P. Wiącek

Properties and application of a multichannel integrated circuit for low-artifact, patterned electrical stimulation of neural tissue

OBJECTIVE Modern multielectrode array (MEA) systems can record the neuronal activity from thousands of electrodes, but their ability to provide spatio-temporal patterns of electrical stimulation is very limited. Furthermore, the stimulus-related artifacts significantly limit the ability to record the neuronal responses to the stimulation. To address these issues, we designed a multichannel integrated circuit for a patterned MEA-based electrical stimulation and evaluated its performance in experiments with isolated mouse and rat retina. APPROACH The Stimchip includes 64 independent stimulation channels. Each channel comprises an internal digital-to-analogue converter that can be configured as a current or voltage source. The shape of the stimulation waveform is defined independently for each channel by the real-time data stream. In addition, each channel is equipped with circuitry for reduction of the stimulus artifact. MAIN RESULTS Using a high-density MEA stimulation/recording system, we effectively stimulated individual retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and recorded the neuronal responses with minimal distortion, even on the stimulating electrodes. We independently stimulated a population of RGCs in rat retina, and using a complex spatio-temporal pattern of electrical stimulation pulses, we replicated visually evoked spiking activity of a subset of these cells with high fidelity. Significance. Compared with current state-of-the-art MEA systems, the Stimchip is able to stimulate neuronal cells with much more complex sequences of electrical pulses and with significantly reduced artifacts. This opens up new possibilities for studies of neuronal responses to electrical stimulation, both in the context of neuroscience research and in the development of neuroprosthetic devices.

X-ray fluorescence imaging system for fast mapping of pigment distributions in cultural heritage paintings

Conventional X-ray fluorescence imaging technique uses a focused X-ray beam to scan through the sample and an X-ray detector with high energy resolution but no spatial resolution. The spatial resolution of the image is then determined by the size of the exciting beam, which can be obtained either from a synchrotron source or from an X-ray tube with a micro-capillary lens. Such a technique based on a pixel-by-pixel measurement is very slow and not suitable for imaging large area samples. The goal of this work is to develop a system capable of simultaneous imaging of large area samples by using a wide field uniform excitation X-ray beam and a position sensitive and energy dispersive detector. The development is driven by possible application of such a system to imaging of distributions of hidden pigments containing specific elements in cultural heritage paintings, which is of great interest for the cultural heritage research. The fluorescence radiation from the area of 10 × 10 cm2 is projected through a pinhole camera on the Gas Electron Multiplier detector of the same area. The detector is equipped with two sets of orthogonal readout strips. The strips are read out by the GEMROC Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC)s, which deliver time and amplitude information for each hit. This ASIC architecture combined with a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) based readout system allows us to reconstruct the position and the total energy of each detected photon for high count rates up to 5 × 106 cps. Energy resolution better than 20% FWHM for the 5.9 keV line and spatial resolution of 1 mm FWHM have been achieved for the prototype system. Although the energy resolution of the Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) detector is, by principle, not competitive with that of specialised high energy resolution semiconductor detectors, it is sufficient for a number of applications. Compared to conventional micro-XRF techniques the developed system allows shortening of the measurement time by 2-3 orders of magnitude.

Integrated readout of silicon strip detectors for position sensitive measurement of X-rays

Abstract The paper presents an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) dedicated for readout of silicon strip detectors used for position sensitive measurements of X-rays. Requirements concerning the silicon strip detectors and the readout electronics with respect to X-ray detection are discussed briefly. Design of the ASIC and performance of the developed silicon strip detector module are presented. Application of silicon strip detectors to X-ray powder diffractometry is discussed and examples of diffractometric measurements performed using the developed detector module are presented.

A compact system for two-dimensional readout of Gas Electron Multiplier detectors

There is a growing interest in the use of Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) and other micro-pattern gas detectors (MPGD) for two-dimensional (2-D) position sensitive measurements of photons or charged particles. A Gas Electron Multiplier Readout Chip (GEMROC) is an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) dedicated for 2-D strip readout of GEM detectors. The ASICs deliver the amplitudes and time coordinates of the signals recorded on two sets of orthogonal strips. Timing information is used for finding coincidences of signals on two spatial coordinates while amplitude information is used to find the center of gravity for the cluster of signals belonging to the same detection event. In this paper we present a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) based compact readout system dedicated for these ASICs. The readout system consists of two synchronized FPGA-ADC boards connected to four front-end boards, each one equipped with two GEMROCs. Both FPGAs are connected to a DAQ PC using separate Gigabit Ethernet links. The DAQ PC is equipped with a dedicated C++ based software, which is responsible for configuration of the FPGAs and ASICs settings, storing all the incoming data as well as for on-line/off-line data processing and visualization. The performance of the system is illustrated by test bench measurements.

