An optrode with built-in self-diagnostic and fracture sensor for cortical brain stimulation

This paper proposes a self-diagnostic subsystem for a new generation of brain implants with active electronics. The primary objective of such probes is to deliver optical pulses to optogenetic tissue and record the subsequent activity, but lifetime is currently unknown. Our proposed circuits aim to increase the safety of implanting active electronic probes into human brain tissue. Therefore, prolonging the lifetime of the implant and reducing the risks to the patient. The self-diagnostic circuit will examine the optical emitter against any abnormality or malfunctioning. The fracture sensor examines the optrode against any rapture or insertion breakage. The optrode including our diagnostic subsystem and fracture sensor has been designed and successfully simulated at 350nm AMS technology node and sent for manufacture.

[1]  E. Bamberg,et al.  Channelrhodopsin-2, a directly light-gated cation-selective membrane channel , 2003, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

[2]  Timothy G. Constandinou,et al.  A CMOS-based neural implantable optrode for optogenetic stimulation and electrical recording , 2015, 2015 IEEE Biomedical Circuits and Systems Conference (BioCAS).

[3]  Roy H. Hamilton,et al.  Ethics of the Electrified Mind: Defining Issues and Perspectives on the Principled Use of Brain Stimulation in Medical Research and Clinical Care , 2013, Brain Topography.

[4]  Pleun Maaskant,et al.  Development of optics with micro-LED arrays for improved opto-electronic neural stimulation , 2013, Photonics West - Biomedical Optics.

[5]  G. Buzsáki,et al.  Monolithically Integrated μLEDs on Silicon Neural Probes for High-Resolution Optogenetic Studies in Behaving Animals , 2015, Neuron.

[6]  Nobutaka Kuroki,et al.  A Low-Power Level Shifter With Logic Error Correction for Extremely Low-Voltage Digital CMOS LSIs , 2012, IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits.

[7]  K. Mathieson,et al.  Optogenetic activation of neocortical neurons in vivo with a sapphire-based micro-scale LED probe , 2015, Front. Neural Circuits.

[8]  Patrick Degenaar,et al.  Optobionic vision—a new genetically enhanced light on retinal prosthesis , 2009, Journal of neural engineering.

[9]  F. Dehkhoda,et al.  Smart optrode for neural stimulation and sensing , 2015, 2015 IEEE SENSORS.