Prasad Shalini, Zhang Xuan, Yang Mo, Ni Yingchun, Parpura Vladimir, Ozkan Cengiz S, Ozkan Mihrimah
Department of Electrical Engineering, University of California Riverside, A 220 Bourns Hall, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
J Neurosci Methods. 2004 May 30;135(1-2):79-88. doi: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2003.12.007.
Experimental investigations into the dynamics of neuronal networks are a fundamental step towards understanding how the nervous system works. Memory formation and development are associated with changes in the electrical activity of the neurons. To understand the changes in the electrical activity, it is essential to conduct in vitro studies on individual neurons. Hence, there is an enormous need to develop novel ways for isolating and localizing individual neurons. To this end, we designed and fabricated a 4x4 multiple microelectrode array system to spatially arrange neurons by generating dielectrophoretic traps using gradient alternating current (AC) fields. We characterized the electric field distribution inside our test platform by using three-dimensional finite element modeling (FEM) and estimated the location of neurons over the electrode array. As the first stage in forming a neuronal network, dielectrophoretic AC fields were employed to separate the neurons from the glial cells and to position individual neurons over single electrodes. The extracellular electrical activity from a single neuron was recorded. The frequency spectrum of the electrical activity was generated using fast Fourier transformation analysis (FFT) to determine the characteristic burst rates of individual neurons.
对神经网络动力学的实验研究是理解神经系统工作方式的基本步骤。记忆形成和发育与神经元电活动的变化相关。为了理解电活动的变化，对单个神经元进行体外研究至关重要。因此，迫切需要开发新的方法来分离和定位单个神经元。为此，我们设计并制造了一个4x4多微电极阵列系统，通过使用梯度交变电流（AC）场产生介电泳陷阱来在空间上排列神经元。我们使用三维有限元建模（FEM）对测试平台内部的电场分布进行了表征，并估计了电极阵列上神经元的位置。作为形成神经网络的第一阶段，利用介电泳AC场将神经元与神经胶质细胞分离，并将单个神经元定位在单个电极上。记录了单个神经元的细胞外电活动。使用快速傅里叶变换分析（FFT）生成电活动的频谱，以确定单个神经元的特征爆发率。
