Abstract
Poly-benzocyclobutene (BCB)-based intracortical neural implant was fabricated, in which micro-fluidic channel was embedded to deliver drug solutions. BCB presents several attractive features for chronic applications: flexibility, biocompatibility, desirable chemical and electrical properties, and can be easily manufactured using existing batch micro-fabrication technology. The fabricated implants have single shank with three recording sites (20 μm×20 μm) and two reserviors (inlet and outlet). The channel had large volume (40 μm width and 10 μm height), and hydrophobic surface to provide a high degree of chemical inertness. All the recording sites were positioned near the end of the shank in order to increase the probability of recording neural signals from a target volume of tissue. In vitro cytotoxicity tests of prototype implants revealed no adverse toxic effects on cultured cells. The implant with a silicon backbone layer of 5-10 μm was robust enough to penetrate rat's pia without buckling, a major drawback of polymer alone. The averaged impedance value at 1 KHz was ∼1.2 MΩ. Simultaneous recordings of neural signals from barrel cortex of a rat were successfully demonstrated.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 404-407 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | Biosensors and Bioelectronics |
Volume | 20 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Sep 15 2004 |
Keywords
- Benzocyclobutene (BCB)
- Bio-MEMS
- Electrodes
- Microfluidics
- Neural implant
- Polyimide
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biotechnology
- Biophysics
- Biomedical Engineering
- Electrochemistry