This technology introduces a novel surgical procedure, custom implant, and wiring harness for continuous electroencephalogram (EEG) and electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring in conscious unrestrained animals. The animal is chronically implanted with subdermal electrodes and connected to a durable wiring system to capture high-quality physiological data.
Continuous monitoring of brain and heart electrical activity is essential for understanding neurological and cardiac events such as seizures, arrhythmias, and sudden death. Traditional monitoring methods in animals often involve restraints or short-duration recordings that limit the quality and continuity of data collection. Furthermore, existing electrode and wiring systems are prone to damage caused by animal movement and biting the wires, which compromise signal quality and reliability. This challenge created the need for a robust, long-term monitoring protocol that could operate on freely moving animals. This provides a platform for long-term assessments of cardiac (ECG) and brain (EEG) electrical function and capture rare episodic events.
This procedure employs surgically implanted subdermal electrodes combined with a specially designed wiring system that resists damage by unrestrained animals. The electrodes are secured beneath the skin to capture continuous electroencephalogram (EEG) and electrocardiogram (ECG) signals with a high signal-to-noise ratio. The wiring system is engineered to withstand the natural activities and movements of animals without compromising data fidelity. This innovation enables long-duration, uninterrupted recordings that provide comprehensive assessments surrounding episodic neurological and cardiac events.This technology addresses significant gaps in pre-clinical research by facilitating continuous physiological monitoring. Its design eliminates common problems like electrode displacement and wiring failure, thereby enhancing experimental reliability and data quality. The protocol has been disclosed in academic documentation and published (Williams LG et al. JoVE 2025, PMC11951853), which also demonstrates the high quality signal.
Photo for reference only, not a depiction of the invention.
• Enables long-term, continuous EEG and ECG recording in awake, freely moving animals, improving the physiological relevance of the acquired data.
• High signal-to-noise ratio ensures accurate detection of subtle electrophysiological changes.
• Durable wiring system protects against damage from animal movement and chewing the wires, reducing data loss and maintenance needs.
• Minimizes animal stress by avoiding restraints, leading to more natural physiological measurements.
• Facilitates comprehensive assessment of seizure activity, arrhythmias, and sudden death risk factors in animal models of disease.
• Pre-clinical research to study baseline cardiac and neuronal function at a range of awake and asleep physiological states.
• Continuous cardiac and neuronal monitoring to detect and record epileptiform activity, ECG abnormalities, seizures, and arrhythmias.
• Evaluate the multi-system cascade of EEG and ECG abnormalities surrounding arrhythmias, seizures, and leading up to sudden death.
• Pharmacological efficacy and safety testing, particularly in animal models of disease.
• Recording platform for pre-clinical neuro-cardiac translational research.
Patent pending
This technology is at approximately TRL 5, having been validated and demonstrated in a relevant preclinical research environment (unrestrained rabbits) with successful continuous EEG/ECG data acquisition. The system has shown reliable performance under realistic experimental conditions, supporting its readiness for broader preclinical adoption and further optimization.
This technology is available for licensing.