Developing A Transition MicroElelectrode Array for Large-scale Brain Recording

项目摘要 大脑的功能是由它的神经回路决定的，它由大约850亿个 神经细胞。目前的脑记录技术不足以实现高分辨率的目标 由于缺乏大规模的记录技术，脑部活动图谱。另一个重大挑战是 目前的脑记录技术正在为植入的电极获得更长的寿命，以防止重复 手术。随着时间的推移，恶劣的生理环境(潮湿、离子、活性氧化物种、免疫 回应等)在神经组织中分解和/或包裹电极植入物。 为了克服这些障碍，我们建议开发和验证一种可植入的过渡微型机 用于大规模脑记录和调制的电极阵列(TMEA)。这种方法有可能 最终达到每平方厘米106个“电极”的界面密度，这是几个数量级 超越现有的神经记录解决方案。除了超高的记录能力，完全不同 从现有的神经技术来看，TMEA使用活的神经元作为电记录的手段，以及它的轴突 导向探头将由可降解的生物聚合物通过3D打印制造。我们希望它的生物兼容性 TMEA的独特设计将大大减少组织损伤，并可能抑制炎症免疫 大脑中的反应。TMEA技术将使用植入后安全降解的生物聚合物， 暴露活的神经干细胞，将其轴突投射到局部大脑区域形成突触 与患者自身神经元的连接。通过这种方式，生物神经元轴突生长成稳定的 “电极阵列”，并用天然的生物连接取代容易失效的非生物界面，作为一种高性能的 高性能的脑机接口。所有这些鲜明的特征赋予了TMEA独特的潜力 神经学家和临床医生探索人脑功能和治疗神经疾病，使 神经科学、医疗实践和各种其他未来技术的进步。

Project Summary The brain’s functions are determined by its neural circuits, which consist of approximately 85 billion neuronal cells. Current brain recording technology is not sufficient to accomplish the goal of a high resolution mapping of brain activity due to the lack of a large-scale recording technology. Another vital challenge for current brain recording technology is obtaining longer lifetime for the implanted electrodes to prevent repeated surgeries. As over time, the harsh physiological environment (wet, ionic, reactive oxidizing species, immune response, etc.) in the neural tissue breaks down and/or encapsulates the electrode implants. To overcome these obstacles, we propose to develop and validate an implantable Transition Micro- Electrode Array (tMEA) for large-scale brain recording and modulation. This approach has the potential to eventually achieve an interface density of 106 “electrodes” per cm2, which is several orders of magnitude beyond established neural recording solutions. Except for the ultra-high recording capability, radically different from existing neural technologies, the tMEA uses living neurons as means of electrical recording and its axon guiding probes will be fabricated from degradable biopolymer via 3D printing. We expect the biocompatibility of the tMEA’s unique design will greatly decrease tissue damage and may suppress inflammatory immune response in the brain. The tMEA technology will use biopolymers that degrade safely after implantation, exposing living neural stem cells that will project their axons into local brain regions to form synaptic connections with the patient’s own neurons. In this way, the biological neuronal axons grow into a stable “electrode array” and replace a failure-prone abiotic interface with natural biotic connections act as a high- performance brain-machine interface. All these distinctive features endow the tMEA with unique potential for neuroscientists and clinicians to explore human brain functions and treat neurological disease, enabling an advancement of neuroscience, medical practice, and a variety of other future technologies.