• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.469-475
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• 2000

신경신호의 계측은 신경계의 연구에 필수적인 도구로 최근 반도체미세전극기술 등 수십, 수백개의 채널로부터 신경신호를 기록할 수 있는 방법들이 발달함에 따라 많은 수의 뉴런으로부터 신경 신호를 측정하여 컴퓨터로 그 신호를 처리할 수 있는 시스템의 필요성은 더욱 커지고 있다. 본 연구에서는 최대 16채널의 신경신호를 실시간에 측정하여 기록하고, 저장된 신호로부터 활동전위를 검출하며, 단일 뉴런들로부터의 신호를 분류하여 spike train의 형태로 저장한 뒤 여러 뉴런들간의 상관관계를 분석하기 위한 spike train 해석이 가능한 시스템을 개발하였다. 이 시스템은 보통사양의 PC이외에는 단지 신호획득보드만을 포함하여 다채널미세전극으로부터 뉴런의 신호를 측정, 증폭하여 호스트PC로 전송하고 저장하며 이로부터 활동전위를 검출하여 단일뉴런으로부터의 spike train으로 분류할 수 있다. 또한 저장된 spike train들로부터 신경회로망을 이루는 여러뉴런 들간의 관계를 분석하여 기능들이 시스템에 포함되어있다. 개발된 시스템을 사용하여 개구리 감각 신경의 신호를 실시간에 동시기록하여 활동전위을 검출하고 특징추출방법과 principal component analysis를 이용하여 분류한 뒤 spike train 해석을 수행하였다.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.271-279
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• 2007

We suggest a novel method for the evaluation of cochlear implant (CI) speech processing strategy based on neural spike train decoding. From formant trajectories of input speech and auditory nerve responses responding to the electrical pulse trains generated from a specific CI speech processing strategy, optimal linear decoding filter was obtained, and used to estimate formant trajectory of incoming speech. Performance of a specific strategy is evaluated by comparing true and estimated formant trajectories. We compared a newly-developed strategy rooted from a closer mimicking of auditory periphery using nonlinear time-varying filter, with a conventional linear-filter-based strategy. It was shown that the formant trajectories could be estimated more exactly in the case of the nonlinear time-varying strategy. The superiority was more prominent when background noise level is high, and the spectral characteristic of the background noise was close to that of speech signals. This confirms the superiority observed from other evaluation methods, such as acoustic simulation and spectral analysis.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.347-354
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• 2009

For the reliable transmission of meaningful visual information using prosthetic electrical stimulation, it is required to develop an effective stimulation strategy for the generation of electrical pulse trains based on input visual information. The characteristics of neuronal activities of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) evoked by electrical stimulation should be understood for this purpose. In this study, for the development of an optimal stimulation strategy for visual prosthesis, we analyzed the neuronal responses of RGCs in rd1 mouse, photoreceptor-degenerated retina of animal model of retinal diseases (retinitis pigmentosa). Based on the in-vitro model of epiretinal prosthesis which consists of planar multielectrode array (MEA) and retinal patch, we recorded and analyzed multiunit RGC activities evoked by amplitude-modulated electrical pulse trains. Two modes of responses were observed. Short-latency responses occurring at 3 ms after the stimulation were estimated to be from direct stimulation of RGCs. Long-latency responses were also observed mainly at 2 - 100 ms after stimulation and showed rhythmic firing with same frequency as the oscillatory background field potential. The long-latency responses could be modulated by pulse amplitude and duration. From the results, we expect that optimal stimulation conditions such as pulse amplitude and pulse duration can be determined for the successful transmission of visual information by electrical stimulation.