CANDO: Controlling Abnormal Network Dynamics using Optogenetics

Research Topics

Underpinning research related to CANDO in research topics:

Visit CANDO website

Current Project (2014-2021)

Research Team: Dorian Haci, Yan Liu, Timothy Constandinou
Collaborators: Andrew Jackson, Anthony O'Neil, Patrick Degenaar, Roger Whittaker, Andrew Sims, Mark Cunningham, Marcus Kaiser, Stuart Baker (Newcastle), Sara Ghoreishizadeh. Nick Donaldson (UCL)
Funding: Wellcome Trust/EPSRC Innovative Engineering for Health NS/A000026/1

CANDO concept

CANDO is a world class multi-site cross-disciplinary project to develop a cortical implant for optogenetic neural control. The goal is to create a first-in-man trial of the device in patients with focal epilepsy. This 7-year, £10m Innovative Engineering for Health Award, funded by the Wellcome Trust and EPSRC involves a team of over 30 neuroscientists, engineers and clinicians based at Newcastle University, Imperial College London, University College London, and Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation.

Within the brain nerve cells connect together to generate rhythmic activity visible as brain waves on an EEG. In many neurological diseases this network is disrupted, producing abnormal patterns of activity. In epilepsy, abnormal activity can be localised to a small ‘focus’, but this can spread across the whole brain as a seizure. Epilepsy affects 600,000 people in the UK alone and uncontrolled seizures have a devastating effect on patients’ quality of life. Most cases respond to drugs, but if these are ineffective it may be necessary to surgically remove the ‘focus’. However, surgery is not suitable in all patients and can damage cognitive function.

CANDO probe conceptThis project, led by Dr Andrew Jackson and Professor Anthony O’Neill from Newcastle University, proposes an alternative based on a small implant that continuously records the abnormal activity and provides precisely timed stimulation to prevent it ever developing into a seizure. This requires that some cells within the focus are genetically altered using a safe virus to become sensitive to light. The implant will monitor their activity and provide pulses of light from tiny LEDs to prevent the build of abnormal activity.

Our role in CANDO is as a key contributor to the microelectronic design of the implantable electronics. We are leveraging on our past research outcomes and extensive expertise in neural interface design to develop, together with our collaborators, an ultra compact, low power probe for closed-loop operation.

Publications

2018

  • Ramezani R, Liu Y, Dehkhoda F, Soltan A, Haci D, Zhao H, Firfilionis D, Hazra A, Cunningham MO, Jackson A, Constandinou TG, Degenaar P, 2018, On-Probe Neural Interface ASIC for Combined Electrical Recording and Optogenetic Stimulation, IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON BIOMEDICAL CIRCUITS AND SYSTEMS, Vol: 12, Pages: 576-588, ISSN: 1932-4545
  • Haci D, Liu Y, Ghoreishizadeh SS, Constandinou TG, 2018, Design Considerations for Ground Referencing in Multi-Module Neural Implants, IEEE Biomedical Circuits and Systems Conference (BioCAS) - Advanced Systems for Enhancing Human Health, Publisher: IEEE, Pages: 563-566, ISSN: 2163-4025

2017

  • Ghoreishizadeh SS, Haci D, Liu Y, et al., 2017, Four-Wire Interface ASIC for a Multi-Implant Link, IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON CIRCUITS AND SYSTEMS I-REGULAR PAPERS, Vol: 64, Pages: 3056-3067, ISSN: 1549-8328
  • Mifsud A, Haci D, Ghoreishizadeh S, Liu Y, Constandinou TG, 2017, Adaptive Power Regulation and Data Delivery for Multi-Module Implants, IEEE Biomedical Circuits and Systems (BioCAS) Conference, Publisher: IEEE, Pages: 584-587
  • Luo J, Firfilionis D, Ramezani R, Dehkhoda F, Soltan A, Degenaar P, Liu Y, Constandinou TG, 2017, Live demonstration: a closed-loop cortical brain implant for optogenetic curing epilepsy, IEEE Biomedical Circuits and Systems (BioCAS) Conference, Publisher: IEEE, Pages: 169-169
  • Gao C, Ghoreishizadeh S, Liu Y, Constandinou T, 2017, On-chip ID Generation for Multi-node Implantable Devices using SA-PUF, IEEE International Symposium on Circuits and Systems (ISCAS), Publisher: IEEE, Pages: 678-681, ISSN: 0271-4302
  • Ghoreishizadeh SS, Haci D, Liu Y, Constandinou TG, 2017, A 4-Wire Interface SoC for Shared Multi- Implant Power Transfer and Full-duplex Communication, 8th IEEE Latin American Symposium on Circuits & Systems (LASCAS), Publisher: IEEE
  • Haci D, Liu Y, Constandinou TG, 2017, 32-Channel Ultra-Low-Noise Arbitrary Signal Generation Platform for Biopotential Emulation, IEEE International Symposium on Circuits and Systems (ISCAS), Publisher: IEEE, Pages: 698-701, ISSN: 0271-4302

2016

  • Ramezani R, Dehkhoda F, Soltan A, Degenaar P, Liu Y, Constandinou T, 2016, An Optrode with built-in self-diagnostic and fracture sensor for cortical brain stimulation, 12th IEEE Biomedical Circuits and Systems Conference (BioCAS), Publisher: IEEE, Pages: 392-395, ISSN: 2163-4025

2015

  • Dehkhoda F, Soltan A, Ramezani R, Zhao H, Liu Y, Constandinou T, Degenaar P, 2015, Smart Optrode for Neural Stimulation and Sensing, 2015 IEEE SENSORS, Publisher: IEEE, Pages: 1965-1968, ISSN: 1930-0395
  • Zhao H, Dehkhoda F, Ramezani R, Sokolov D, Degenaar P, Liu Y, Constandinou T, 2015, A CMOS-based Neural Implantable Optrode for Optogenetic Stimulation and Electrical Recording, 11th IEEE Annual Biomedical Circuits and Systems Conference (BioCAS), Publisher: IEEE, Pages: 286-289, ISSN: 2163-4025