Silcon Micromachined Microelectrode Arrays for Multisite Neuronal Recording in the Mammalian Brain

本提案中要求的赠款将支持开发制造微电极阵列(“探头”)的技术。这些探头将能够在组织损伤最小的情况下插入大脑，在那里它们将记录神经信号。这些阵列将使用硅微机械加工方法制造，并将在麻醉动物身上进行测试。还将设计cmos集成电路，将从单个探头上的几个记录点记录的信号放大，并将其多路传输到一条输出线上。将开发互连和封装方法，将探头和电子设备组合成适合动物使用的封装。探头将被设计成最终可以与探头集成在共同的衬底上。这些探头将被用来从哺乳动物大脑的多个位置获得同时记录。这样的录音被用来获得其他方式无法获得的信息，以便了解大脑在单个神经元和网络层面上是如何工作的。根据这笔赠款将开发的仪器将极大地扩展我们进行这项基础神经科学研究的能力。

The grant requested in this proposal will support the development of a technology for the fabrication of microelectrode arrays ("probes"). The probes will be capable of being inserted with minimal tissue trauma into the brain, where they will record neuronal signals. The arrays will be fabricated using silicon micromachining methods, and will be tested in anesthetized animals. CMOS integrated circuits will also be designed, to amplify the signals recorded from each of the several recording sites on a single probe, and multiplex them onto a single output line. Interconnect and encapsulation methods will be developed to combine the probes and electronics into a package suitable for use in animals. The probes will be designed so that the CMOS electronics can ultimately be integrated on a common substrate with the probes. The probes will be used to obtain simultaneous recordings from multiple sites in the mammalian brain. Such recordings are used to obtain information that is not available through other means, in order to learn about how the brain works on the single-neuron and network levels. The instruments to be developed under this grant will greatly extend our ability to conduct this basic neuroscience research.