1
|
Hu Z, Niu Q, Hsiao BS, Yao X, Zhang Y. Bioactive polymer-enabled conformal neural interface and its application strategies. MATERIALS HORIZONS 2023; 10:808-828. [PMID: 36597872 DOI: 10.1039/d2mh01125e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Neural interface is a powerful tool to control the varying neuron activities in the brain, where the performance can directly affect the quality of recording neural signals and the reliability of in vivo connection between the brain and external equipment. Recent advances in bioelectronic innovation have provided promising pathways to fabricate flexible electrodes by integrating electrodes on bioactive polymer substrates. These bioactive polymer-based electrodes can enable the conformal contact with irregular tissue and result in low inflammation when compared to conventional rigid inorganic electrodes. In this review, we focus on the use of silk fibroin and cellulose biopolymers as well as certain synthetic polymers to offer the desired flexibility for constructing electrode substrates for a conformal neural interface. First, the development of a neural interface is reviewed, and the signal recording methods and tissue response features of the implanted electrodes are discussed in terms of biocompatibility and flexibility of corresponding neural interfaces. Following this, the material selection, structure design and integration of conformal neural interfaces accompanied by their effective applications are described. Finally, we offer our perspectives on the evolution of desired bioactive polymer-enabled neural interfaces, regarding the biocompatibility, electrical properties and mechanical softness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhanao Hu
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Nano-Biomaterials and Regenerative Medicine, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, People's Republic of China.
| | - Qianqian Niu
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Nano-Biomaterials and Regenerative Medicine, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, People's Republic of China.
| | - Benjamin S Hsiao
- Department of Chemistry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, 11794-3400, USA
| | - Xiang Yao
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Nano-Biomaterials and Regenerative Medicine, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yaopeng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Nano-Biomaterials and Regenerative Medicine, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, People's Republic of China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Erofeev A, Antifeev I, Bolshakova A, Bezprozvanny I, Vlasova O. In Vivo Penetrating Microelectrodes for Brain Electrophysiology. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 22:s22239085. [PMID: 36501805 PMCID: PMC9735502 DOI: 10.3390/s22239085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
In recent decades, microelectrodes have been widely used in neuroscience to understand the mechanisms behind brain functions, as well as the relationship between neural activity and behavior, perception and cognition. However, the recording of neuronal activity over a long period of time is limited for various reasons. In this review, we briefly consider the types of penetrating chronic microelectrodes, as well as the conductive and insulating materials for microelectrode manufacturing. Additionally, we consider the effects of penetrating microelectrode implantation on brain tissue. In conclusion, we review recent advances in the field of in vivo microelectrodes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Erofeev
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurodegeneration, Graduate School of Biomedical Systems and Technologies, Institute of Biomedical Systems and Biotechnology, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, 195251 Saint Petersburg, Russia
- Correspondence: (A.E.); (O.V.)
| | - Ivan Antifeev
- Laboratory of Methods and Instruments for Genetic and Immunoassay Analysis, Institute for Analytical Instrumentation of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 198095 Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Anastasia Bolshakova
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurodegeneration, Graduate School of Biomedical Systems and Technologies, Institute of Biomedical Systems and Biotechnology, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, 195251 Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Ilya Bezprozvanny
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurodegeneration, Graduate School of Biomedical Systems and Technologies, Institute of Biomedical Systems and Biotechnology, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, 195251 Saint Petersburg, Russia
- Department of Physiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Olga Vlasova
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurodegeneration, Graduate School of Biomedical Systems and Technologies, Institute of Biomedical Systems and Biotechnology, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, 195251 Saint Petersburg, Russia
- Correspondence: (A.E.); (O.V.)
