Institut de Neurosciences des Systèmes (INS), INSERM, UMR_1106, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France.
Bioelectronics Materials and Devices Laboratory, Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Purkyňova 123, 61200 Brno, Czech Republic.
J Neural Eng. 2021 Nov 19;18(6). doi: 10.1088/1741-2552/ac37a6.
For decades electrical stimulation has been used in neuroscience to investigate brain networks and been deployed clinically as a mode of therapy. Classically, all methods of electrical stimulation require implanted electrodes to be connected in some manner to an apparatus which provides power for the stimulation itself.. We show the use of novel organic electronic devices, specifically organic electrolytic photocapacitors (OEPCs), which can be activated when illuminated with deep-red wavelengths of light and correspondingly do not require connections with external wires or power supplies when implanted at various depths. We stimulated cortical brain tissue of mice with devices implanted subcutaneously, as well as beneath both the skin and skull to demonstrate a wireless stimulation of the whisker motor cortex. Devices induced both a behavior response (whisker movement) and a sensory response in the corresponding sensory cortex. Additionally, we showed that coating OEPCs with a thin layer of a conducting polymer formulation (PEDOT:PSS) significantly increases their charge storage capacity, and can be used to further optimize the applied photoelectrical stimulation.. Overall, this new technology can provide an on-demand electrical stimulation by simply using an OEPC and a deep-red wavelength illumination. Wires and interconnects to provide power to implanted neurostimulation electrodes are often problematic in freely-moving animal research and with implanted electrodes for long-term therapy in patients. Our wireless brain stimulation opens new perspectives for wireless electrical stimulation for applications in fundamental neurostimulation and in chronic therapy.
几十年来，电刺激一直被用于神经科学研究大脑网络，并被临床应用为一种治疗模式。传统上，所有电刺激方法都需要将植入电极以某种方式连接到为刺激本身提供电力的设备上。我们展示了新型有机电子设备的使用，特别是有机电解质光电电容器（OEPC），当用深红色波长的光照射时可以被激活，因此当植入不同深度时不需要与外部电线或电源连接。我们使用植入皮下、皮肤和颅骨下的设备刺激小鼠的皮质脑组织，以证明对胡须运动皮层的无线刺激。设备诱导了相应感觉皮层中的行为反应（胡须运动）和感觉反应。此外，我们还表明，用一层薄薄的导电聚合物配方（PEDOT：PSS）涂覆 OEPC 可以显著增加其电荷存储容量，并可用于进一步优化施加的光电刺激。总的来说，这种新技术可以通过简单地使用 OEPC 和深红色波长的照明来提供按需电刺激。为植入神经刺激电极提供电力的电线和互连在自由移动的动物研究中和在患者中进行长期治疗的植入电极中通常存在问题。我们的无线脑刺激为无线电刺激在基础神经刺激和慢性治疗中的应用开辟了新的前景。
