Special Neuro-X seminar: Dr Nikolayev - Enabling Adaptive Neurotechnologies with Battery-Free Wireless Bioelectronic Systems
Event details
| Date | 16.03.2026 |
| Hour | 12:00 › 13:00 |
| Speaker | Dr Denys Nikolayev |
| Location | Online |
| Category | Conferences - Seminars |
| Event Language | English |
Abstract
Implantable neuro- and bioelectronic devices rely on reliable communication with external systems. However, two major challenges limit their long-term use: wired connections increase infection risk and restrict natural movement, while wireless solutions typically rely on bulky batteries that can occupy up to 90% of device volume. Even rechargeable approaches often require large subcutaneous modules, leading to complex surgical procedures. In this seminar, I will present our research aimed at enabling a new generation of adaptive wireless, battery-free bioelectronic devices that are highly miniaturizable and capable of long-term operation. Such technologies could unlock minimally invasive neural interfaces, injectable bioelectronics, distributed adaptive sensing/actuating networks, and new classes of microrobotic systems. Our approach integrates advances across three complementary areas: (1) the physics of wave propagation and control in complex biological media, (2) programmable radiating and wave-guiding systems enabling adaptive energy delivery and data links for implantable and wearable bioelectronics, and (3) translation into real-world biosensors and bioelectronic platforms through collaborations with clinicians and industry. Through this interdisciplinary framework, we investigate the fundamental mechanisms governing electromagnetic radiation and energy transfer for devices embedded deep within brain and body tissues. The resulting models reveal key parameters and design rules that define the achievable limits of wireless efficiency in neural interface systems. Building on these insights, we have developed adaptive wireless architectures that enable efficient powering and communication with deep-body devices without batteries. Our results show that wireless efficiency (and therefore the available power budgets and functionality of bioelectronic systems) can be improved by orders of magnitude compared with conventional approaches. These advances open new opportunities for adaptive neurotechnologies and bioelectronic medicine, enabling long-lasting, minimally invasive platforms for neural interfacing, physiological sensing, and precision neuromodulation.
Bio
Denys Nikolayev is a CNRS researcher leading the Wireless Bioelectronics group at the IETR laboratory (France). His research focuses on adaptive wireless neuro- and bioelectronic technologies that enable minimally invasive neural interfaces, distributed biosensing, and battery-free implantable devices. By combining wave physics, RF engineering, and bioelectronics, his work has established fundamental limits of wireless energy transfer in biological tissues and enabled new architectures for deep-body wireless systems. His research is supported by an ERC Starting Grant and several national and industrial programs, and it has resulted in multiple patents and technology transfer to medical device companies. He collaborates broadly with clinicians and engineers to develop next-generation neurotechnology and bioelectronic medicine platforms.
Practical information
- Informed public
- Free