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Sharafkhani N, Kouzani AZ, Adams SD, Long JM, Lissorgues G, Rousseau L, Orwa JO. Neural tissue-microelectrode interaction: Brain micromotion, electrical impedance, and flexible microelectrode insertion. J Neurosci Methods 2022; 365:109388. [PMID: 34678387 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2021.109388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Revised: 10/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/17/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Insertion of a microelectrode into the brain to record/stimulate neurons damages neural tissue and blood vessels and initiates the brain's wound healing response. Due to the large difference between the stiffness of neural tissue and microelectrode, brain micromotion also leads to neural tissue damage and associated local immune response. Over time, following implantation, the brain's response to the tissue damage can result in microelectrode failure. Reducing the microelectrode's cross-sectional dimensions to single-digit microns or using soft materials with elastic modulus close to that of the neural tissue are effective methods to alleviate the neural tissue damage and enhance microelectrode longevity. However, the increase in electrical impedance of the microelectrode caused by reducing the microelectrode contact site's dimensions can decrease the signal-to-noise ratio. Most importantly, the reduced dimensions also lead to a reduction in the critical buckling force, which increases the microelectrode's propensity to buckling during insertion. After discussing brain micromotion, the main source of neural tissue damage, surface modification of the microelectrode contact site is reviewed as a key method for addressing the increase in electrical impedance issue. The review then focuses on recent approaches to aiding insertion of flexible microelectrodes into the brain, including bending stiffness modification, effective length reduction, and application of a magnetic field to pull the electrode. An understanding of the advantages and drawbacks of the developed strategies offers a guide for dealing with the buckling phenomenon during implantation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Naser Sharafkhani
- School of Engineering, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3216, Australia.
| | - Abbas Z Kouzani
- School of Engineering, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3216, Australia
| | - Scott D Adams
- School of Engineering, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3216, Australia
| | - John M Long
- School of Engineering, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3216, Australia
| | | | | | - Julius O Orwa
- School of Engineering, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3216, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Ahmed Z, Reddy JW, Malekoshoaraie MH, Hassanzade V, Kimukin I, Jain V, Chamanzar M. Flexible optoelectric neural interfaces. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2021; 72:121-130. [PMID: 34826682 PMCID: PMC9741731 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2021.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Revised: 10/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the neural basis of brain function and dysfunction and designing effective therapeutics require high resolution targeted stimulation and recording of neural activity. Optical methods have been recently developed for neural stimulation as well as functional and structural imaging. These methods call for implantable devices to deliver light into the neural tissue at depth with high spatiotemporal resolution. To address this need, rigid and flexible neurophotonic implants have been recently designed. This article reviews the state-of-the-art flexible passive and active penetrating optical neural probes developed for light delivery with minimal damage to the tissue. Passive and active flexible neurophotonic implants are compared and insights about future directions are provided.
Collapse
|
5
|
Brain-targeted drug delivery assisted by physical techniques and its potential applications in traditional Chinese medicine. JOURNAL OF TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICAL SCIENCES 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtcms.2021.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
|
6
|
Thielen B, Meng E. A comparison of insertion methods for surgical placement of penetrating neural interfaces. J Neural Eng 2021; 18:10.1088/1741-2552/abf6f2. [PMID: 33845469 PMCID: PMC8600966 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/abf6f2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Many implantable electrode arrays exist for the purpose of stimulating or recording electrical activity in brain, spinal, or peripheral nerve tissue, however most of these devices are constructed from materials that are mechanically rigid. A growing body of evidence suggests that the chronic presence of these rigid probes in the neural tissue causes a significant immune response and glial encapsulation of the probes, which in turn leads to gradual increase in distance between the electrodes and surrounding neurons. In recording electrodes, the consequence is the loss of signal quality and, therefore, the inability to collect electrophysiological recordings long term. In