Microelectrode array signal amplification using stochastic resonance

Microelectrode Array (MEA), with a ring plate similar to a Petri dish, is a device used for in-vitro neuron culture and their electrophysiological signal recording. The analysis of these signals is useful for the study of neuronal network dynamics and the drug tests in pharmacological application, between others. The electric signals captured by MEA are of low amplitude and require special amplifier systems. In this paper, it is proposed an amplification system for the MEA electrode signals using the Stochastic Resonance (SR) phenomenon, which make beneficial use of noise, to detect and amplify small microelectrode signals. A prototype of one channel of this system was constructed, and tested successfully, using a MEA signal simulator, also constructed by the authors.