Of all human sensory modalities, those involving chemical detection (i.e. taste and smell), remain the least understood. Although a number of recent reports have been exciting in that they use various imaging modalities to investigate the spatial organization of olfactory bulb, there are currently no tools with which to simultaneously investigate the fine temporal and spatial structure of neural ensembles in the olfactory bulb. In Phase I, Bionic Technologies, Inc (BTI) successfully demonstrated the application of a microelectrode array to investigations of sensory processing in rat olfactory bulb. Building on these results, Phase II proposes to address several key issues in the deployment of this technology by the neuroscience community. In a unique collaboration with neuroscientists, BTI will: characterize and optimize the process of rapid pneumatic insertion, develop novel techniques for manipulating high electrode count arrays in situ, implement a chronic recording system for rats based on a new 16-pin high density connector, and investigate the manufacturing of novel multi-electrode architectures. These technologies will be evaluated in a series of acute experiments, conducted by the Center for Neural Interfaces at the University of Utah, designed to elucidate the interactions between large numbers of mitral cells during olfactory sensory processing.
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