Design and optimization of SansEC resonant sensors for electromagnetic sensing of biological systems
Yulia Kostogorova-Beller, Kenneth L Dudley and George N Szatkowski
1Wichita State University, USA 2NASA Langley Research Center, USA
: J Electr Eng Electron Technol
Abstract
This work explores a novel approach towards the detection of electrical and chemical activity originating from biological nerve tissue using a wireless interface based on NASA SansEC (without Electrical Connections) Sensing Technology. The concept takes advantage of the unique ability of a resonant spiral to characterize an electromagnetic signature response for material media in proximity to such sensors. During the propagation of action potentials in living axons and neural pathways, there is an emergence of a magnetic-field component that can couple with the electromagnetic field of an appropriately tuned SansEC sensor. This coupling produces an observable change to the sensor’s response within its fundamental or harmonic resonance spectra. To demonstrate feasibility of this proposal, system design experimentation was conducted on a nonbiological assembly consisting of a transmission-line submerged in an aqueous-solution simulating a nerve surrounded by interstitial fluid. An arbitrary function generator provided the action potential stimulus while a SansEC sensor was placed in the proximity of but external to the assemblage. Interrogation was accomplished using a near-field loop antenna connected to a network analyzer. The presence of the fluid was detectable by a measurable frequency shift of the sensor resonance. Chemical changes in the fluid using common ionic concentrations of Na+, K+, and Cl- were similarly detectable as smaller frequency shifts. Results also demonstrate that detectable coupling of simulated nerve impulses and electrical activity is possible. This research lays a foundation towards the realization of practical sensing systems utilizing SansEC sensor technology for detecting and quantifying electrochemical activity in living organisms.
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