Neuronal ion-channel dynamics in silicon

Abstract— We present a simple silicon circuit for modelling voltagedependent ion channels found within neural cells, capturing both the gating particle’s sigmoidal activation (or inactivation) and the bellshaped time constant. In its simplest form, our ion-channel analog consists of two MOS transistors and a unity-gain inverter. We present equations describing its nonlinear dynamics and measurements from a chip fabricated in a 0.25µm CMOS process. The channel analog’s simplicity allows tens of thousands to be built on a single chip, facilitating the implementation of biologically realistic models of neural computation. I. ION CHANNELS The brain is one of the most powerful computing machines today, capable of outperforming modern machines in many computational tasks. As such, the field of neuromorphic engineering seeks to emulate the brain by using the transistor’s physical properties to create silicon analogs of neural circuits. Silicon is an attractive medium because a singl...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2006
• Where: ISCAS
• Authors: Kai M. Hynna, Kwabena Boahen
• Keywords: Ion Channels, ISCAS 2006, Silicon, Single Chip