Application of GEM-based detectors in full-field XRF imaging

X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) is a commonly used technique for non-destructive elemental analysis of cultural heritage objects. It can be applied to investigations of provenance of historical objects as well as to studies of art techniques. While the XRF analysis can be easily performed locally using standard available equipment there is a growing interest in imaging of spatial distribution of specific elements. Spatial imaging of elemental distrbutions is usually realised by scanning an object with a narrow focused X-ray excitation beam and measuring characteristic fluorescence radiation using a high energy resolution detector, usually a silicon drift detector. Such a technique, called macro-XRF imaging, is suitable for investigation of flat surfaces but it is time consuming because the spatial resolution is basically determined by the spot size of the beam. Another approach is the full-field XRF, which is based on simultaneous irradiation and imaging of large area of an object. The image of the investigated area is projected by a pinhole camera on a position-sensitive and energy dispersive detector. The infinite depth of field of the pinhole camera allows one, in principle, investigation of non-flat surfaces. One of possible detectors to be employed in full-field XRF imaging is a GEM based detector with 2-dimensional readout. In the paper we report on development of an imaging system equipped with a standard 3-stage GEM detector of 10 × 10 cm2 equipped with readout electronics based on dedicated full-custom ASICs and DAQ system. With a demonstrator system we have obtained 2-D spatial resolution of the order of 100 μm and energy resolution at a level of 20% FWHM for 5.9 keV . Limitations of such a detector due to copper fluorescence radiation excited in the copper-clad drift electrode and GEM foils is discussed and performance of the detector using chromium-clad electrodes is reported.

One dimensional detector for X-ray diffraction with superior energy resolution based on silicon strip detector technology

1-D position sensitive X-ray detectors based on silicon strip detector technology have become standard instruments in X-ray diffraction and are available from several vendors. As these devices have been proven to be very useful and efficient further improvement of their performance is investigated. The silicon strip detectors in X-ray diffraction are primarily used as counting devices and the requirements concerning the spatial resolution, dynamic range and count rate capability are of primary importance. However, there are several experimental issues in which a good energy resolution is important. The energy resolution of silicon strip detectors is limited by the charge sharing effects in the sensor as well as by noise of the front-end electronics. The charge sharing effects in the sensor and various aspects of the electronics, including the baseline fluctuations, which affect the energy resolution, have been analyzed in detail and a new readout concept has been developed. A front-end ASIC with a novel scheme of baseline restoration and novel interstrip logic circuitry has been designed. The interstrip logic is used to reject the events resulting in significant charge sharing between neighboring strips. At the expense of rejecting small fraction of photons entering the detector one can obtain single strip energy spectra almost free of charge sharing effects. In the paper we present the design considerations and measured performance of the detector being developed. The electronic noise of the system at room temperature is typically of the order of 70 el rms for 17 mm long silicon strips and a peaking time of about 1 μs. The energy resolution of 600 eV FWHM has been achieved including the non-reducible charge sharing effects and the electronic noise. This energy resolution is sufficient to address a common problem in X-ray diffraction, i.e. electronic suppression of the fluorescence radiation from samples containing iron or cobalt while irradiated with 8.04 keV photons from an X-ray tube with a Cu anode.

Integrated input protection against discharges for Micro Pattern Gas Detectors readout ASICs

Immunity against possible random discharges inside active detector volume of MPGDs is one of the key aspects that should be addressed in the design of the front-end electronics. This issue becomes particularly critical for systems with high channel counts and high density readout employing the front-end electronics built as multichannel ASICs implemented in modern CMOS technologies, for which the breakdown voltages are in the range of a few Volts. The paper presents the design of various input protection structures integrated in the ASIC manufactured in a 350 nm CMOS process and test results using an electrical circuit to mimic discharges in the detectors.

Position sensitive and energy dispersive x-ray detector based on silicon strip detector technology

A new position sensitive detector with a global energy resolution for the entire detector of about 380 eV FWHM for 8.04 keV line at ambient temperature is presented. The measured global energy resolution is defined by the energy spectra summed over all strips of the detector, and thus it includes electronic noise of the front-end electronics, charge sharing effects, matching of parameters across the channels and other system noise sources. The target energy resolution has been achieved by segmentation of the strips to reduce their capacitance and by careful optimization of the front-end electronics. The key design aspects and parameters of the detector are discussed briefly in the paper. Excellent noise and matching performance of the readout ASIC and negligible system noise allow us to operate the detector with a discrimination threshold as low as 1 keV and to measure fluorescence radiation lines of light elements, down to Al Kα of 1.49 keV, simultaneously with measurements of the diffraction patterns. The measurement results that demonstrate the spectrometric and count rate performance of the developed detector are presented and discussed in the paper.

An FPGA based GEMROC readout system

A Gas Electron Multiplier Readout Chip (GEMROC) is an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) dedicated for 2-dimensional (2-D) strip readout of a Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) detectors. The ASICs deliver the amplitudes and time coordinates of the signals recorded on two sets of orthogonal strips. Timing information is used for finding coincidences of signals on two spatial coordinates and amplitude information is used to find the centre of gravity for the cluster of signals belonging to the same detection event. In this paper we present a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Ethernet based compact readout system dedicated for these ASICs. The readout system consists of two synchronized FPGA-ADC boards connected to four front-end boards, each one equipped with two GEMROCs. Both FPGAs are connected to a host PC using separate Gigabit Ethernet links. The DAQ PC is equipped with a dedicated C++ based software which is responsible for a configuration of the FPGAs and ASICs settings, storing all the incoming data as well as online/offline data reconstruction and visualization.

128-Channel Silicon Strip Detector Installed at a Powder Diffractometer

Silicon strip detectors represent a new class of one-dimensional position-sensitive single photon counting devices. They allow a reduction of measurement time at the powder diffractometers by a factor up to 100 compared to instruments with a single counter, while maintaining comparable count statistics. Present work describes a 128-channel detector working with a standard diffractometer. The detector is 12.8 mm long and covers the angular range of 3.2 deg. We discuss the diffraction geometry in real and reciprocal space, the FWHM of diffraction peaks, and the background level. Measurements were made on standard samples and on complex samples of industrial importance (e. g., portland clinker). Applications of the detector to diffraction measurements of single crystals and thin films are discussed briefly.