Abstract: An on-chip electrical coil includes a semiconductor substrate; a plurality of metal layers disposed on the semiconductor substrate; a plurality of insulator layers disposed on the semiconductor substrate, each insulator layer disposed between a pair of neighboring metal layers to form an alternating arrangement of metal layers and insulator layers; a plurality of metal vias defined in the insulator layers, each metal via electrically connecting a respective pair of neighboring metal layers; and a planar spiral formed by the metal layers and the metal vias, the planar spiral including a plurality of interconnected loops, each loop including two metal wires disposed in respective metal layers, an intra-loop column that electrically connects the two metal wires of a respective loop, and an inter-loop column that electrically connects one of the metal wires of the respective loop to one of the metal wires in a subsequent loop.

Abstract: A three-dimensional on-chip magnetic sensor includes first, second, and third coils. The first and second coils include respective planar spirals formed by metal layers and metal vias. Each planar spiral of the first coil includes first interconnected loops wound about a first axis, where neighboring first planar spirals are electrically connected to each other. Each planar spiral of the second coil includes second interconnected loops wound about a second axis, where neighboring second planar spirals are electrically connected to each other. The third coil has a planar spiral includes third interconnected loops that are wound about a third axis. Each electrically conductive coil is configured to produce a respective electromagnetic force (EMF) induced by an oscillating magnetic field, the respective EMF driving a respective alternating current (AC) through the respective readout circuit. Each readout circuit is configured to detect a respective peak voltage magnitude of the respective AC.

Abstract: An optical device. In some embodiments, the device comprises: an input waveguide, configured to receive light; a first electro-absorption modulator, coupled to receive light from the input waveguide, and operable to produce a first output or a second output, wherein the second output has a lower amplitude than the first output; a second electro-absorption modulator, coupled to receive light from the input waveguide, and operable to produce a third output or a fourth output, wherein the fourth output has a lower amplitude than the third output; and an output waveguide, coupled to receive light from the first electro-absorption modulator and the second electro-absorption modulator, and output a combined signal comprising an output of the first electro-absorption modulator and an output of the second electro-absorption modulator.

Abstract: A smart cage includes radiofrequency transceivers and tags attached to laboratory animals. The tags include sensors to detect monitorable conditions of the laboratory animals. The sensors include working electrodes, counter electrodes, reference electrodes, and potentiostats. The top surface of the electrodes is coated with ionophores or enzymes which detect the monitorable conditions of the laboratory animals.

Abstract: A method for in-vivo monitoring of a target internal volume of a mammal that includes: (a) placing the target internal volume proximal to a three-dimensional magnetic field generator; (b) generating first, second, and third magnetic field gradients along respective first, second, and third axes that are mutually orthogonal; (c) measuring first, second, and third magnetic fields with a three-dimensional magnetic sensor disposed in an ingestible capsule, the ingestible capsule disposed in the target internal volume; (d) with a controller in electrical communication with the three-dimensional magnetic sensor, generating a magnetic sensor output signal that encodes a measurement of the first, second, and third magnetic fields; (e) broadcasting the magnetic sensor output signal from an antenna disposed in the ingestible capsule, and (f) receiving the magnetic sensor output signal with a receiver. The received magnetic field data can be used to determine the three-dimensional position of the ingestible capsule.

Abstract: A three dimensional magnetic sensor attached to a surgical nail is located based on an applied monotonic magnetic field gradient. Another three dimensional magnetic sensor locates a surgical drill. A display generates a real time image of the relative alignment of the surgical drill and of the surgical nail, allowing a surgeon to repair bone fractures.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for a feature extraction network based brain machine interface is disclosed. A set of neural sensors sense neural signals from the brain. A feature extraction module is coupled to the set of neural sensors to extract a set of features from the sensed neural signals. Each feature is extracted via a feature engineering module having a convolutional filter and an activation function. The feature engineering modules are each trained to extract the corresponding feature. A decoder is coupled to the feature extraction module. The decoder is trained to determine a kinematics output from a pattern of the plurality of features. An output interface provides control signals based on the kinematics output from the decoder.

Abstract: A long-lasting, wireless, biocompatible pressure sensor device is integrated within a hydrocephalus shunt, either within the shunt's reservoir/anchor or as an inline or pigtailed connector. When integrated within a typical reservoir, the device can sit within the reservoir's hollow frustum area covered by the resilient silicone dome of the reservoir. When integrated as an inline connector, the device can sit at any point on the peritoneal catheter or ventricular catheter, including between the VP shut's valve and reservoir. The pressure sensor device includes electronics that can be powered wirelessly by a reader held to a patient's scalp, and so no battery may be required. The reader can transmit an ambient, atmospheric pressure reading from outside the skull to the implanted device so that its electronics can calculate a calibrated gauge pressure internally and then relay it to a patient's smart phone.

Abstract: A method communicates data with a platform. A platform receives modulated coherent optical signals modulated using radio frequency signals encoding sensor data and generates an input current in response to receiving the modulated coherent optical signals at a receiver system in the platform. The platform recovers the radio frequency signals from the input current in a manner that adjusts for changes in the modulated coherent optical signals caused by variations in received optical intensity occurring during propagation of the modulated coherent optical signals. The platform outputs the radio frequency signals encoding the data.

