£17m for three UK neural implant projects

UK startup MintNeuro has received three funding awards from the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) for its  low power semiconductor technology for minimally-invasive neural implant designs.

The £17m funding for MintNeuro and its partners as part of the UK R&D funding agency’s £69 million Precision Neurotechnologies programme, led by Programme Director Jacques Carolan.

MintNeuro will lead the custom development and integration of low-power, function-specific integrated circuits and systems for each of the three funded projects.

Precision 4D Control of Cortical Circuit Function

Led by Andrew Jackson at MintNeuro and Newcastle University, this £8.2 million project with the  University of Oxford and Imperial College London will define and selectively target behaviourally-relevant neural populations within the brain. This uses multi-modal machine learning with advanced stimulation techniques for 4D closed-loop control of brain states underlying awake behaviour. The 4D analysis using multipolar, time- and space-variant data has the potential to create more effective, adaptive treatments for existing indications such as epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease and for emerging treatment areas such as stroke and depression) Brain Mesh: A Distributed Network Interface to Mesoscale Cortical Circuits

Led by Jacob Robinson of Motif Neurotech and Rice University in the US, this £4.7 million project adds MintNeuro to develop the Brain Mesh, a distributed network of ultra-small, wireless neural implants. Each millimetre-sized device, or Mesh Point, will be capable of sensing neural signals and delivering precise stimulation, creating a distributed, scalable system for monitoring and modulating brain activity.

The Brain Mesh will provide a more precise, holistic way to interact with the brain compared to traditional implants.

Minimally Invasive Multiplexed Temporal Interference Brain Stimulation Network

Led by Nir Grossman at Imperial College London, this £4.1m project adds MintNeuro and Newcastle University to develop a minimally-invasive brain stimulation technology capable of precisely targeting multiple brain regions. This system will use multiplexed temporal interference (TI) stimulation to modulate neural circuits with implant-like precision, but without the need for surgical implantation in the brain.

The project will focus on developing the TI stimulation principle, creating a prototype device, and demonstrating its capabilities. The overall project vision is to enable targeted neuromodulation across the brain, paving the way for new treatments for many neurological and psychiatric disorders.

“The fact that MintNeuro is central to so many of the successful applications speaks volumes to both the quality of the work and the critical role MintNeuro is playing in the UK ecosystem,” said Jacque Carolan, ARIA Programme Director for the Precision Neurotechnologies programme.

“ARIA’s Precision Neurotechnologies programme is a global pathfinder, uniting frontier innovations to unlock new methods to interface with the brain and bringing the promise of hugely beneficial impacts for addressing the complex and devastating medical conditions that affect so many people worldwide,” said Dorian Haci, CEO of MintNEuro. “These landmark projects will drive advancements in treating brain disorders such as epilepsy, Parkinson’s, and neuropsychiatric conditions, where current solutions remain limited.”