An Experimental Platform for Neural Communication Based on Bullfrog Sciatic Nerve
Huiyu Luo, Ying Qin, Lei Jiang, Junfang Zhang, Ling Zhu, Guangyi Liu, Lin Lin
Abstract
Molecular communication and the Internet of Nanothings (IoNTs) have been extensively studied as potential in-body communication technologies. Communication between the inside and outside of the body, specifically the exchange of data between IoNTs and the external environment, has gradually become a research hotspot. Neural communication theory has been proposed as a promising method for transmitting information between the body's interior and exterior. However, there is currently limited theoretical research on neural communication and even fewer related experimental platform studies. To address this gap, we have constructed a digital communication system based on the sciatic nerve of a bullfrog. This platform is capable of stimulating the nerve trunk to produce electrical signals and receiving signals at the receiving end. This experiment investigates the fundamental characteristics of neural trunk channels, measuring the impulse response and the signal conduction rate. The experimental results demonstrate that signal transmission via the nerve trunk as a channel could be achieved using our experimental platform, thereby demonstrating the possibility of information transmission through the nervous system. This paper paves the way for the implementation of experiments connecting IoNTs within the body to external networks.