Multimodal multichannel neural recording front-end ICs

Abstract

This work presents the multimodal multichannel neural recording ICs for monitoring neural activity. Developed neural recording ICs digitize weak neural signals while consuming low power. Also, the multimodal neural recording ICs that conduct the genetically encoded calcium indicator based Ca$^{2+}$ monitoring and electrical signal monitoring are developed for performing the cell-type-specific study in complex neural networks consisting of the heterogeneous cell population. For monitoring multimodal neural signals, the current and voltage signals need to be recorded, thus the reconfigurable recording ICs are developed for improving hardware availability in the multichannel recording system. Depending on the experiment goal and status of the recording environment, the proposed reconfigurable recording ICs control the number of current- and voltage- recording channels as desired, maximizing the flexibility of the experiment and the usefulness of the multichannel recording system. The neural recording ICs are fabricated using a 180-nm standard CMOS process and their functionalities are verified through the in vivo experiments.