W. Dąbrowski

Spatially Patterned Electrical Stimulation to Enhance Resolution of Retinal Prostheses

Retinal prostheses electrically stimulate neurons to produce artificial vision in people blinded by photoreceptor degenerative diseases. The limited spatial resolution of current devices results in indiscriminate stimulation of interleaved cells of different types, precluding veridical reproduction of natural activity patterns in the retinal output. Here we investigate the use of spatial patterns of current injection to increase the spatial resolution of stimulation, using high-density multielectrode recording and stimulation of identified ganglion cells in isolated macaque retina. As previously shown, current passed through a single electrode typically induced a single retinal ganglion cell spike with submillisecond timing precision. Current passed simultaneously through pairs of neighboring electrodes modified the probability of activation relative to injection through a single electrode. This modification could be accurately summarized by a piecewise linear model of current summation, consistent with a simple biophysical model based on multiple sites of activation. The generalizability of the piecewise linear model was tested by using the measured responses to stimulation with two electrodes to predict responses to stimulation with three electrodes. Finally, the model provided an accurate prediction of which among a set of spatial stimulation patterns maximized selective activation of a cell while minimizing activation of a neighboring cell. The results demonstrate that tailored multielectrode stimulation patterns based on a piecewise linear model may be useful in increasing the spatial resolution of retinal prostheses.

Focal electrical stimulation of major ganglion cell types in the primate retina for the design of visual prostheses.

Electrical stimulation of retinal neurons with an advanced retinal prosthesis may eventually provide high-resolution artificial vision to the blind. However, the success of future prostheses depends on the ability to activate the major parallel visual pathways of the human visual system. Electrical stimulation of the five numerically dominant retinal ganglion cell types was investigated by simultaneous stimulation and recording in isolated peripheral primate (Macaca sp.) retina using multi-electrode arrays. ON and OFF midget, ON and OFF parasol, and small bistratified ganglion cells could all be activated directly to fire a single spike with submillisecond latency using brief pulses of current within established safety limits. Thresholds for electrical stimulation were similar in all five cell types. In many cases, a single cell could be specifically activated without activating neighboring cells of the same type or other types. These findings support the feasibility of direct electrical stimulation of the major visual pathways at or near their native spatial and temporal resolution.

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.

Design for good matching in multichannel low-noise amplifier for recording neuronal signals in modern neuroscience experiments

Abstract The paper reports on the design of a prototype 16-channel ASIC for readout of signals from live neuronal systems. Single channel comprises a low-noise amplifier and a low-frequency pass-band filter. The amplifier design optimised with respect to noise and power consumption is discussed. The design of a continuous-time high-pass filter with lower cut-off frequency as low as 20 Hz, which is suitable for realisation in a CMOS process, is presented. Special attention is paid to uniformity of analogue parameters in the multichannel IC. Channel matching is evaluated by Monte Carlo simulation. The design has been fabricated in a 0.7 μm CMOS process and measurements of basic parameters and characteristics have been performed for the prototypes. Good agreement between the simulation and measurements has been achieved for single channel parameters as well as for channel matching. The obtained results on channel matching are discussed with respect to design reliability and production yield.

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.

Excess generation-recombination noise in reverse biased Schottky-barrier diodes

Generation-recombination noise in reverse biased Schottky-barrier diodes (made on high resistivity n-type silicon) has been investigated theoretically and experimentally. It is shown that in the considered type of diodes generation-recombination noise can be larger than predicted by the common limit Ieq ⩽ Ig-r. The measured spectral noise distribution is in good agreement with the theoretical predictions.

Fast neutron damage of silicon PIN photodiodes

A Hamamatsu Photonics photodiode S1723 was tested with respect to the fast neutron radiation. The device was irradiated with neutrons of energies in the range of 0.5 to 12 MeV from a Po-Be source. The irradiation was performed in several steps starting from the relatively low fluence of 2.5×1010 n cm−2. The following characteristics were measured: leakage current vs bias voltage, capacitance vs bias voltage and vs frequency, noise vs time constant of a quasi-Gaussian shaper and spectral density of noise. Significant changes of the leakage current and of the noise were observed at the fluence of neutrons as low as 2.5 × 1010 n cm−2.