Abstract: An adaptive receiver comprising a current buffer, an inverter-based transimpedance that receives input from the current buffer, an average current control loop that feeds back from the inverter-based transimpedance to the current buffer, a variable gain circuit that receives input from the inverter-based transimpedance, a differential voltage amplifier that receives input from the variable gain circuit, an automatic gain control loop that feeds back from the differential voltage amplifier to the inverter-based transimpedance and variable gain circuit, and a differential buffer that receives input from the differential voltage amplifier.

Abstract: An adaptive receiver comprising a current buffer, an inverter that receives input from the current buffer, an average current control loop that feeds back from the inverter to the current buffer, a variable gain circuit that receives input from the inverter, a differential voltage amplifier that receives input from the variable gain circuit, an automatic gain control loop that feeds back from the differential voltage amplifier to the inverter and variable gain circuit, and a differential buffer that receives input from the differential amplifier.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices are disclosed for an efficient hardware architecture to implement gradient boosted trees for detecting biological conditions. For example, a method of detecting a biological condition includes receiving, by a device, a plurality of physiological signals from a plurality of input channels of the device, selecting, based on a trained prediction model, one or more input channels from the plurality of input channels, converting the one or more physiological signals received from the one or more input channels to one or more digital physiological signals, identifying, by using the plurality of gradient boosted decision trees, the selected characteristic in the one or more digital physiological signals, and determining a presence of a physiological condition based on an addition of the output values obtained from the plurality of gradient boosted decision trees.

Abstract: A smart cage includes radiofrequency transceivers and tags attached to laboratory animals. The tags include sensors to detect monitorable conditions of the laboratory animals. The sensors include working electrodes, counter electrodes, reference electrodes, and potentiostats. The top surface of the electrodes is coated with ionophores or enzymes which detect the monitorable conditions of the laboratory animals.

Abstract: A three dimensional magnetic sensor attached to a surgical nail is located based on an applied monotonic magnetic field gradient. Another three dimensional magnetic sensor locates a surgical drill. A display generates a real time image of the relative alignment of the surgical drill and of the surgical nail, allowing a surgeon to repair bone fractures.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing magnetic field gradients includes (a) a first planar electromagnet coil set configured to produce a first magnetic field gradient with respect to a first axis, (b) a second planar electromagnet coil set configured to produce a second magnetic field gradient with respect to a second axis that is orthogonal to the first axis, (c) a third planar electromagnet coil set configured to produce a third magnetic field gradient with respect to a third axis that is orthogonal to the first and second axes, and (d) a controller configured to selectively provide power to the first, second, and/or third electromagnet coil sets to sequentially produce a localization magnetic field gradient with respect to each of the first, second, and third axes, at least a portion of each localization magnetic field gradient having a monotonically-varying magnetic field magnitude along a respective axis.

Abstract: A three dimensional magnetic sensor attached to a surgical nail is located based on an applied monotonic magnetic field gradient. Another three dimensional magnetic sensor locates a surgical drill. A display generates a real time image of the relative alignment of the surgical drill and of the surgical nail, allowing a surgeon to repair bone fractures.

Abstract: An optical device. In some embodiments, the device comprises: an input waveguide, configured to receive light; a first electro-absorption modulator, coupled to receive light from the input waveguide, and operable to produce a first output or a second output, wherein the second output has a lower amplitude than the first output; a second electro-absorption modulator, coupled to receive light from the input waveguide, and operable to produce a third output or a fourth output, wherein the fourth output has a lower amplitude than the third output; and an output waveguide, coupled to receive light from the first electro-absorption modulator and the second electro-absorption modulator, and output a combined signal comprising an output of the first electro-absorption modulator and an output of the second electro-absorption modulator.

Abstract: An optoelectronic device for quadrature-amplitude modulation (QAM) and a method of modulating light according to the same. The device comprising: an input waveguide; two intermediate waveguides, each coupled to the input waveguide via an input coupler; and an output waveguide, coupled to each of the intermediate waveguides via an output coupler; wherein each intermediate waveguide includes a modulating component connected in series with a phase shifting component, and each modulating component is connected to a respective electronic driver, the electronic drivers together being operable to produce a QAM-N modulated output from light entering the device from the input waveguide.

Abstract: Magnetically-sensitive surgical tags are attached to an anatomical feature of a subject prior to a surgical procedure. The magnetically-sensitive surgical tags measure the magnitude of a plurality of applied magnetic fields that have respective magnetic field gradients. The magnitudes of the applied magnetic fields are used to determine a first and a second relative three-dimensional position of each magnetically-sensitive surgical tag at first and second times, respectively. When the first and second relative three-dimensional positions of a magnetically-sensitive surgical tag are not substantially the same or within a desired offset distance range, the magnetically-sensitive surgical tag can be repositioned and the new position can be determined and compared to the first position.

Abstract: A miniature, low power electronic pressure sensor with a first, oil-filled chamber to protect its microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) pressure sensitive membrane and a second chamber filled with saline or body fluids connected by tube into an organ in the body, such as an eyeball, that needs pressure sensing, is described. The tube carries pressure from a sensitive area within the organ to the electronic pressure sensor. The pressure sensor may communicate wirelessly with external readers and pass data to a server or other computer. Running alongside the tube is another tube for draining and pressure relief. The tubes, or cannulas, can share an opening into the organ in order to minimize the number of holes needed. The tubes may be molded into a single oval cross section, combined coaxially, or share a lumen for a portion that enters the wall of an organ so as to promote healing.