Method and Apparatus for the Capture of Intra-cellular Activity

摘要

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.

主权项

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.