Picosecond Precision: Time-to-Digital Conversion for DNA Memory and Micro-Scale Implants
Faculty Mentor Information
Dr. Ben Johnson (Mentor), Boise State University
Abstract
Our research focuses on developing a low-cost, multi-channel time-to-digital converter (TDC) with high temporal precision (< 20 ps) for two innovative applications. Existing commercial solutions lack the capability of 16 channels with this level of temporal resolution. For the first application, we pair our TDCs with a custom single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) camera to image data stored in 3D nucleic acid memory (3DNAM). 3DNAM is a novel synthetic DNA memory approach where data are stored spatially (x, y) and in fluorescent lifetime (z). The fluorescent lifetime varies with the imager probe's distance from the substrate. Our high-channel count TDC enables simultaneous super-resolution and fluorescent lifetime microscopy, achieving data readout with nanometer precision in three dimensions. For the second application, we utilize the TDCs to retrieve data from microscale neural implants. These implants monitor neural activity and transmit time-encoded pulses through the body. The TDC is integrated into a wearable receiver that measures these pulses, facilitating a highly efficient wireless link in deep tissue (>20 mm).
Picosecond Precision: Time-to-Digital Conversion for DNA Memory and Micro-Scale Implants
Our research focuses on developing a low-cost, multi-channel time-to-digital converter (TDC) with high temporal precision (< 20 ps) for two innovative applications. Existing commercial solutions lack the capability of 16 channels with this level of temporal resolution. For the first application, we pair our TDCs with a custom single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) camera to image data stored in 3D nucleic acid memory (3DNAM). 3DNAM is a novel synthetic DNA memory approach where data are stored spatially (x, y) and in fluorescent lifetime (z). The fluorescent lifetime varies with the imager probe's distance from the substrate. Our high-channel count TDC enables simultaneous super-resolution and fluorescent lifetime microscopy, achieving data readout with nanometer precision in three dimensions. For the second application, we utilize the TDCs to retrieve data from microscale neural implants. These implants monitor neural activity and transmit time-encoded pulses through the body. The TDC is integrated into a wearable receiver that measures these pulses, facilitating a highly efficient wireless link in deep tissue (>20 mm).