Fabrication and testing of microelectrodes for small-field cortical surface recordings

A microfabrication approach to produce a microelectrode array that is suitable for use with human patients has been developed. The device is comprised of materials that are consistent with those of clinically used macroelectrodes (platinum electrode contacts suspended within a biomedical grade polydimethylsiloxane, PDMS). Photolithography, metal deposition, wire bonding, and PDMS encapsulation were used to fabricate the device. Cytotoxicity testing with both mammalian and human cortical cells suggests that the device is suitable for use with human patients and implementation of the device in animal studies revealed that reliable evoked potentials could be acquired with the designed spatial resolution.