boon to the paralyzed

16. ADVANTAGES

17. Limitations…
 At present ,the biggest impediment of BCI
technology is the lack of sensor modality that
provides safe, accurate, and robust access to brain
signals.
 It is very expensive.
 Information transformation rate is limited to 20
bits/min.
 Difficulty in adaptation and learning

18. Future or Fiction??

19. References
• Sixto Ortiz Jr., "Brain-Computer Interfaces: Where Human and
Machine Meet," Computer, vol. 40, no. 1, pp. 17-21, Jan., 2007
• F. Babiloni, A. Cichocki, and S. Gao, eds., special issue, “Brain-
Computer Interfaces: Towards Practical Implementations and
Potential Applications,” ComputationalIntelligence and
Neuroscience, 2007
• P. Sajda, K-R. Mueller, and K.V. Shenoy, eds., special issue,
“Brain Computer Interfaces,” IEEE Signal Processing
Magazine,Jan. 2008
• The MIT Press – “Toward Brain-Computer Interfacing”
• Wikipedia, HowStuffWorks and various other website sources…