Method and Apparatus for the Capture of Intra-cellular Activity

Abstract

An intracellular monitoring device (IMD) that fits completely inside a living cell, and causes no significant impairment, to a cell's normal biological processes. The IMD monitors a cell for its level of a biological substance (e.g., calcium ion concentration) of interest. If the biological substance reaches or exceeds a threshold, the IMD transmits an electromagnetic signal, received by an antenna outside the cell. Each IMD has its electromagnetic signal encoded with a unique frequency. Detection of the frequency components, in the signals received by an antenna, permits identification of the source IMD's. A high calcium ion concentration is indicative of a strongly-activated cerebral cortex neuron. Brain tissue is relatively transparent to near infrared, making it a good frequency band, for the electromagnetic signals from neuron-monitoring IMD's. The near infrared of each IMD can be produced by quantum dots, powered by bioelectric catalysis triggered by high calcium ion concentration.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for monitoring intracellular activity, comprising:
 monitoring, with a first intracellular monitoring device, a first cell for a first cellular level of a first biochemical substance, wherein the first intracellular monitoring device is completely inside the first cell and is sufficiently small such that it causes, at most, insignificant impairment to normal biological processes of the first cell; and   transmitting by the first intracellular monitoring device, when the first cellular level has reached, at least, a first threshold level, a first signal in the form of electromagnetic radiation that includes at least a first frequency, wherein the first signal is strong enough to be received by a first antenna, located outside the first cell, and decoded for its information content.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first cell is a first neuron, the first biochemical substance is a calcium ion, and the first cellular level is a level of calcium ion concentration within the first cell. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the first cellular level reaching at least the first threshold level is indicative of the first neuron generating a strong action potential. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 placing the first intracellular monitoring device inside the first cell by endocytosis.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 inducing endocytosis by placing a first peptide, on a first exterior surface of the first intracellular monitoring device, in contact with a first membrane of the first cell.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the first peptide, after the IMD has entered the first cell, is digestable. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 generating electrical energy, on the first intracellular monitoring device, at least in part by a process of bioelectrocatalysis; and   powering the transmission of the first signal, at least in part, by the electrical energy produced on the first intracellular monitoring device.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 generating electrical energy at a first voltage level, sufficient for transmission of the first signal to occur, when the first biochemical substance reaches the first level.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 monitoring, with a second intracellular monitoring device, a second cell for a second cellular level of the first biochemical substance, wherein the second intracellular monitoring device is completely inside the second cell and is sufficiently small such that it causes, at most, insignificant impairment to the biological processes of the second cell;   transmitting by the second intracellular monitoring device, when the second cellular level has reached, at least, the first threshold level, a second signal in the form of electromagnetic radiation that includes at least a second frequency, wherein the second signal is strong enough to be received by the first antenna, located outside the second cell, and decoded for its information content;   receiving, by the first antenna, a first electromagnetic signal;   filtering the first electromagnetic signal for the presence of at least the first frequency, in order to produce a first frequency specific output; and   filtering the first electromagnetic signal for the presence of at least the second frequency, in order to produce a second frequency specific output.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 converting the first frequency specific output into a first digital pulse stream, representative of data captured by the first intracellular monitoring device; and   converting the second frequency specific output into a second digital pulse stream, representative of data captured by the second intracellular monitoring device.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 transmitting the first signal with one or more near-infrared frequencies.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 producing the first signal with one or more quantum dots.   
     
     
         13 . A system for monitoring intracellular activity, comprising:
 a first intracellular monitoring device, sufficiently small such that it can be placed completely inside a first cell and cause, at most, insignificant impairment to normal biological processes of the first cell;   a first subsystem, of the first intracellular monitoring device, configured to accomplish monitoring, of the first cell for a first cellular level of a first biochemical substance; and   a second subsystem, of the first intracellular monitoring device, configured to accomplish transmitting of a first signal, when the first cellular level has reached at least a first threshold level, as a form of electromagnetic radiation that includes at least a first frequency, wherein the first signal is strong enough to be received by a first antenna, located outside the first cell, and decoded for its information content.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a second intracellular monitoring device, sufficiently small such that it can be placed completely inside a second cell and cause, at most, insignificant impairment to normal biological processes of the second cell;   a first subsystem, of the second intracellular monitoring device, configured to accomplish monitoring, of the second cell for a second cellular level of the first biochemical substance; and   a second subsystem, of the second intracellular monitoring device, configured to accomplish transmitting of a second signal, when the second cellular level has reached at least the first threshold level, as a form of electromagnetic radiation that includes at least a second frequency, wherein the second signal is strong enough to be received by the first antenna, located outside the second cell, and decoded for its information content;   a third subsystem configured to accomplish receiving, by the first antenna, of a first electromagnetic signal;   a fourth subsystem configured to accomplish filtering, of the first electromagnetic signal for the presence of at least the first frequency, in order to produce a first frequency specific output; and   a fifth subsystem configured to accomplish filtering, of the first electromagnetic signal for the presence of at least the second frequency, in order to produce a second frequency specific output.