Zhou Yu, Yang Huiran, Wang Xueying, Yang Heng, Sun Ke, Zhou Zhitao, Sun Liuyang, Zhao Jianlong, Tao Tiger H, Wei Xiaoling
State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 200050 Shanghai, China.
School of Graduate Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049 Beijing, China.
Microsyst Nanoeng. 2023 Jul 12;9:88. doi: 10.1038/s41378-023-00565-5. eCollection 2023.
Advancements in microscale electrode technology have revolutionized the field of neuroscience and clinical applications by offering high temporal and spatial resolution of recording and stimulation. Flexible neural probes, with their mechanical compliance to brain tissue, have been shown to be superior to rigid devices in terms of stability and longevity in chronic recordings. Shuttle devices are commonly used to assist flexible probe implantation; however, the protective membrane of the brain still makes penetration difficult. Hidden damage to brain vessels during implantation is a significant risk. Inspired by the anatomy of the mosquito mouthparts, we present a biomimetic neuroprobe system that integrates high-sensitivity sensors with a high-fidelity multichannel flexible electrode array. This customizable system achieves distributed and minimally invasive implantation across brain regions. Most importantly, the system's nonvisual monitoring capability provides an early warning detection for intracranial soft tissues, such as vessels, reducing the potential for injury during implantation. The neural probe system demonstrates exceptional sensitivity and adaptability to environmental stimuli, as well as outstanding performance in postoperative and chronic recordings. These findings suggest that our biomimetic neural-probe device offers promising potential for future applications in neuroscience and brain-machine interfaces. A mosquito mouthpart-like bionic neural probe consisting of a highly sensitive tactile sensor module, a flexible microelectrode array, and implanted modules that mimic the structure of mosquito mouthparts. The system enables distributed implantation of electrode arrays across multiple brain regions while making the implantation minimally invasive and avoiding additional dural removal. The tactile sensor array can monitor the implantation process to achieve early warning of vascular damage. The excellent postoperative short-term recording performance and long-term neural activity tracking ability demonstrate that the system is a promising tool in the field of brain-computer interfaces.
微尺度电极技术的进步通过提供高时间和空间分辨率的记录与刺激，彻底改变了神经科学和临床应用领域。柔性神经探针因其对脑组织的机械顺应性，在慢性记录的稳定性和寿命方面已被证明优于刚性装置。穿梭装置通常用于协助柔性探针植入；然而，大脑的保护膜仍然使穿透变得困难。植入过程中对脑血管的潜在损伤是一个重大风险。受蚊子口器解剖结构的启发，我们提出了一种仿生神经探针系统，该系统将高灵敏度传感器与高保真多通道柔性电极阵列集成在一起。这个可定制的系统能够在多个脑区实现分布式且微创的植入。最重要的是，该系统的非视觉监测能力可为颅内软组织（如血管）提供早期预警检测，降低植入过程中的损伤可能性。该神经探针系统展示了对环境刺激的卓越敏感性和适应性，以及在术后和慢性记录中的出色性能。这些发现表明，我们的仿生神经探针装置在神经科学和脑机接口的未来应用中具有广阔的潜力。一种类似蚊子口器的仿生神经探针，由高灵敏度触觉传感器模块、柔性微电极阵列以及模仿蚊子口器结构的植入模块组成。该系统能够在多个脑区实现电极阵列的分布式植入，同时使植入微创化并避免额外的硬脑膜切除。触觉传感器阵列可以监测植入过程，以实现对血管损伤的早期预警。出色的术后短期记录性能和长期神经活动跟踪能力表明，该系统是脑机接口领域一种很有前景的工具。
