A Bidirectional-Current CMOS Potentiostat for Fast-Scan Cyclic Voltammetry Detector Arrays

IEEE Trans Biomed Circuits Syst. 2018 Aug;12(4):894-903. doi: 10.1109/TBCAS.2018.2828828. Epub 2018 May 15.

Abstract

A potentiostat circuit for the application of bipolar electrode voltages and detection of bidirectional currents using a microelectrode array is presented. The potentiostat operates as a regulated-cascode amplifier for positive input currents, and as an active-input regulated-cascode mirror for negative input currents. This topology enables constant-potential amperometry and fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) at microelectrode arrays for parallel recording of quantal release events, electrode impedance characterization, and high-throughput drug screening. A 64-channel FSCV detector array, fabricated in a 0.5-$\mu$m, 5-V CMOS process, is also demonstrated. Each detector occupies an area of 45 $\mu$m $\times$ 30 $\mu$m and consists of only 14 transistors and a 50-fF integrating capacitor. The system was validated using prerecorded input stimuli from actual FSCV measurements at a carbon-fiber microelectrode.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biosensing Techniques / methods
  • Cell Membrane / metabolism
  • Electrochemical Techniques / methods*
  • Exocytosis / physiology
  • Humans
  • Microelectrodes*
  • Neurons / metabolism
  • Noise