Funding programme/Agency: EPSRC

Acronym: NISNEM Technology

Institution: Imperial College London

Project type: ERC Proof of Concept Grant U-Wear

Implementation period: 01.2021 – 12.2025

Budget: £5,593,020

Project website: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=EP%2FT020970%2F1

PROJECT SUMMARY:

The proposed Non-Invasive Single Neuron Electrical Monitoring (NISNEM) technology seeks to overcome the limitations of current neuroimaging methods, which either offer only low-resolution data from large populations of neurons (e.g., EEG, MEG, fMRI) or require invasive procedures to record single neuron activity. By combining cutting-edge advances in electrode technology, ultra-low-noise microelectronics, and sophisticated signal processing, NISNEM will enable high-resolution, non-invasive monitoring of individual neurons through the skin.

This breakthrough has the potential to transform neurological diagnostics and therapy. It could lead to earlier and more accurate detection of conditions like epilepsy, dementia, and Parkinson’s disease, as well as provide continuous monitoring for stroke or spinal cord injury recovery. NISNEM may also support novel treatments through closed-loop neural modulation and enable new types of brain-computer interfaces for communication, prosthetics, and sensory restoration.

Validated through extensive pre-clinical testing in humans and animals, NISNEM is envisioned as a routine clinical tool that extends care beyond hospitals into patients’ homes—for example, enabling personalized, ongoing stroke rehabilitation. The technology stands to benefit neuroscience, neural engineering, and clinical neurology, with the ultimate goal of improving the lives of millions of patients and their families.