Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and neurotechnology company Canaery have developed an advanced nose-computer interface (NCI) capable of enhancing the ability of scent-detection animals to simultaneously identify contraband such as explosives and narcotics, as well as other types of important scents such as biomarkers for neurological and infectious diseases.
The team brings LLNL's longstanding expertise in fabrication of flexible neural interfaces and biocompatible packaging together with Canaery's transformative work on a novel NCI that could provide human-readable identification of scents detected by animals. Nanofabrication of the implantable device is led by staff research engineer Travis Massey in LLNL's Implantable Microsystems Group, and initially began under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) through LLNL's Innovation and Partnership's Office (IPO). The work is now part of a strategic partnership between LLNL and Canaery.
"We're pleased to be working with Canaery on developing high-density, high-channel-count neural interfaces for this innovative nose-computer interface technology," said Massey. "This is a new application that we're interested in, and we're excited about the alignment of our capabilities and Canaery's technology with the Lab's larger national security mission. This array, with hundreds of electrodes per square millimeter, is significantly denser than anything we've fabricated before, and that makes it really exciting."
The work with Canaery involves the design and nanofabrication of micro-electrocorticography arrays and high-density interconnects for polymer bioelectronic devices. A key goal is the development of a 767-channel microelectrode array for implantation in rodents, capable of digitizing olfactory signals from the brain. The effort extends LLNL's current manufacturing capabilities as the Lab's first neural interface created under a new high-density nanofabrication process utilizing electron beam lithography capable of patterning nanometer-scale features.
The team members said the project presents a unique opportunity to leverage LLNL's expertise in electron beam lithography and a regulatory-compliant quality management system with Canaery's cutting-edge vision for olfactory digitization. The NCI device promises to push the boundaries of neural interface technology and creates a unique opportunity for research and development that could impact fields such as healthcare, environmental monitoring, neuroscience research and national security.
LLNL contributed the design of the array's layout, nanofabrication of the device, prototyping the high-density connectors and recording electronics needed to interface the larger numbers of electrodes. Canaery brings their strengths in understanding olfaction, implantation of neural arrays in animal models, electrophysiological recording, computational neuroscience and machine learning.
"This work has the potential to drive significant advancements in detection of contraband and threats," said Gabriel Lavella, CEO of Canaery. "By combining LLNL's expertise in nanofabrication with our approach to a nose-computer interface, Canaery can benefit a wide range of industries even beyond our initial focus in security. This project exemplifies the power of collaboration in driving innovation and pushing the boundaries of technology."
Ongoing research by LLNL and Canaery is not only expected to yield technological advancements, patents and joint scientific publications, but also transform threat detection in the national interest, in addition to future applications including healthcare and agriculture.
"This exciting program highlights the growing impact of our advanced implantable microtechnology approach and its potential to develop innovative neurotechnology with transformative applications," said Razi Haque, LLNL's Implantable Microsystems Group leader.
LLNL IPO Business Development Executive Yash Vaishnav is responsible for the Laboratory's life science, biotechnology and healthcare intellectual property portfolio. IPO is the focal point for LLNL's engagement with industry and aims to accelerate U.S. competitiveness by identifying new economic opportunities and solutions as well as transferring those to the private sector through licensing or partnerships.
