Action Potential Analysis by Real Time DSP Hardware and Software for Odour Exposure Responses

Tools for assorting and classifying neuronal action potentials can be either on-line or off-line. Here we examine on-line tools. We concentrate on an analysis of insect action potentials by using a DSP-based multi spike detector (MSD by Alpha Omega Engineering). The MSD software is a modular program which is user-friendly and has optimal speed. In the action potential analysis neural firings are decomposed into waveforms, which are specific for each cell. Based on this comparative analysis and assorting of action potentials, many series of action potentials from the olfactory receptor neurones of small insects were analysed. The assorting algorithm compares the neural signals to three templates, which can be adaptively changed and fixed by the user. The action potentials are produced either spontaneously or at an odour exposure. In the response analysis they are further plotted as a function of the odour exposure sequence.