In the project, Professor Irazoqui will work with graduate student Mitchell Cohen to develop an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for cell-based therapy with closed-loop control to provide seizure-induced GABA release from a renewable source.

Specifically, the research team intends to undertake two specific improvements over previous work: (1) to develop an effective charge-balancing circuit for chronic stimulation in an epilepsy prosthetic, and (2) to design and fabricate a mixed-signal wireles ASIC bio-stimulator with programmable amplitude, frequency, and duty cycle. The current output stage will be integrated with novel digital control circuitry, and wireless telemetry circuits.

It is hoped this device will improve on currently available treatment options for the 50 million people suffering with epilepsy worldwide.