Scalable Electrode Technology for High Resolution Chronic Recording of Brain

摘要 用于记录细胞外神经活动的慢性植入微电极阵列（MEA）是 对行为动物神经回路功能的科学研究。这些研究试图了解神经元 编码信息以及如何解码神经信号，以提供对大脑学习的见解， 功能障碍大多数微电极MEA，特别是那些商业上可获得的微电极MEA， 并利用与集成电路微制造和封装相关的技术。为 在微电极MEA中，慢性神经记录的主要限制是反应性组织反应， 封装电极并杀死或损伤电极附近的神经元， MEA制造中使用的材料失效。最大限度地减少异物反应的有效方法是 使用具有亚细胞横截面尺寸的超微电极MEA（UMEA）。在相关工作中，我们 表明碳纤维超微电极基本上避免了异物反应， 显示在小动物模型中提供稳定的慢性神经记录。然而，可扩展的制造 用于碳纤维超微电极的方法还没有出现。拟议的努力旨在发展和 证明了基于无定形碳化硅（a-SiC）的超微电极的长期稳定性和可靠性。 SiC）UMEA，通过行业标准薄膜工艺制造。我们的目标是开发一种 工艺的a-SiC UMEA与32至128超微电极，并证明这些UMEA的稳定性 通过加速实验室测试，并通过神经记录和组织学使用慢性 植入大鼠皮质和3-4年的非人类灵长类动物研究。促进a-SiC UMEA的传播 技术、电互连硬件和植入方法也将得到发展。我们预计 提出了a-SiC UMEA，通过提供高度稳定的神经接口来影响神经科学界， 允许单个单元和整体记录，用于在不需要的维度尺度上探测神经元回路。 这对于当前的多电极记录设备是可能的。我们预计a-SiC UMEA将提供新的见解， 神经网络和神经回路的变化可能伴随着行为和适应。

Abstract Chronically implanted microelectrode arrays (MEAs) for recording extracellular neural activity are central to scientific studies of neural circuit function in behaving animals. These studies seek to understand how neurons encode information and how neural signals can be decoded to provide insights into brain learning and dysfunction. The majority of microelectrode MEAs, and especially those available commercially, are fabricated from silicon and leverage techniques associated with integrated circuit microfabrication and packaging. For microelectrode MEAs, the major limitations for chronic neural recording are the reactive tissue response that encapsulates electrodes and kills or damages neurons in the vicinity of the electrode and the degradation and failure of materials used in MEA fabrication. An effective means of minimizing the foreign body response is the use of ultramicroelectrode MEAs (UMEAs) with subcellular cross-sectional dimensions. In related work, we have demonstrated that carbon-fiber ultramicroelectrodes substantially evade a foreign body response and have been shown to provide stable chronic neural recordings in small-animal models. However, a scalable manufacturing process for carbon-fiber ultramicroelectrodes has not emerged. The proposed effort is aimed at developing and demonstrating the chronic stability and reliability of ultramicroelectrodes based on amorphous silicon carbide (a- SiC) UMEAs that are fabricated by industry-standard thin-film processes. We aim to develop a fabrication process for a-SiC UMEAs with 32 to 128 ultramicroelectrodes and demonstrate the stability of these UMEAs through accelerated laboratory testing and their functionality by neural recording and histology using chronic implants in rat cortex and in a 3-4 year non-human primate study. To facilitate dissemination of the a-SiC UMEA technology, electrical interconnect hardware and implantation methods will also be developed. We anticipate the proposed a-SiC UMEAs impacting the neuroscience community by providing a highly stable neural interface that allows single-unit and ensemble recording for probing neuronal circuitry on a dimensional scale that is not possible with current multielectrode recording devices. We expect a-SiC UMEAs will provide new insights into the neural networks and changes in neural circuitry that may accompany behavior and adaption.