Orvostechnikai és biotechnikai műszaki tudományok és technológia
Utilization of polymers as insulator and bulk materials of microelectrode arrays (MEAs)
makes the realization of flexible, biocompatible sensors possible, which are suitable
for various neurophysiological experiments such as in vivo detection of local field
potential changes on the surface of the neocortex or unit activities within the brain
tissue. In this paper the microfabrication of a novel, all-flexible, polymer-based
MEA is presented. The device consists of a three dimensional sensor configuration
with an implantable depth electrode array and brain surface electrodes, allowing the
recording of electrocorticographic (ECoG) signals with laminar ones, simultaneously.
In vivo recordings were performed in anesthetized rat brain to test the functionality
of the device under both acute and chronic conditions. The ECoG electrodes recorded
slow-wave thalamocortical oscillations, while the implanted component provided high
quality depth recordings. The implants remained viable for detecting action potentials
of individual neurons for at least 15 weeks.
