Row 4200

Row ID: 4200 | Dataset Entry | Axioma AXP Content Repository

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It's called optogenetics and it's commonly used to control and observe neural activity - it basically involves modifying neurons using an adeno-associated virus (these create a sort of fake nucleus containing the virus' payload instead of injecting themselves into your DNA all willy-nilly) that lets researchers control the excitation and inhibition of neurons very precisely using light and even receive/record neuron activity through light as well. The tech has been around for awhile now, at least 20 years.

While it hasn't been used in humans yet, animal testing has validated its potential and there are already some projects that seek to incorporate the methods of optogenetics for creating less invasive higher bandwidth/resolution neural interfaces for implants.

For example, creating prosthetic eyes to cure blindness by modifying retinal ganglion cells that normally just transmit signals from photoreceptors to the visual cortex so that they can be activated or inhibited with an implanted LED array (which thanks to LED displays can already be produced with extremely high resolution) as though they were photoreceptors using data sent from external cameras.

There have even been some two-way interfaces that use genetically encoded calcium indicators. There are many types and variants of GECI but as as an example, one technique causes neurons to produce a protein that fluoresces in near-infrared but gets dimmer when calcium binds to it which allows sensors to measure neural activity in real-time since neural excitation requires activation of voltage-gated calcium channels and rapid ion concentration changes that can be detected.

Optogenetic methods allow you to use fiberoptic wires and arrays to record, trigger, and inhibit neural activity and have achieved single neuron resolutions. Implantable optogenetic fiber optic wire with single digit micron thickness exists already.

One unique advantage of this method over electrode arrays is that optogenetic interfaces offload and distribute work that would otherwise be performed by your implant onto the neurons themselves which lets you transmit and receive data through wires that are nothing more than invisibly thin dumb light tubes.

I think the above demonstrates that despite your earlier comment, the Neuralink is not actually running up against fundamental limitations of BCI and as a BCI isn't doing anything new at all. It's a straightforward implementation of the typical microelectrode array approach with a modified array that can't do anything that hasn't already been done before and fails to do some things that have been done before.

Though, again, it is innovative as a product/implantable medical device if not in its actual brain interfacing ability.

FieldValue
text It's called optogenetics and it's commonly used to control and observe neural activity - it basically involves modifying neurons using an adeno-associated virus (these create a sort of fake nucleus containing the virus' payload instead of injecting themselves into your DNA all willy-nilly) that lets researchers control the excitation and inhibition of neurons very precisely using light and even receive/record neuron activity through light as well. The tech has been around for awhile now, at leas…
label r/neuralink
dataType comment
communityName r/Neuralink
datetime 2024-04-04
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Raw Record

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  "text": "It's called optogenetics and it's commonly used to control and observe neural activity - it basically involves modifying neurons using an adeno-associated virus (these create a sort of fake nucleus containing the virus' payload instead of injecting themselves into your DNA all willy-nilly) that lets researchers control the excitation and inhibition of neurons very precisely using light and even receive/record neuron activity through light as well. The tech has been around for awhile now, at least 20 years.\n\nWhile it hasn't been used in humans yet, animal testing has validated its potential and there are already some projects that seek to incorporate the methods of optogenetics for creating less invasive higher bandwidth/resolution neural interfaces for implants.\n\nFor example, creating prosthetic eyes to cure blindness by modifying retinal ganglion cells that normally just transmit signals from photoreceptors to the visual cortex so that they can be activated or inhibited with an implanted LED array (which thanks to LED displays can already be produced with extremely high resolution) as though they were photoreceptors using data sent from external cameras.\n\nThere have even been some two-way interfaces that use genetically encoded calcium indicators. There are many types and variants of GECI but as as an example, one technique causes neurons to produce a protein that fluoresces in near-infrared but gets dimmer when calcium binds to it which allows sensors to measure neural activity in real-time since neural excitation requires activation of voltage-gated calcium channels and rapid ion concentration changes that can be detected.\n\nOptogenetic methods allow you to use fiberoptic wires and arrays to record, trigger, and inhibit neural activity and have achieved single neuron resolutions. Implantable optogenetic fiber optic wire with single digit micron thickness exists already.\n\nOne unique advantage of this method over electrode arrays is that optogenetic interfaces offload and distribute work that would otherwise be performed by your implant onto the neurons themselves which lets you transmit and receive data through wires that are nothing more than invisibly thin dumb light tubes.\n\nI think the above demonstrates that despite your earlier comment, the Neuralink is not actually running up against fundamental limitations of BCI and as a BCI isn't doing anything new at all. It's a straightforward implementation of the typical microelectrode array approach with a modified array that can't do anything that hasn't already been done before and fails to do some things that have been done before.\n\nThough, again, it is innovative as a product/implantable medical device if not in its actual brain interfacing ability.",
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