Fractal Electronics as a Generic Interface to Neurons

Watterson, William J.; Moslehi, Saba; Smith, Julian H.; Montgomery, Rick; Taylor, Richard

doi:10.1007/978-1-4939-3995-4_35

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 36 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…A second flooring design employed images of nature's fractals-retinal neurons-as the starting point (Figure 12) [84]. These images were obtained as part of a research project which develops retinal implants to restore vision to patients with diseases such as macular degeneration [85]. Fluorescence microscopy was used to acquire detailed images of the retinal neurons in order to quantify parameters such as their D values (Figure 12 (left)).…”

Section: Fractal Expressionism: the Creation Of Fractals In Art Design And Architecturementioning

confidence: 99%

The Potential of Biophilic Fractal Designs to Promote Health and Performance: A Review of Experiments and Applications

Taylor

2021

Sustainability

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Fractal objects are prevalent in natural scenery. Their repetition of patterns at increasingly fine magnifications creates a rich complexity. Fractals displaying mid-range complexity are the most common and include trees, clouds, and mountains. The “fractal fluency” model states that human vision has adapted to process these mid-range fractals with ease. I will first discuss fractal fluency and demonstrate how it enhances the observer’s visual capabilities by focusing on experiments that have important practical consequences for improving the built environment. These enhanced capabilities generate an aesthetic experience and physiological stress reduction. I will discuss strategies for integrating fractals into building designs to induce positive impacts on the observer. Examples include fractal solar panels, fractal window shades, and fractal floor patterns. These applications of fractal fluency represent a fundamental and potentially impactful form of salutogenesis.

show abstract

Section: Fractal Expressionism: the Creation Of Fractals In Art Design And Architecturementioning

confidence: 99%

The Potential of Biophilic Fractal Designs to Promote Health and Performance: A Review of Experiments and Applications

Taylor

2021

Sustainability

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Indeed, fractal methods have already been used in a diverse range of neurobiology investigations. For example, the ability to grow electrodes using nanocluster deposition that resemble the shape of the natural neurons has been developed for potential application in retinal implants ( Fairbanks et al, 2011 ; Watterson et al, 2016 ). Fractal dimension ( D ) serves as a measure of morphological complexity over multiple scales; a high D corresponds to patterns with relatively large amounts of fine structure and therefore high complexity.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigating Fractal Analysis as a Diagnostic Tool That Probes the Connectivity of Hippocampal Neurons

et al. 2022

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Many of nature’s fractal objects benefit from the favorable functionality that results from their pattern repetition at multiple scales. Our recent research focused on the importance of fractal scaling in establishing connectivity between neurons. Fractal dimension DA of the neuron arbors was shown to relate to the optimization of competing functional constraints—the ability of dendrites to connect to other neurons versus the costs associated with building the dendrites. Here, we consider whether pathological states of neurons might affect this fractal optimization and if changes in DA might therefore be used as a diagnostic tool in parallel with traditional measures like Sholl analyses. We use confocal microscopy to obtain images of CA1 pyramidal neurons in the coronal plane of the dorsal rat hippocampus and construct 3-dimensional models of the dendritic arbors using Neurolucida software. We examine six rodent groups which vary in brain condition (whether they had lesions in the anterior thalamic nuclei, ATN) and experience (their housing environment and experience in a spatial task). Previously, we showed ATN lesions reduced spine density in hippocampal CA1 neurons, whereas enriched housing increased spine density in both ATN lesion and sham rats. Here, we investigate whether ATN lesions and experience also effect the complexity and connectivity of CA1 dendritic arbors. We show that sham rats exposed to enriched housing and spatial memory training exhibited higher complexity (as measured by DA) and connectivity compared to other groups. When we categorize the rodent groups into those with or without lesions, we find that both categories achieve an optimal balance of connectivity with respect to material cost. However, the DA value used to achieve this optimization does not change between these two categories, suggesting any morphological differences induced by the lesions are too small to influence the optimization process. Accordingly, we highlight considerations associated with applying our technique to publicly accessible repositories of neuron images with a broader range of pathological conditions.

show abstract

Fractal Electrodes as a Generic Interface for Stimulating Neurons

Watterson

Montgomery

Taylor

2017

Sci Rep

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The prospect of replacing damaged body parts with artificial implants is being transformed from science fiction to science fact through the increasing application of electronics to interface with human neurons in the limbs, the brain, and the retina. We propose bio-inspired electronics which adopt the fractal geometry of the neurons they interface with. Our focus is on retinal implants, although performance improvements will be generic to many neuronal types. The key component is a multifunctional electrode; light passes through this electrode into a photodiode which charges the electrode. Its electric field then stimulates the neurons. A fractal electrode might increase both light transmission and neuron proximity compared to conventional Euclidean electrodes. These advantages are negated if the fractal’s field is less effective at stimulating neurons. We present simulations demonstrating how an interplay of fractal properties generates enhanced stimulation; the electrode voltage necessary to stimulate all neighboring neurons is over 50% less for fractal than Euclidean electrodes. This smaller voltage can be achieved by a single diode compared to three diodes required for the Euclidean electrode’s higher voltage. This will allow patients, for the first time, to see with the visual acuity necessary for navigating rooms and streets.

show abstract

Fractal Electronics as a Generic Interface to Neurons

Cited by 3 publications

References 36 publications

The Potential of Biophilic Fractal Designs to Promote Health and Performance: A Review of Experiments and Applications

The Potential of Biophilic Fractal Designs to Promote Health and Performance: A Review of Experiments and Applications

Investigating Fractal Analysis as a Diagnostic Tool That Probes the Connectivity of Hippocampal Neurons

Fractal Electrodes as a Generic Interface for Stimulating Neurons

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About