Diamond Neuro-Sensing and Stimulating Electrodes

描述(申请人提供)：钻石电极是一种很有前途的生物医学研究技术。我们建议开发导电的、基于钻石的材料作为细胞外、神经传感和刺激的优良电极。钻石提供了一个独特的机会，将刺激和感知集成在同一设备中。我们推测，钻石电极将提供实时的神经传感能力，大大提高了灵敏度、选择性和稳定性，并扩大了现有材料的潜在操作范围。钻石可以通过避免导致组织损伤的副作用和提供长期稳定性来扩大神经刺激能力。这些优势将适用于各种神经系统。这些能力将通过三个具体目标来探索，重点是细胞外对多巴胺、腺苷和5-羟色胺的感知以及神经刺激的评估，使用我们的钻石技术来解决特定的神经调节问题。首先，我们将表征表面经过化学修饰的金刚石微电极的电化学行为，以实现神经传感和神经刺激功能。其次，我们将使用我们独特的钻石电极来分别测量在体外神经活动过程中多巴胺、5-羟色胺和腺苷的浓度变化。这些应用中的每一个都是钻石电极对理解这些特定神经回路中的神经调节产生直接影响的机会。第三，将使用两个钻石电极同时刺激单细胞的神经活动，并监测海兔体内5-羟色胺的释放。与公共健康相关：钻石是一种新的工具，有助于我们了解神经传递，并可以被整合到先进的神经假体或药物治疗设备中。这一拟议的项目应该为一系列用于神经应用的坚固的、可植入的钻石设备提供基础，这些设备可以扩展到更广泛的生物医学研究领域。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Diamond-based electrodes are a promising technology for biomedical research. We propose to develop conductive, diamond-based materials as superior electrodes for extracellular, neurological sensing and stimulation. Diamond provides a unique opportunity to integrate stimulation and sensing in the same device. We hypothesize that diamond electrodes will provide real-time neurological sensing capability, with greatly improved sensitivity, selectivity and stability, as well as an expanded potential range of operation over present materials. Diamond may expand neural stimulation capabilities by avoiding side reactions that lead to tissue damage and by providing long-term stability. These advantages will be applicable to a broad variety of neurological systems. These capabilities will be explored through three specific aims focusing on extracellular sensing of dopamine, adenosine, and serotonin and evaluation of neural stimulation, using our diamond technology toward addressing specific neuromodulatory questions. First, we will characterize the electrochemical behavior of a diamond microelectrode with chemically modified surfaces for neurological sensing and neural stimulation capabilities. Second, we will use our characterized diamond electrode to separately measure dopamine, serotonin, and adenosine concentration changes during in vitro neural activity. Each of these applications is opportunity for diamond electrodes to make an immediate impact on understanding neuromodulation in these specific neural circuits. Third, two diamond electrodes will be used to simultaneously stimulate neural activity of single cells and monitor serotonin release in the Aplysia californica. Relevance to Public Health: Diamond is a new tool to aid in our understanding of neurotransmission, and could be incorporated into advanced neuroprosthetic or drug therapy devices. This proposed project should provide the basis of a whole class of robust, implantable diamond-based devices for neurological applications, which could be extended into broader areas of biomedical research.