A Neural Chip for Simultaneous, 32 channel Electrical Stimulation and Neural Signal Recording

Abstract

Neuronal networks can build up very complicate form as the period of neuronal culture. In order to analysis these networks, electrical stimulation for firing action potential and neural signal recording of distributed adjacent neurons should be carried out, simultaneously. This paper presents a system IC which can simultaneously perform multichannel electrical stimulation and neural signal recording. The developed IC was composed of 16 independent current DACs which were synchronized by external control signals. Analog PWM data receiver for setting stimulation parameters and stimulating electrode number was used for microcontroller based automatic control. Recording systems were implemented with discrete parts of amp, filter, etc. Stimulation and recording were simultaneously performed through planar type microelectrode arrays (MEA) that was neuron culture plate. Using presented system, we can continuously monitor the evolving process of neuronal network within an incubation system.