Power controlling apparatus applied to biochip and operating method thereof

• US 7,622,702 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2008
• Issued: 11/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: A-Neuron Electronic Corp.
• Original Assignee: National Chiao Tung University (Government of The Republic of China)
• Inventors: Wan, Chen, Wu, Chung-Yu, Yang, Wen-Chia, Lin, Li-Ju, Lin, Po-Kang
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; John R
• Application Number:
  US12/129,237
• Publication Number:
  US 20090066389A1
• Time in Patent Office: 544 Days
• Field of Search: 250/214.R, 607/54, 607/61, 607/72, 623/6.63
• US Class Current: 250/214.00R
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/08 Devices or methods enabling eye-patients to replace direct visual perception by another kind of perception

Abstract

The invention discloses a power controlling apparatus for a biochip including M regions. Each region includes a plurality of cells respectively. The power controlling apparatus includes a pulse generating module, a combinational circuit, and M controlling modules. The pulse generating module generates a pulse. The combinational circuit receives the pulse and generates M controlling signals. Each controlling signal has a predetermined phase which is different from the phase of the other controlling signal. The M controlling modules are electrically connected to the combinational circuit. Each of the M controlling signals corresponds to and activates one of the M controlling modules to selectively power on one corresponding region of the M regions. The cells in the corresponding region which is powered have an action potential refractory time that is longer than the power-on interval of the corresponding region.

Claims

1. A power controlling apparatus applied to a biochip, the biochip comprising M regions, M being a positive integer, each of the M regions comprising a plurality of cells, the power controlling apparatus comprising:

a pulse generating module, for generating a pulse;

a combinational circuit receiving the pulse for generating M controlling signals, each controlling signal with a predetermined phase different from the phase of the other controlling signals; and

M controlling modules electrically connected to the combinational circuit, each of the M controlling signals corresponding to and for activating one of the M controlling modules to selectively power on one corresponding region of the M regions;

wherein the cells in the corresponding region which is powered have an action potential refractory period longer than an interval of a power-on time of the corresponding region.

2. The power controlling apparatus of claim 1, wherein only one region of the M regions is powered on and the other regions are powered off.

3. The power controlling apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a frequency dividing module, electrically connected to the pulse generating module for dividing the frequency of the pulse.

4. The power controlling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the corresponding region includes solar cells to provide electrical power thereto.

5. The power controlling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the combinational circuit comprises a NAND logic gate, a NOR logic gate, or an inverter gate.

6. The power controlling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the biochip is an artificial retina chip.

7. A power controlling apparatus operating method for a biochip, the biochip comprising M regions, M being a positive integer, each of the M regions comprising a plurality of cells respectively, the power controlling apparatus operating method comprising the steps of:

generating a pulse;

generating M controlling signals according to the pulse, each controlling signal with a predetermined phase different from the phase of the other controlling signals; and

using each of the M controlling signals for selectively powering on a corresponding region of the M regions;

wherein the cells in the corresponding region which is powered have an action potential refractory period longer than an interval of a power-on time of the corresponding region.

8. The power controlling apparatus operating method of claim 7, wherein only one region of the M regions is powered on and the others of the M region are powered off.

9. The power controlling apparatus operating method of claim 7, further comprising the step of:

dividing the frequency of the pulse.

10. The power controlling apparatus operating method of claim 7, wherein the corresponding region includes solar cells to provide electrical power thereto.

11. The power controlling apparatus operating method of claim 7, wherein the biochip is an artificial retina chip.