Biological co-processor (bcp)

Abstract

Embodiments may provide a general-purpose, relatively inexpensive, AI-driven implant that is able to adapt to and modulate any given neuron, circuit, or region in the brain, as well as individual cells of any type of tissue. For example, in an embodiment, a method for interacting with living tissue may comprise attaching a device to living brain tissue of a person or animal, the device adapted to be implanted within a body of the person or animal, the device comprising an array of sensors in contact with the living brain tissue, receiving by sensors neural signals from the living brain tissue, processing the received signals by the device; and transmitting the processed signals.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for interacting with living tissue comprising:
 a device adapted to be attached to living brain tissue of a person or animal, adapted to be implanted within the body of the person or animal, adapted to transcribe neural signals from the living brain tissue, and adapted to transmit the transcribed signals, wherein the device comprises an array of sensors adapted to transcribe signals from the living tissue;   a processing device adapted to receive the transcribed signals, process the transcribed signals, and transmit the processed transcribed signals; and   a computer system adapted to receive the processed transcribed signals, store and further process the processed transcribed signals, and store other data related to the person or animal.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the sensors comprise:
 a plurality of carbon fibers adapted to receive electrical signals from the living tissue; 
 a processor adapted to receive the electrical signals and to process the electrical signals to form digital data representing the signals; and 
 a transmitter adapted to transmit the digital data representing the signals. 
 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the carbon fibers comprise single walled carbon nanotubes. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the device further comprises:
 a receiver adapted to receive digital data representing signals to be applied to the living tissue and output control signals representing the signals to be applied to the living tissue; 
 a plurality of light sources adapted to receive the control signals and output optical signals representing the control signals; and 
 a plurality of optical fibers adapted to apply the optical signals to the living tissue. 
 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4  wherein the optical fibers are coated with single walled carbon nanotube which adapt the optical fibers to receive electrical signals from the living tissue. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the device further comprises delay lines between the carbon fibers and the coated optical fibers and the processing device, wherein the delay lines are adapted to compare time between pulses of the electrical signals. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 4  wherein the light sources comprise vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser devices. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the transmitter comprises a wireless transmitter. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the device further comprises an inductively-recharged power source. 
     
     
         10 . A method for interacting with living tissue comprising:
 attaching a device to living brain tissue of a person or animal, the device adapted to be implanted within a body of the person or animal, the device comprising an array of sensors in contact with the living brain tissue;   receiving by sensors neural signals from the living brain tissue;   processing the received signals by the device; and   transmitting the processed signals.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the sensors comprise carbon fibers. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the carbon fibers comprise single walled carbon nanotubes. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising:
 receiving digital data representing signals to be applied to the living tissue and outputting control signals representing the signals to be applied to the living tissue; 
 receiving, at a plurality of light sources, the control signals and outputting optical signals representing the control signals; and 
 applying the optical signals to the living tissue with a plurality of optical fibers. 
 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the optical fibers are coated with single walled carbon nanotube which adapt the optical fibers to receive electrical signals from the living tissue. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising comparing time between pulses of the electrical signal using delay lines coupled to the carbon fibers and the coated optical fibers. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the light sources comprise vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser devices. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 11  wherein the processed neural signals are transmitting using a wireless transmitter. 
     
     
         18 . A computer program product for controlling interaction with living tissue, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processor, to cause the processor to perform a method comprising:
 receiving neural signals at a device implanted in a body of a person or animal and attached to living brain tissue of the person or animal, the signals received from the living tissue using an array of sensors included in the device and in contact with the living brain tissue;   processing the received signals by the device; and   transmitting the processed signals.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the sensors comprise carbon fibers. 
     
     
         20 . The computer program product of  claim 19 , wherein the carbon fibers comprise single walled carbon nanotubes. 
     
     
         21 . The computer program product of  claim 19  further comprising:
 receiving, at the device, digital data representing signals to be applied to the living tissue and outputting control signals representing the signals to be applied to the living tissue to a plurality of light sources at the implanted device; 
 receiving, at the plurality of light sources, the control signals and outputting optical signals representing the control signals to a plurality of optical fibers at the device; and 
 applying the optical signals to the living tissue with a plurality of optical fibers. 
 
     
     
         22 . The computer program product of  claim 21  wherein the optical fibers are coated with single walled carbon nanotube which adapt the optical fibers to receive electrical signals from the brain tissue. 
     
     
         23 . The computer program product of  claim 22  further comprising comparing time between pulses of the electrical signal using delay lines coupled to the carbon fibers and the coated optical fibers. 
     
     
         24 . The computer program product of  claim 21  wherein the light sources comprise vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser devices. 
     
     
         25 . The computer program product of  claim 19  wherein the processed signals are transmitting using a wireless transmitter.