Title: Engineering microscale systems for fully autonomous intracellular neural interfaces

Abstract

Conventional electrodes and associated positioning systems for intracellular recording from single neurons in vitro and in vivo are large and bulky, which has largely limited their scalability. Further, acquiring successful intracellular recordings is very tedious, requiring a high degree of skill not readily achieved in a typical laboratory. We report here a robotic, MEMS-based intracellular recording system to overcome the above limitations associated with form-factor, scalability and highly skilled and tedious manual operations required for intracellular recordings. This system combines three distinct technologies: 1) novel microscale, glass-polysilicon penetrating electrode for intracellular recording, 2) electrothermal microactuators for precise microscale movement of each electrode and 3) closed-loop control algorithm for autonomous positioning of electrode inside single neurons. Here, we demonstrate the novel, fully integrated system of glass-polysilicon microelectrode, microscale actuators and controller for autonomous intracellular recordings from single neurons in the abdominal ganglion of Aplysia Californica (n = 5 cells). Consistent resting potentials (< –35 mV) and action potentials (> 60 mV) were recorded after each successful penetration attempt with the controller and microactuated glass-polysilicon microelectrodes. The success rate of penetration and quality of intracellular recordings achieved using electrothermal microactuators were comparable to that of conventional positioning systems. The MEMS-based system offersmore » significant advantages: 1) reduction in overall size for potential use in behaving animals, 2) scalable approach to potentially realize multi-channel recordings and 3) a viable method to fully automate measurement of intracellular recordings. Furthermore, this system will be evaluated in vivo in future rodent studies.« less

Authors:

Kumar, Swathy Sampath ^[1]; Baker, Michael S. ^[2]; Okandan, Murat ^[3]; Muthuswamy, Jit ^[1]

---

+ Show Author Affiliations

1. Arizona State Univ., Tempe, AZ (United States)
2. Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
3. mPower Technology, Inc., Albuquerque, New Mexico (United States)

Publication Date:

Mon Feb 10 00:00:00 EST 2020

Research Org.:

Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)

OSTI Identifier:

1574800

Report Number(s):

SAND-2019-7498J
Journal ID: ISSN 2055-7434; 676990

Grant/Contract Number:  

AC04-94AL85000

Resource Type:

Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:

Microsystems & Nanoengineering (Online)

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Name: Microsystems & Nanoengineering (Online); Journal Volume: 6; Journal Issue: 1; Journal ID: ISSN 2055-7434

Publisher:

Springer Nature

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

42 ENGINEERING