Department of Radiology, UCSD, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, UCSD, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
Nat Commun. 2018 May 23;9(1):2035. doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-04457-5.
Recent advances in optical technologies such as multi-photon microscopy and optogenetics have revolutionized our ability to record and manipulate neuronal activity. Combining optical techniques with electrical recordings is of critical importance to connect the large body of neuroscience knowledge obtained from animal models to human studies mainly relying on electrophysiological recordings of brain-scale activity. However, integration of optical modalities with electrical recordings is challenging due to generation of light-induced artifacts. Here we report a transparent graphene microelectrode technology that eliminates light-induced artifacts to enable crosstalk-free integration of 2-photon microscopy, optogenetic stimulation, and cortical recordings in the same in vivo experiment. We achieve fabrication of crack- and residue-free graphene electrode surfaces yielding high optical transmittance for 2-photon imaging down to ~ 1 mm below the cortical surface. Transparent graphene microelectrode technology offers a practical pathway to investigate neuronal activity over multiple spatial scales extending from single neurons to large neuronal populations.
近年来，多光子显微镜和光遗传学等光学技术的进步极大地提高了我们记录和操纵神经元活动的能力。将光学技术与电记录相结合对于将从动物模型中获得的大量神经科学知识与主要依赖脑尺度活动电生理记录的人类研究联系起来至关重要。然而，由于光诱导伪影的产生，将光学模式与电记录集成具有挑战性。在这里，我们报告了一种透明的石墨烯微电极技术，该技术消除了光诱导伪影，从而能够在同一个体内实验中实现无串扰的 2 光子显微镜、光遗传学刺激和皮质记录的集成。我们实现了无裂纹和无残留的石墨烯电极表面的制造，从而在距皮质表面下方约 1mm 处实现了用于 2 光子成像的高透光率。透明石墨烯微电极技术为研究从单个神经元到大型神经元群体的多个空间尺度的神经元活动提供了一种实用途径。
