Browsing by Author "Wan, Chen"

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Power Controlling Apparatus Applied to Biochip and Operating Method Thereof
(2009-03-12)
Wu, Chung Yu
;
Lin, Po Kang
;
Lin, Li Ju
;
Yang, Wen Chia
;
Wan, Chen
The invention discloses a power controlling apparatus for a biochip including M regions. Each region includes a plurality of cells respectively. The power controlling apparatus includes a pulse generating module, a combinational circuit, and M controlling modules. The pulse generating module generates a pulse. The combinational circuit receives the pulse and generates M controlling signals. Each controlling signal has a predetermined phase which is different from the phase of the other controlling signal. The M controlling modules are electrically connected to the combinational circuit. Each of the M controlling signals corresponds to and activates one of the M controlling modules to selectively power on one corresponding region of the M regions. The cells in the corresponding region which is powered have an action potential refractory time that is longer than the power-on interval of the corresponding region.
Responses of Rabbit Retinal Ganglion Cells to Subretinal Electrical Stimulation Using a Silicon-Based Microphotodiode Array
(2011-12-01)
Yang, Ya-Ting
;
Lin, Po-Kang
;
Wan, Chen
;
Yang, Wen-Chia
;
Lin, Li-Ju
PURPOSE. With subretinal prostheses, retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) are activated by electrical stimulation of the retinal neural network. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of silicon-based solar cells in evoking RGC responses by electrically stimulating the photoreceptor side of an isolated retina. METHODS. A light-bleached retina of an adult New Zealand White rabbit was placed with its photoreceptor side down onto a silicon chip that consisted of a 4 x 4 microphotodiode array (MPDA). The stimulating current was elicited by activating the solar cell with a 532-nm laser light source. Responses of the ON and OFF alpha RGCs on electrical stimulation were recorded extracellularly. Recorded RGCs were then injected with 4% N-(2-aminoethyl)-biotinamide hydrochloride to allow cell type identification. RESULTS. Using a design that includes a circumvented ground electrode, the authors successfully evoked spiking responses by the ON and OFF alpha RGCs in an isolated rabbit retina using low light power to activate the MPDA (equivalent to 39 mu C/cm(2)). The charge density-dependent response and the frequency-dependent pair-pulse suppression were characterized. The spike latency of the RGC responses triggered by electrical stimulation was equivalent to the latency of its light response, which supports the hypothesis that the activation is mediated by the retinal neural network. CONCLUSIONS. Reliable activation of RGCs by electrical stimulation in vitro using an MPDA demonstrates the feasibility of developing solar cell-based subretinal prostheses that potentially could be developed into a power-free device able to restore vision. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2011; 52: 9353-9361) DOI: 10.1167/iovs.11-7808