High-resolution MEA platform for in-vitro electrogenic cell networks imaging.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Neuroscience
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Existing methods for imaging electrogenic cells lack sufficient resolution and temporal capabilities.
• Analyzing neuronal activity requires advanced tools for both micro- and macro-scale correlation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present, characterize, and validate a novel active-pixel-sensor electrode array (APS-MEA) platform.
• To enable high-resolution, real-time imaging of in-vitro electrogenic cell cultures.
• To facilitate detailed analysis of neuronal activity and micro-/macro-scale behavior correlation.

Main Methods:

• Development of an APS-MEA system with 4096 microelectrodes (21 µm separation).
• Implementation of bi-modal acquisition: full frame at 8 kHz and zoomed area with 8 µs temporal resolution.
• Integration of low-noise amplifiers (11 µVRMS) and image-/video-concept hardware for real-time processing.

Main Results:

• The APS-MEA platform demonstrates high-resolution imaging capabilities under culture conditions.
• Achieved temporal resolutions down to 8 µs in zoomed areas and 8 kHz in full frame.
• System exhibits low-noise performance suitable for handling large data volumes.

Conclusions:

• The developed APS-MEA platform is a validated tool for high-resolution imaging of electrogenic cells.
• Its bi-modal acquisition offers new possibilities for neuronal activity analysis and scale correlation.
• The system's real-time processing capabilities are well-suited for complex biological data.