High-side digitally current controlled biphasic bipolar microstimulator.
Electrical stimulation of nervous tissue has been extensively used as both a tool in experimental neuroscience research and as a method for restoring of neural functions in patients suffering from sensory and motor disabilities. In the central nervous system, intracortical microstimulation (ICMS) has been shown to be an effective method for inducing or biasing perception, including visual and tactile sensation. ICMS also holds promise for enabling brain-machine-brain interfaces (BMBIs) by directly writing information into the brain. Here we detail the design of a high-side, digitally current-controlled biphasic, bipolar microstimulator, and describe the validation of the device in vivo. As many applications of this technique, including BMBIs, require recording as well as stimulation, we pay careful attention to isolation of the stimulus channels and parasitic current injection. With the realized device and standard recording hardware-without active artifact rejection-we are able to observe stimulus artifacts of less than 2 ms in duration.
Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA. tlh2@duke.edu
Timothy L
TL
Hanson
Björn
B
Ómarsson
Joseph E
JE
O'Doherty
Ian D
ID
Peikon
Mikhail A
MA
Lebedev
Miguel A L
MA
Nicolelis
D000703:Analog-Digital Conversion; D000818:Animals; D001132:Arm / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology; D016477:Artifacts; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004567:Electrodes, Implanted / Q000009:adverse effects; D004576:Electromyography; D004581:Electronics; D004867:Equipment Design; D020407:Internet; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology; D036103:Nanotechnology; D009417:Nerve Tissue / Q000502:physiology*; D012984:Software