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Mission
LLNL's national security mission requires special multidisciplinary capabilities that are also used to pursue programs in advanced defense technologies, energy, environment, biosciences, and basic science to meet important national needs. These activities enhance the competencies needed for our defining national security mission. The Laboratory serves as a resource to the U.S. government and is a partner with industry and academia. Safe, secure, and efficient operations and scientific and technical excellence in our programs are necessary to sustain public trust in the Laboratory.
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View the LLNL Mission & Programs page: http://www.llnl.gov/llnl/missions/
Educational Outreach Programs: K-14 Student Programs; Teacher Development; Undergraduate/Graduate Opportunities; Fellowships; Postdocs; Military
Technology Disciplines
A handful of companies currently develop and sell invasive deep brain stimulation (DBS) systems to healthcare providers, but only few of them provide connectors needed for DBS research. Moreover, the connectors currently in the market are neither robust nor reliable; they are widely considered ineffective by the research community.
A high density percutaneous chronic connector, having first and second connector structures each having an array of magnets surrounding a mounting cavity. This connector can be fabricated from biocompatible material, and has a long lifetime and a high density of electrical feedthroughs. The magnetic closure apparatus enables a quick-release feature, which is particularly useful when working with animal models that may dislodge the connector. Without the quick-release feature, the apparatus would be damaged and the experiment would need repeating, costing time and money.
One of the current market trends is growth in neurotechnology-- specifically, brain-computer interfacing (BCI) as well as deep brain stimulation (DBS) to treat a handful of afflictions, including: Parkinson’s Disease, essential tremor, and major depression. Brain computer interfacing refers to connecting the brain’s natural electrochemical properties to computers, in order to modulate or monitor the brain’s activities. This usually comes in a non-invasive form using an electroencephalogram (EEG), which is a cap made of a mesh of electrodes, each able to pick up on the brain’s unique wavelengths based on users’ thoughts. Those electrical impulses are then translated into digital signals and can result in digital data storage or controlled mechanical movement. Neural prosthetics have made large improvements in this space throughout the past decade.
EEG offers researchers lots of avenues to explore potential uses of BCI, but the electrical signal from the brain is weak compared to more invasive methods, so the potential applications are limited. Invasive methods require surgery that involves drilling a hole into a patient’s skull to implant one or more neural probes into the neural tissue. These probes often have multiple electrodes and are able to record chemical, electrical, and biological data from the surrounding tissue. Some electrodes are able to emit small electrical pulses, stimulating the surrounding neurons.
For chronic DBS implantation, wires connect to the top of the probes and are implanted underneath the skin of the patient and extend down the neck, to a small implanted electronics device usually at the top of the chest. The FDA has approved DBS to treat Parkinson’s and essential tremor, and there are currently over 160 active DBS clinical trials worldwide to treat a wide variety of indications.
Technology Types | Implants |
Internal Lab Reference ID | IL12594 |
Patent Number | 9,138,571 |
Internal Lab Reference ID | 29915 |
Internal Lab Reference ID | 29615 |
This technology relates to a modular system for deep brain stimulation (DBS) and electrocorticography (ECoG). The system has an implantable neuromodulator for generating electrical stimulation signals adapted to be applied to a desired region of a brain via an attached electrode array. An aggregator module is used for collecting and aggregating electrical signals and transmitting the electrical signals to the neuromodulator. A control module that communicates with the aggregator module is used for controlling generation of the electrical signals and transmitting the electrical signals to the aggregator.
Other currently available DBS systems are considered “open loop,” which allow a physician to adjust the DBS setting based on direct feedback from the patient, such as how they are feeling with each incremental change in treatment. However, this method is time-delayed and based on subjective observations from the patient.
LLNL is developing a “closed loop” stimulation system, which monitors neuron activity and automatically adjust its own electric pulses based on real-time electrode information. Closed loop DBS systems hold promise in tailoring treatment to the individualized needs of each patient. This neuromodulation system is an advanced apparatus made up of state-of-the-art components.
Contact: Yash Vaishnav, Vaishnav1@llnl.gov
One of the current market trends is growth in neurotechnology-- specifically, brain-computer interfacing (BCI) as well as deep brain stimulation (DBS) to treat a handful of afflictions, including: Parkinson’s Disease, essential tremor, and major depression. Brain computer interfacing refers to connecting the brain’s natural electrochemical properties to computers, in order to modulate or monitor the brain’s activities. This usually comes in a non-invasive form using an electroencephalogram (EEG), which is a cap made of a mesh of electrodes, each able to pick up on the brain’s unique wavelengths based on users’ thoughts. Those electrical impulses are then translated into digital signals and can result in digital data storage or controlled mechanical movement. Neural prosthetics have made large improvements in this space throughout the past decade.
EEG offers researchers lots of avenues to explore potential uses of BCI, but the electrical signal from the brain is weak compared to more invasive methods, so the potential applications are limited. Invasive methods require surgery that involves drilling a hole into a patient’s skull to implant one or more neural probes into the neural tissue. These probes often have multiple electrodes and are able to record chemical, electrical, and biological data from the surrounding tissue. Some electrodes are able to emit small electrical pulses, stimulating the surrounding neurons.
For chronic DBS implantation, wires connect to the top of the probes and are implanted underneath the skin of the patient and extend down the neck, to a small implanted electronics device usually at the top of the chest. The FDA has approved DBS to treat Parkinson’s and essential tremor, and there are currently over 160 active DBS clinical trials worldwide to treat a wide variety of indications.
Internal Lab Reference ID | IL13065 |
Patent Status | PCT Application WO2017100649 |
Patent Number | WO2017100649 |
Internal Lab Reference ID | 37618 |
Internal Lab Reference ID | 11606 |
Internal Lab Reference ID | 23111 |
Internal Lab Reference ID | 29215 |
- LLNL’s innovative MLD gratings solutions improve the performance, reliability and lifetime of optics permitting higher power operation without laser induced optical damage.
Internal Lab Reference ID | 35017 |
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), operated by the Lawrence Livermore National Security (LLNS), LLC under contract no. DE-AC52-07NA27344 (Contract 44) with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), is offering the opportunity to license a new portfolio of multi-layer dielectric gratings technology to further research and develop for commercialization.
Diffraction gratings are important optical components with a periodic structure which splits, diffracts and disperses light into several beams traveling in different directions. The directions of these beams depend on the spacing of the grating and the wavelength of the light. Diffraction gratings find optical applications in spectrometers, spectral multiplexers and demultiplexers and in monochromators.
At LLNL large area diffraction gratings have been produced with high laser induced damage threshold (LIDT) for both high-energy pulse compression and high-average power Spectral Beam Combining (SBC) applications. Scientists at the lab have developed large area multi-layer dielectric (MLD) grating fabrication techniques well suited for high-energy pulse and high average power laser applications.
LLNL has developed several MLD grating technologies that extend the state of the art in overall laser optical power handling capability. LLNL’s MLD grating optics are the convolution of the following key technologies:
- Optical coating designs utilizing >100 thin film layers - enables ultra-low-loss, ppm transmission levels through the coating, high diffraction efficiency, and large bandwidth.
- Dispersive surface relief structure design - perfectly impedance matched to the thin film stack for optimum optical performance.
- Ability to fabricate dispersive surface relief structure and advanced optical thin film coating on superior thermally conductive materials such as silicon and silicon carbide.
- Processing techniques permitting the fabrication of optimum optical design.
- LLNL’s innovative MLD gratings solutions improve the performance, reliability and lifetime of optics permitting higher power operation without laser induced optical damage.
Internal Lab Reference ID | 35017 |