Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, United States of America.
Bio5 Institute, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, United States of America.
J Neural Eng. 2021 Mar 17;18(4). doi: 10.1088/1741-2552/abe805.
Progress in understanding neuronal interaction and circuit behavior of the central and peripheral nervous system (PNS) strongly relies on the advancement of tools that record and stimulate with high fidelity and specificity. Currently, devices used in exploratory research predominantly utilize cables or tethers to provide pathways for power supply, data communication, stimulus delivery and recording, which constrains the scope and use of such devices. In particular, the tethered connection, mechanical mismatch to surrounding soft tissues and bones frustrate the interface leading to irritation and limitation of motion of the subject, which in the case of fundamental and preclinical studies, impacts naturalistic behaviors of animals and precludes the use in experiments involving social interaction and ethologically relevant three-dimensional environments, limiting the use of current tools to mostly rodents and exclude species such as birds and fish. This review explores the current state-of-the-art in wireless, subdermally implantable tools that quantitively expand capabilities in analysis and perturbation of the central and PNS by removing tethers and externalized features of implantable neuromodulation and recording tools. Specifically, the review explores power harvesting strategies, wireless communication schemes, and soft materials and mechanics that enable the creation of such devices and discuss their capabilities in the context of freely-behaving subjects. Highlights of this class of devices includes wireless battery-free and fully implantable operation with capabilities in cell specific recording, multimodal neural stimulation and electrical, optogenetic and pharmacological neuromodulation capabilities. We conclude with a discussion on translation of such technologies, which promises routes towards broad dissemination.
理解中枢和外周神经系统（PNS）神经元相互作用和回路行为的进展在很大程度上依赖于能够以高精度和特异性进行记录和刺激的工具的进步。目前，用于探索性研究的设备主要利用电缆或系绳为电源、数据通信、刺激传递和记录提供途径，这限制了此类设备的应用范围和用途。特别是，系绳连接、与周围软组织和骨骼的机械不匹配，导致接口出现刺激和运动限制，这在基础和临床前研究中，会影响动物的自然行为，并且排除了涉及社交互动和与行为相关的三维环境的实验使用，从而限制了当前工具的使用范围主要集中在啮齿动物上，排除了鸟类和鱼类等物种。
本综述探讨了当前无线、皮下可植入工具的最新进展，这些工具通过去除系绳和可植入神经调节和记录工具的外部化特征，定量扩展了对中枢和 PNS 的分析和干扰能力。具体来说，综述探讨了功率收集策略、无线通信方案以及软材料和力学，这些都是实现此类设备的关键，并讨论了它们在自由行为主体背景下的功能。这类设备的亮点包括无线、无电池和完全植入式操作，具有细胞特异性记录、多模态神经刺激以及电、光遗传学和药理学神经调节功能。最后，我们讨论了此类技术的转化，这有望为广泛传播提供途径。
