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Physiologically responsive, mechanically adaptive polymer optical fibers for optogenetics.

Mehdi Jorfi, Guy Voirin, E Johan Foster

    Optics Letters
    |July 1, 2014
    PubMed
    Summary

    Researchers developed new mechanically adaptive optical fibers for optogenetics. These physiologically responsive fibers reduce neuroinflammation, offering a promising tool for neural interfacing and brain stimulation studies.

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    Area of Science:

    • Neuroscience
    • Biomaterials Science
    • Optical Engineering

    Background:

    • Optogenetics enables precise neural control using light, but conventional optical fibers can cause neuroinflammation due to mechanical mismatch with brain tissue.
    • Chronic optogenetic stimulation requires robust and biocompatible tools to minimize adverse tissue responses.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To design and fabricate mechanically adaptive optical fibers that are physiologically responsive and mitigate neuroinflammation.
    • To evaluate the mechanical and optical properties of these novel fibers for optogenetic applications.

    Main Methods:

    • Development of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) optical fibers using a one-step wet-spinning process.
    • Characterization of fiber mechanical properties (tensile storage modulus) in dry and wet states.

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  • Measurement of optical properties (light loss) at relevant wavelengths (470 nm and 590 nm).
  • Assessment of light delivery capability for in vivo neuronal stimulation.

    • Main Results:

    • The PVA fibers exhibit a significant, reversible change in mechanical properties upon hydration, adapting to physiological conditions.
    • Dry fibers have a high modulus (∼7000 MPa), facilitating insertion, while hydrated fibers show a drastically reduced modulus (∼35 MPa) to match tissue compliance.
    • Optical losses were comparable to conventional fibers, with efficient light delivery (>500 mW/cm²) demonstrated for neuronal stimulation.

    Conclusions:

    • Physiologically responsive, mechanically adaptive optical fibers made from PVA offer a promising solution to reduce neuroinflammation in optogenetics.
    • These novel fibers are suitable for chronic implantation and effective light delivery, advancing neural interfacing and brain stimulation research.