stimulation electrodes, higher current injection is required to achieve a comparable response which can lead to tissue and electrode damage. To minimize the impact of the immune response, flexible neural probes constructed with softer materials have been developed. These flexible probes, however, are often not strong enough to be inserted on their own into the tissue, and instead fail via mechanical buckling of the shank under the force of insertion. Several strategies have been developed to allow the insertion of flexible probes while minimizing tissue damage. It is critical to keep these strategies in mind during probe design in order to ensure successful surgical placement. In this review, existing insertion strategies will be presented and evaluated with respect to surgical difficulty, immune response, ability to reach the target tissue, and overall limitations of the technique. Overall, the majority of these insertion techniques have only been evaluated for the insertion of a single probe and do not quantify the accuracy of probe placement. More work needs to be performed to evaluate and optimize insertion methods for accurate placement of devices and for devices with multiple probes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brianna Thielen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Ellis Meng
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Wang X, Weltman Hirschberg A, Xu H, Slingsby-Smith Z, Lecomte A, Scholten K, Song D, Meng E. A Parylene Neural Probe Array for Multi-Region Deep Brain Recordings. JOURNAL OF MICROELECTROMECHANICAL SYSTEMS : A JOINT IEEE AND ASME PUBLICATION ON MICROSTRUCTURES, MICROACTUATORS, MICROSENSORS, AND MICROSYSTEMS 2020; 29:499-513. [PMID: 35663261 PMCID: PMC9164222 DOI: 10.1109/jmems.2020.3000235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
A Parylene C polymer neural probe array with 64 electrodes purposefully positioned across 8 individual shanks to anatomically match specific regions of the hippocampus was designed, fabricated, characterized, and implemented in vivo for enabling recording in deep brain regions in freely moving rats. Thin film polymer arrays were fabricated using surface micromachining techniques and mechanically braced to prevent buckling during surgical implantation. Importantly, the mechanical bracing technique developed in this work involves a novel biodegradable polymer brace that temporarily reduces shank length and consequently, increases its stiffness during implantation, therefore enabling access to deeper brain regions while preserving a low original cross-sectional area of the shanks. The resulting mechanical properties of braced shanks were evaluated at the benchtop. Arrays were then implemented in vivo in freely moving rats, achieving both acute and chronic recordings from the pyramidal cells in the cornu ammonis (CA) 1 and CA3 regions of the hippocampus which are responsible for memory encoding. This work demonstrated the potential for minimally invasive polymer-based neural probe arrays for multi-region recording in deep brain structures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xuechun Wang
- Biomedical Engineering Department, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089 USA
| | | | - Huijing Xu
- Biomedical Engineering Department, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089 USA
| | | | - Aziliz Lecomte
- Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Technologia, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Kee Scholten
- Biomedical Engineering Department, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089 USA
| | - Dong Song
- Biomedical Engineering Department, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089 USA
| | - Ellis Meng
- Biomedical Engineering and Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089 USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Yasui T, Yamagiwa S, Sawahata H, Idogawa S, Kubota Y, Kita Y, Yamashita K, Numano R, Koida K, Kawano T. A Magnetically Assembled High-Aspect-Ratio Needle Electrode for Recording Neuronal Activity. Adv Healthc Mater 2019; 8:e1801081. [PMID: 30644660 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.201801081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2018] [Revised: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Microelectrode devices, which enable the detection of neuronal signals in brain tissues, have made significant contributions in the field of neuroscience and the brain-machine interfaces. To further develop such microelectrode devices, the following requirements must be met: i) a fine needle's diameter (<30 µm) to reduce damage to tissues; ii) a long needle (e.g., ≈1 mm for rodents and ≈2 mm for macaques); and iii) multiple electrodes to achieve high spatial recording (<100 µm in pitch). In order to meet these requirements, this study herein reports an assembly technique for high-aspect-ratio microneedles, which employs a magnet. The assembly is demonstrated, in which nickel wires of length 750 µm and diameter 25 µm are produced on a silicon substrate. The impedance magnitude of the assembled needle-like electrode measured at 1 kHz is 5.6 kΩ, exhibiting output and input signal amplitudes of 96.7% at 1 kHz. To confirm the recording capability of the fabricated device, neuronal signal recordings are performed using mouse cerebra in vivo. The packaged single microneedle electrode penetrates the barrel field in the primary somatosensory cortex of the mouse and enables the detection of evoked neuronal activity of both local field potentials and action potentials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Taiki Yasui
