A robotic fiber platform for large area deep brain interfacing

项目摘要 了解大脑中的功能网络对神经系统的发展至关重要。 假肢和有效治疗神经系统疾病。为此，高度多路复用和 已经开发了小型化探针来调节和记录大脑中的神经活动。 然而，在大脑深部的大区域上绘制活动仍然是一个挑战， 最小侵入性。该提案将利用两种新兴技术的优势 - PI（贾博士）开发的基于多材料纤维的神经接口和机器人折纸 由PI（科恩博士）开发，目标是建立一个机器人光纤平台， 侵入性的、跨越mm长度尺度的大面积脑深部接口。具体而言，我们建议 开发折纸启发的机械致动探针，可以与插入的 纤维电极，以紧凑的形式引入大脑，并部署以覆盖足迹 其比纤维直径大一个数量级。一旦部署，这些探测器将 通过纤维进行神经记录。将追求两个具体目标 在这项工作中。在目标1中，我们将设计和优化机器人纤维作为深层大脑接口。 具体来说，我们将开发一种具有机械致动电极的集成光纤， 以紧凑的形式进入弹性介质，在介质内展开以覆盖mm级的横向区域， 并在mm尺度的横向间隔上进行记录。在目标2中，我们将评估 机器人纤维在脑深部大面积记录中的性能及其生物相容性 纤维我们将在老鼠大脑的海马区部署机器人纤维探针， 跨mm尺度脑区域的内源性神经活动的体内记录。我们还将 使用免疫组织化学评价机器人纤维探针的组织反应。这些大 在不同深度的区域记录将打开大门，记录相关的发射模式， 哺乳动物大脑中横向组织的神经元，并为新的治疗方法铺平道路。 治疗神经系统疾病的策略。

PROJECT SUMMARY Understanding the functional network in the brain is critical to the development of neural prostheses and effective treatment of neurological diseases. To that end, highly multiplexed and miniaturized probes have been developed to modulate and record neural activities in the brain. However, it remains a challenge to map the activities over a large area in the deep brain with minimal invasiveness. This proposal will leverage the advantages of two emerging technologies – multimaterial fiber-based neural interfaces developed by the PI (Dr. Jia) and robotic origami developed by the PI (Dr. Cohen), with the goal of establishing a robotic fiber platform for minimally invasive, large area deep brain interfacing across mm length scales. Specifically, we propose to develop origami inspired mechanically actuating probes that can be interfaced with the inserted fiber electrodes, introduced into the brain in a compact form, and deployed to cover a footprint that is an order of magnitude larger than the fiber diameter. Once deployed, these probes will make neural recordings that are transmitted through the fiber. Two specific aims will be pursued in this work. In Aim 1, we will design and optimize robotic fibers as a deep brain interface. Specifically, we will develop an integrated fiber with mechanically actuating electrodes that inserts into elastic media in a compact form, deploys within the media to cover mm scale lateral areas, and makes recordings over mm scale lateral separations. In Aim 2, we will evaluate the performance of robotic fibers in deep brain large area recording and the biocompatibility of robotic fibers. We will deploy robotic fiber probes into the hippocampus region of a mouse brain to make in vivo recordings of endogenous neural activities across mm scale brain regions. We will also evaluate the tissue response of the robotic fiber probes using immunohistochemistry. These large area recordings at various depths will open the door to recording correlations in firing patterns of laterally organized neurons within a mammalian brain, and pave the way for new therapeutic strategies for treating neurological diseases.