CAREER: Transforming Neural Interfaces Using Stretchable, Transparent, Multifunctional Nanomesh Microelectrodes

为了了解大脑的功能和治疗大脑疾病，神经科学家和临床医生需要大脑映射设备。该项目将开发下一代可伸展和透明的电极阵列，其规模和分辨率前所未有，用于脑记录和刺激。该计划不仅将通过该项目内外的主动设备转换工作在神经科学领域产生广泛影响，而且还将为新型神经假体创造独特的机会。通过生成神经接口，使神经假肢和视网膜假肢具有长期生物兼容性，使其具有与人类相似的性能，该项目将影响美国300多万因上肢丧失、四肢瘫痪、视网膜色素变性失明或癫痫而生活的人。拟议的多学科教育/推广计划将通过为未被充分代表的K-12学生提供研究经验、积极的本科生研究参与、设备翻译方面的研究生领导力培训以及增强的工程学课程来吸引数百名学生。该项目的研究目标是调查一系列基础材料和设备问题，首次建立一种新的独特设备技术--多功能纳米网状微电极，将目前神经接口的范例从僵硬、不透明的神经电极阵列转变为超软和透明的。可伸展神经电极阵列和透明神经电极阵列分别由于其慢性生物兼容性和多模式兼容性而成为两种新兴的神经接口。然而，目前这两个系统的可扩展性都令人困惑，因为从根本上说，除了强制性的机械延伸性或光学透明性之外，现有的电极材料无法同时提供所需的系统级性能，如电化学界面、电导和慢性生物兼容性。基于强大的初步结果，PI假设多功能纳米网状微电极可以拥有上述范式转变所需的所有功能的史无前例的组合，包括低阻抗、大伸展、高透明度和长期生物兼容性。该项目将通过创新的理论设计、实验实现和系统演示/验证来全面检验这一假设，并积极整合闭环设备翻译和体验式教育活动。在纵向上，所产生的神经接口设备前所未有地结合了大吞吐量、长期生物兼容性和多模式兼容性，将对我们研究中枢神经系统中的复杂网络以及与大脑的接口产生深远的影响。在横向上，多功能纳米网格器件的概念、理论框架和制造知识也可以在许多其他领域产生变革，如光电子学、能量存储和纳米发电机，如果需要可伸缩性和/或透明度的话。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

To understand how the brain functions and cure brain disorders, neuroscientists and clinicians need brain mapping devices. This project will develop the next generation of stretchable and transparent electrode arrays with unprecedented scale and resolution for brain recording and stimulation. This program will not only generate broad impacts in neuroscience through proactive device translation efforts in and beyond this project, but also create unique opportunities for novel neuroprosthetics. Through generating neural interfaces that will allow human-like performance in neuroprosthetic limbs and retinal prostheses with chronic biocompatibility, this program will impact more than 3 million people in the U.S. who live with upper limb loss, paralysis due to tetraplegia, blindness due to retinitis pigmentosa, or epilepsy. The proposed multidisciplinary educational/outreach program will engage hundreds of students through research experiences for underrepresented K-12 students, active undergraduate research involvements, graduate leadership training in device translation, and augmented engineering curricula.The research objective of this project is to investigate a set of foundational materials and device problems to for the first time establish a new unique device technology "multifunctional nanomesh microelectrodes" to shift the current paradigm of neural interface from rigid, opaque neuroelectrode arrays towards ultrasoft and transparent ones. Stretchable and transparent neuroelectrode arrays are two emerging neural interfaces due to their chronic biocompatibility and multimodal compatibility, respectively. However, both systems are currently confounded by their scalability since fundamentally, no existing electrode materials can simultaneously provide the required system-level properties of electrochemical interfaces, electrical conductance, and chronic biocompatibility in addition to the mandatory mechanical stretchability or optical transparency. Based on strong preliminary results, the PI hypothesizes that multifunctional nanomesh microelectrodes can possess an unprecedented combination of all functionalities needed for this aforementioned paradigm shift including low impedance, large stretchability, high transparency, and chronic biocompatibility. This project will holistically test this hypothesis through innovative theoretical design, experimental realization, and system demonstration/validation, and proactively integrate closed-loop device translation and experiential education activities. Vertically, the unprecedented combination of large throughput, chronic biocompatibility and multimodal compatibility of the resulting neural interface device will yield profound impacts to both our studying of complex networks in the central nervous system and interfacing with the brain. Laterally, the multifunctional-nanomesh device concept, theoretical framework, and fabrication knowledge can also be transformative in many other fields such as optoelectronics, energy storage, and nanogenerators if stretchability and/or transparency are desired.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.