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Information Engineering; Toyohashi University of Technology; 1-1 Hibarigaoka Tempaku-cho Toyohashi 441-8580 Japan
| | - Shota Yamagiwa
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Information Engineering; Toyohashi University of Technology; 1-1 Hibarigaoka Tempaku-cho Toyohashi 441-8580 Japan
| | - Hirohito Sawahata
- National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST); 1-1-1 Umezono Tsukuba Ibaraki 305-8560 Japan
| | - Shinnosuke Idogawa
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Information Engineering; Toyohashi University of Technology; 1-1 Hibarigaoka Tempaku-cho Toyohashi 441-8580 Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Kubota
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Information Engineering; Toyohashi University of Technology; 1-1 Hibarigaoka Tempaku-cho Toyohashi 441-8580 Japan
| | - Yuto Kita
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Information Engineering; Toyohashi University of Technology; 1-1 Hibarigaoka Tempaku-cho Toyohashi 441-8580 Japan
| | - Koji Yamashita
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Information Engineering; Toyohashi University of Technology; 1-1 Hibarigaoka Tempaku-cho Toyohashi 441-8580 Japan
| | - Rika Numano
- Electronics-Interdisciplinary Research Institute (EIIRIS); Toyohashi University of Technology; 1-1 Hibarigaoka Tempaku-cho Toyohashi 441-8580 Japan
- Department of Environmental and Life Sciences; Toyohashi University of Technology; 1-1 Hibarigaoka Tempaku-cho Toyohashi 441-8580 Japan
| | - Kowa Koida
- Electronics-Interdisciplinary Research Institute (EIIRIS); Toyohashi University of Technology; 1-1 Hibarigaoka Tempaku-cho Toyohashi 441-8580 Japan
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering; Toyohashi University of Technology; 1-1 Hibarigaoka Tempaku-cho Toyohashi 441-8580 Japan
| | - Takeshi Kawano
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Information Engineering; Toyohashi University of Technology; 1-1 Hibarigaoka Tempaku-cho Toyohashi 441-8580 Japan
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Lecomte A, Descamps E, Bergaud C. A review on mechanical considerations for chronically-implanted neural probes. J Neural Eng 2018; 15:031001. [DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/aa8b4f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
|
10
|
Kubota Y, Oi H, Sawahata H, Goryu A, Ando Y, Numano R, Ishida M, Kawano T. Nanoscale-Tipped High-Aspect-Ratio Vertical Microneedle Electrodes for Intracellular Recordings. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2016; 12:2846-2853. [PMID: 27062044 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201600172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2016] [Revised: 03/07/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Intracellular recording nanoscale electrode devices provide the advantages of a high spatial resolution and high sensitivity. However, the length of nanowire/nanotube-based nanoelectrodes is currently limited to <10 μm long due to fabrication issues for high-aspect-ratio nanoelectrodes. The concept reported here can address the technological limitations by fabricating >100 μm long nanoscale-tipped electrodes, which show intracellular recording capability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yoshihiro Kubota
- Department of Electrical and ElectronicInformation Engineering, Toyohashi University of Technology, 1-1, Hibarigaoka, Tempaku-cho, Toyohashi, 441-8580, Japan
| | - Hideo Oi
- Electronics-Inspired Interdisciplinary Research Institute (EIIRIS), Toyohashi University of Technology, 1-1, Hibarigaoka, Tempaku-cho, Toyohashi, 441-8580, Japan
| | - Hirohito Sawahata
- Department of Electrical and ElectronicInformation Engineering, Toyohashi University of Technology, 1-1, Hibarigaoka, Tempaku-cho, Toyohashi, 441-8580, Japan
| | - Akihiro Goryu
- Department of Electrical and ElectronicInformation Engineering, Toyohashi University of Technology, 1-1, Hibarigaoka, Tempaku-cho, Toyohashi, 441-8580, Japan
| | - Yoriko Ando
- Electronics-Inspired Interdisciplinary Research Institute (EIIRIS), Toyohashi University of Technology, 1-1, Hibarigaoka, Tempaku-cho, Toyohashi, 441-8580, Japan
| | - Rika Numano
- Electronics-Inspired Interdisciplinary Research Institute (EIIRIS), Toyohashi University of Technology, 1-1, Hibarigaoka, Tempaku-cho, Toyohashi, 441-8580, Japan
- Department of Environmental and Life Science Engineering, Toyohashi University of Technology, 1-1, Hibarigaoka, Tempaku-cho, Toyohashi, 441-8580, Japan
| | - Makoto Ishida
- Department of Electrical and ElectronicInformation Engineering, Toyohashi University of Technology, 1-1, Hibarigaoka, Tempaku-cho, Toyohashi, 441-8580, Japan
- Electronics-Inspired Interdisciplinary Research Institute (EIIRIS), Toyohashi University of Technology, 1-1, Hibarigaoka, Tempaku-cho, Toyohashi, 441-8580, Japan
| | - Takeshi Kawano
- Department of Electrical and ElectronicInformation Engineering, Toyohashi University of Technology, 1-1, Hibarigaoka, Tempaku-cho, Toyohashi, 441-8580, Japan
| |
Collapse
|