Official websites use .gov

A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock ( 🔒 ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Need Help

Translating Novel Carbon Coating Towards Integrated Sub-second Neurotransmitter Sensors in Humans

Award Number: R18NS145979
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND STROKE
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: KDA (KNOWLEDGE/DEVELOPMENT/APPLICATION)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 05/01/2026
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 04/30/2029

Group Awards By:

View Award Description

Translating Novel Carbon Coating Towards Integrated Sub-second Neurotransmitter Sensors in Humans - Abstract Neurotransmitter sensing is important for both the fundamental understanding and clinical treatment of many diseases and conditions. However, currently, there are no FDA-cleared or -approved medical devices that can sense neurotransmitters within the living human brain. This application aims to fill this important gap by translating recent neurochemical sensor innovation through collaboration among academia (Dartmouth and VA Medical Center), neurosurgery (Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center), and industry (NeuroOne). Recently, we discovered that mild annealing dramatically improved the electrochemical stability of electroplated carbon coating and transformed conventional microelectrodes into sensors similar to carbon fiber electrodes with excellent neuromodulator-sensing performance based on fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV). Based on this discovery, we created a prototype integrated probe that combines both electrical recording and FSCV capabilities and validated it in vivo in rodents, demonstrating parallel spike/local-field-potential -recording and sub-second dopamine sensing with synergistic multimodal results. In three parallel aims, we will develop designs to translate this novel technology to NeuroOne’s sEEG electrode, which is the first and only thin-film neural electrode FDA-cleared in clinics, with the goal of achieving the most efficient and effective translation towards first-in-human studies. Our long-term goal is to shift the current neurophysiological monitoring and recording paradigm from electrophysiology only to electrophysiology combined with chemical sensing by integrating interoperable neurotransmitter sensors. While we only focus on sEEG electrodes here for the sensor integration, we envision that the translational optimization of FSCV-stable carbon coating, the clinical- facing potentiostat and software design, and the regulator pathway developed are generalizable to standalone neurochemical sensors in humans or similar integrations on many emerging device platforms, such as thin-film DBS electrodes and intracortical arrays.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2026 ( Subtotal = $1,010,880 )
2026	2026	TRUSTEES OF DARTMOUTH COLLEGE	7 LEBANON ST	HANOVER	NH	03755	GRAFTON	USA	21st Century Cures Act -Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies	000	1	5/4/2026	NEW	$1,010,880
														Subtotal = $1,010,880

Grand Total All Awards = $1,010,880

Top

All Categories

About

Search

Reports

Data Submission

Award Information

Translating Novel Carbon Coating Towards Integrated Sub-second Neurotransmitter Sensors in Humans

Award Number: R18NS145979

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND STROKE

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: KDA (KNOWLEDGE/DEVELOPMENT/APPLICATION)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 05/01/2026

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 04/30/2029

Federal Websites

Department of Health & Human Services

HHS Operating Divisions

HHS Staff Divisions

Download A Document Viewer