Histopathological, neurochemical and neurophysiological techniques must be applied to determine the effects of both acute and chronic activation of cortical tissue. Electrodes to be used will include discrete wire intracortical microelectrodes as well as silicon microcircuit microelectrodes furnished by the Project Officer. The results of this work will be of value not only to neural prosthesis investigators, but also to neurophysiologists who utilize electrical stimulation as a tool in fundamental studies of the nervous system. Independently, and not as an agent of the government, the contractor shall exert its best efforts to develop cortical stimulating microelectrodes and to evaluate the effects of electrical stimulation on neural and surrounding tissue in non-human animals. Chimpanzees should not be proposed unless there are no other acceptable animal models.
Discrete wire microelectrodes with activated iridium surfaces.
The arrays up to the 4 x 4 configuration may be fabricated by the offeror using discrete wires. All array configurations may be produced by combining linear arrays of silicon microcircuit stimulating probes which will be furnished by the Project Officer during the first year of the contract. It is possible that some of 8 x 8 and 8 x 16 configurations will be furnished by the Project Officer completely assembled but without lead wires. Provision of an activated iridium coating on the microelectrode contact surface and attachment of connecting leads to these probes will be the responsibility of the offeror, but in no case should you assume that more than 16 leads need be connected. Lead connections must be made directly at the non-implanted ends of the silicon probes unless using probes supplied with integral silicon ribbon cables, in which case connections must be made at the end of the ribbon cables.