Abstract: Epilepsy is a chronic brain disorder characterized by recurrent seizures. 68 billions of patients are suffering from this epilepsy all over the world, and 80% of them employ medication successfully to spend their happy daily life. However, 13.6 millions among them are forced to spend their uneasy life confronting imminent seizures. The seizure of drug-resistive epilepsy can be shot down only by the surgical removal of the region which is so called "epileptogenic focus". However, the accuracy to detect the focus is not good (order of cm). Thus the extirpation of focus with significant margin causes the removal of healthy brain and leads to the severe aftereffects such as restricted vision, motor dysfunction, disorder of memory, and so on. To cope with this problem, we should develop the technologies of (1) detecting the epileptogenic focus, and (2) necrotizing the epileptogenic focus excluding healthy brain by (a) rapid colliquative necrosis with flash freezing in small volume or (b) cauterizing small volume by focused laser beam. Even these technologies cannot solve the problem of the patients who have disseminated epileptogenic focuses and thus cannot be given surgery. For this case, we are developing the last treatment of (3)suppressing the seizures by cooling down the epileptogenic focus by 10��. This treatment does not necrotize any neurons nor other tissue in the brain, but suppress the seizures.

This research is now promoted by the JSPS (Japan Society for the Promotion of Science) since the August of 2008 and will be completed in March of 2012. The mission and the planning of this project was presented in ISII 2008 in Kumamoto. In this talk, I will present the tentative research results of this project as well as the schedule until 2012.

Takeshi Yamakawa, Professor Emeritus of Kyushu Institute of Technology

Prof. Takeshi Yamakawa is now a special-appointment professor of Department of Brain Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Life Science and Systems Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology, Wakamatsu, Japan and also the chairman of Fuzzy Logic Systems Institute (FLSI). He received the B. Eng. degree in electronics engineering in 1969 from Kyushu Institute Technology, Tobata and the M. Eng. degree in electronics engineering in 1971 from Tohoku University, both in Japan. He received the Ph.D. degree for his studies on electrochemical devices in 1974 from Tohoku University, Japan. From 1974 to 1977, he engaged in the development of new electrochemical devices as a Research Assistant at Tohoku University. From 1977 to 1981 he served as a Research Assistant in electrical engineering and computer science at Kumamoto University, Japan. From 1981 to 1989 he was an Associate Professor at Kumamoto University. During this time, he developed intrinsic fuzzy logic integrated circuits in pMOS (1983) and CMOS (1985), a fuzzy logic controller hardware (1986), a fuzzy logic computer hardware (1986), a fuzzy memory device (1986), and fuzzy micro processors (rule chip and defuzzifier chip) (1988).

Prof. Yamakawa joined the Faculty of Computer Science and Systems Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology, Iizuka, Japan and received a full professorship in April 1989. He established a foundation, Fuzzy Logic Systems Institute (FLSI), in Japan in 1990 to promote the international collaboration on fuzzy logic, neural networks and soft computing, and to promote the spread of the research results. Prof. Yamakawa developed the fuzzy neuron chip in BiCMOS technology which facilitates hand-written character recognition within 1 microsecond by one fuzzy neuron chip (1991). He also developed the chaos chip in CMOS technology (1992).

In 2000 he moved to the new campus, Wakamatsu, of the Kyushu Institute of Technology to be a professor of the Department of Brain Science and Engineering.

In March of 2009 he retired from the Kyushu Institute of Technology and in April of 2009 he was engaged to the same university to promote the project for Specially Promoted Research.

Prof. Yamakawa's main research interest lies on hardware implementation of fuzzy systems, fuzzy neural networks, and chaotic systems, and also application of dielectrophoresis to clinical laboratory automation. He holds 11 patents in U.S.A., 4 patents in Europe, 1 patent in Australia and 1 patent in Taiwan, and he has also applied for more than 90 patents in Japan. Prof. Yamakawa is a fellow of IEEE, International Fuzzy Systems Association (IFSA) and Japan Society of Fuzzy Theory and Systems (SOFT). He received IEEE 2008 Fuzzy Systems Pioneer Award. He is acting as a member of editorial board and a regional editor of 10 international professional journals. He contributed more than 80 international conferences as a member or the chairman of organizing/programming committee. He was used to organize the International Conference on Fuzzy Logic, Neural Nets and Soft Computing (so called IIZUKA Conference) every two years in Iizuka, Japan. He was the director of the 21st Century Center of Excellence entitled "World of Brain Computing Interwoven out of Animals and Robots" from 2003 to 2008. And now he is acting as the director of the project for Specially Promoted Research (Project No.20001008) entitled "Identification of Epileptogenic Focus by Employing Softcomputing and Establishment of Minimally Invasive and Definitive Surgery" from June 2008 to March 2012.

Prof. Yamakawa plays Karate (Japanese traditional martial arts) and possesses a black belt (5th Dan). And he likes swimming, a monocycle and horse riding as well. His interest also lies on Shakuhachi and Shamisen, which are Japanese traditional musical instruments.