Neuro- chips; another revolution in Biomedical Engineering
Neuro- chips; another revolution in Biomedical Engineering
Development of Neuro chips will make a new revolution in the concept of organic computers. The chips develop by using the coupling of living brain cell and silicon circuit is called Neuro-Chips. This achievement will enable the creation of sophisticated neural prostheses to treat neurological disorders
To create the Neuro chips researchers squeezed more than 16,000 electronic transistors and hundreds of capacitors onto a silicon chip just 1 millimeter square in size. They used special proteins found in the brain to glue brain cells, called neurons, onto the chip. However, the proteins acted as more than just a simple adhesive. The link between ionic channels of the neurons and semiconductor material in a way that neural electrical signals could be passed to the silicon chip. The proteins allowed the neuro-chip's electronic components and its living cells to communicate with each other. Electrical signals from neurons were recorded using the chip's transistors, while the chip's capacitors were used to stimulate the neurons.
Pharmaceutical companies could use the chip to test the effect of drugs on neurons, to quickly discover promising avenues of research. The researchers are now working on ways to avoid damaging the neurons during stimulation. The team is also exploring the possibility of using a neuron's genetic instructions to control the neuro-chip.
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