Collaborative Research: Novel Electronic-Photonic Silicon Carbide Probes for Neural Recording and Stimulation

大脑中复杂神经回路的动态功能调节着我们的行为。在短时间和受限条件下监测神经回路，并不能提供神经回路在自然行为下如何运作的全貌。现有的通过外科手术植入大脑用于长期记录或刺激神经回路的设备通常在一段时间后就会崩溃，并且在很长一段时间内无法与神经元接触。在这个项目中，研究人员试图在碳化硅（SiC）材料平台上设计一种新的神经探针，碳化硅是一种坚固的材料，可以承受恶劣的条件。目标是设计一种穿透性神经探针，它可以在大脑的腐蚀性环境中持续很长时间，并且可以对大脑中的神经活动进行电记录和光学刺激。通过将电子学、光子学和纳米技术与生物学和神经科学相结合，该项目为学生和研究人员提供了一个独特的培训机会，以学习如何在科学和工程的不同分支之间进行多学科项目。该项目将开发一种全新的穿透神经探针技术，完全由碳化硅制成，碳化硅是一种坚固可靠的材料，已被证明可以在大脑中长时间保持活力。这些神经探针将包括电记录功能和光照明功能，以实现同时电生理记录和光遗传刺激神经活动。这种新颖的神经接口将解决该领域的突出需求，包括(i)寿命和慢性生存能力，（ii）高空间和时间分辨率记录，以及（iii）局部定向光传输。这种新型神经探针技术的设计建立在一系列创新的基础上，包括(i)在SiC中微制造高密度电记录电极，（ii）可重构的光子开关组，用于实现具有极大可扩展性的高密度探针；以及（iii）超表面光输出端口，用于塑造组织中的光束，为脑组织提供无缝的全sic接口，从而实现慢性神经接口的长期稳定性。这项跨领域研究的成果将成为一个新的技术平台，可用于通过长期高通量的神经记录和刺激来测试关于特定神经回路在大脑信息编码和转换中的作用的各种神经科学假设。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Dynamic functions of complex neural circuits in the brain mediate our behavior. Monitoring neural circuits over short periods of time and under constrained conditions will not provide a full picture of how neural circuits function under naturalistic behavior. Existing devices that are surgically implanted in the brain for long-term recording or stimulating neural circuits usually fall apart after a while and fail to interface with neurons for an extended period of time. In this project, the investigators seek to design a novel neural probe in the silicon carbide (SiC) material platform, which is a robust material, known to withstand harsh conditions. The goal is to design a penetrating neural probe that can last long in the corrosive environment of the brain and enable electrical recording as well as optical stimulation of neural activity in the brain. By combining electronics, photonics, and nanotechnology with biology and neuroscience, this project provides a unique training opportunity for students and researchers to learn how to work on a multidisciplinary project that bridges between different branches of science and engineering.This project will develop a novel penetrating neural probe technology entirely made in SiC, a robust and reliable material that is proven to remain viable in the brain over a long period of time. These neural probes will include electrical recording functionality and optical illumination functionality to enable simultaneous electrophysiology recording and optogenetic stimulation of neural activity. This novel neural interface will address outstanding needs in the field, including (i) longevity and chronic viability, (ii) high spatial and temporal resolution recording, and (iii) localized targeted light delivery. The design of this novel neural probe technology builds on a host of innovations including (i) microfabrication of high-density electrical recording electrodes in SiC, (ii) reconfigurable photonic switch banks for realization of high-density probes with great scalability; and (iii) metasurface optical output ports for shaping the beam of light in the tissue to provide a seamless all-SiC interface to the brain tissue that enables long-term stability for chronic neural interfacing. The outcome of this cross-field research will be a new technology platform that can be used to test various neuroscience hypotheses on the role of specific neural circuits in encoding and transforming information in brain through long-term high-throughput neural recording and stimulation.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.