APPARATUS FOR REALIZING THREE-DIMENSIONAL NEURAL NETWORK

• US 20110213743A1
• Filed: 05/13/2009
• Published: 09/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Park, Kyung-Hwan, Hyun, Seok-Bong, Kang, Tae-Young, Kim, JIn-Kyung, Choi, Byoung-Gun, Kang, Tae-Wook, Kim, Kyung-Soo, Kang, Sung-Weon, Park, Hyung-Il, Lim, In-Gi, Kim, Jung-Bum, Hwang, Jung-Hwan, Hyoung, Chang-Hee, Kim, Sung-Eun
• Application Number:
  US13/127,678
• Publication Number:
  US 20110213743A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 706/27
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 5/0062 General methods for three-dimensional culture
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/061 using biological neurons, e.g. biological neurons connected to an integrated circuit

Abstract

An apparatus for realizing a three-dimensional (3D) neural network includes a culture substrate (21) having a 3D structure and a plurality of microelectrodes (22) disposed on the culture substrate (21) in such a manner that neurons are cultured with a 3D structure. The central portion of the culture substrate (21) is shaped in a hemispheric form and a peripheral portion is shaped in a planar form. A plurality of outside connection electrodes (23) are disposed on the peripheral portion so as to be connected to an external device, and a plurality of electrode-connecting lines (24) connecting the microelectrodes (22) to the outside connection electrodes (23) are disposed on the culture substrate (21) as well.

Claims

1. An apparatus for realizing a three-dimensional neural network comprising:

a culture substrate having a three-dimensional structure; and

a plurality of microelectrodes disposed on the culture substrate so that nerve cells are cultured into a three-dimensional structure.

2. The apparatus for realizing a three-dimensional neural network of claim 1, wherein the culture substrate has a central portion shaped in a hemispherical or spherical form.

3. The apparatus for realizing a three-dimensional neural network of claim 2, wherein the culture substrate comprises one substrate having a central portion that is shaped in a spherical form.

4. The apparatus for realizing a three-dimensional neural network of claim 2, wherein the culture substrate comprises two substrates combined in a face-to-face manner, wherein each of the substrates has a central portion that is shaped in a hemispherical form.

5. The apparatus for realizing a three-dimensional neural network of claim 2, wherein the microelectrodes are distributed on the central portion of the culture substrate.

6. The apparatus for realizing a three-dimensional neural network of claim 5, wherein the microelectrodes are uniformly distributed on entire regions of the central portion of the culture substrate.

7. The apparatus for realizing a three-dimensional neural network of claim 5, wherein the microelectrodes are differently distributed according to regions of the central portion of the culture substrate.

8. The apparatus for realizing a three-dimensional neural network of claim 2, further comprising:

a plurality of outside connection electrodes disposed on two-dimensional peripheral portion of the culture substrate so as to be connected with an external electrode; and

a plurality of electrode-connecting lines connecting the microelectrodes to the outside connection electrodes, respectively.

9. The apparatus for realizing a three-dimensional neural network of claim 8, wherein the external device comes into contact with the outside connection electrodes and applies a stimulus to or detects a signal from the neurons through the outside connection electrodes, the electrode-connecting lines and the microelectrodes.