Abstract
"Modern Classical Conditioning: towards a CMOS chip for bi-directional in-vivo brain interface for rehabilitation of a learnt eye-blink response.", University Campus Bio-Medico, Rome. 15th May 2011.
In the ReNaChip project we aimed to develop a real-time system which bi-directionally interfaces with the brain in-vivo in order to replace the function of a cerebellar micro-circuit in learning eye-blink conditioning (a form of classical conditioning). The system involves the integration of knowledge from electrophysiology, signal recording and amplification, signal processing, computational modelling, microfabrication of electrodes, and CMOS design. The first prototype hardware system involves a desktop computer in the loop and we are now moving towards integration of the system in CMOS. In this talk I will outline the requirements of different components of the system and describe our approach to chip design, which includes a field-programmable mixed-signal array for neural signal processing and neural modelling.