History

NeuroNexus Technologies is a University of Michigan spin-out company focused on commercializing silicon probe technology developed at Michigan over the past 20 years. Under the direction of K. D. Wise, two NIH Neural Prosthesis Program (NPP) contracts were primarily responsible for the development of the base passive probe technology and active probes with on-chip electronics for signal conditioning. Distribution of passive probes actually began in 1988 under NIH NPP support in an effort to improve the devices using feedback from a larger group of neuroscientists.

In the early 90's, the demand for the probes began to outpace the resources that could be provided by the NPP contracts. In 1994, D. J. Anderson at the University of Michigan was awarded a Biotechnology Resource Grant by the NIH National Center for Research Resources (NCRR). The grant permitted the support of a larger distribution effort and additional technological research and development. The Center for Neural Communication Technology, now under the direction of D. R. Kipke, is currently in its 10th year and has supported several hundred neuroscientists across the U.S. and abroad with multichannel silicon probes.