Wireless multichannel integrated potentiostat for distributed neurotransmitter sensing

Sensing neurotransmitters is critical in studying neural pathways and neurological disorders. An integrated device is presented which incorporates a potentiostat and a power harvesting and telemetry module. The potentiostat features 16 channels with multiple scales from microamperes to picoamperes. The wireless module is able to harvest power through inductively coupled coils and uses the same link to transmit data to and from the potentiostat. An integrated prototype is fabricated in CMOS technology, and experimentally characterized. Test results show RF powering introduces noise levels of 0.42% and 0.18% on potentiostat current scales of 500pA and 4nA respectively. Real-time multi-channel acquisition of dopamine concentration in vitro is performed with carbon fiber sensors.