A review of microelectronic systems and circuit techniques for electrical neural recording aimed at closed-loop epilepsy control

Abstract

Closed-loop implantable electronics offer a new trend in therapeutic systems aimed at controlling some neurological diseases such as epilepsy. Seizures are detected and electrical stimulation applied to the brain or groups of nerves. To this aim, the signal recording chain must be very carefully designed so as to operate in low-power and low-latency, while enhancing the probability of correct event detection. This paper reviews the electrical characteristics of the target brain signals pertaining to epilepsy detection. Commercial systems are presented and discussed. Finally, the major blocks of the signal acquisition chain are presented with a focus on the circuit architecture and a careful attention to solutions to issues related to data acquisition from multi-channel arrays of cortical sensors.