Time Multiplexed Active Neural Probe with 1356 Parallel Recording Sites.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Electrical Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Advancements in neural probes are crucial for understanding complex brain functions.
• Existing neural probes often face limitations in electrode density and channel count.
• High-density probes are needed for high-resolution neural activity mapping.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize a novel high electrode density and high channel count CMOS active neural probe.
• To demonstrate the probe's capability for simultaneous neural recordings with sufficient signal-to-noise ratio.
• To compare the probe's performance against the current state-of-the-art.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a 50 µm thick, 100 µm wide, 8 mm long shank CMOS active neural probe.
• Integration of 1344 neuron-sized recording pixels (20 µm × 20 µm) and 12 reference pixels.
• In-situ signal source amplification circuits located directly under each electrode.
• Simultaneous recording from all 1356 electrodes and noise reduction techniques.

Main Results:

• The probe features 1344 recording pixels and 12 reference pixels, surpassing existing active neural probes in electrode count.
• Simultaneous recording from all electrodes is supported with sufficient signal-to-noise ratio for neuroscience applications.
• Measured input-referred noise is 12.4 µVrms (using 678 electrodes) with low power dissipation (3 µW/pixel).

Conclusions:

• The developed CMOS active neural probe offers unprecedented electrode density and channel count.
• The probe provides high-quality neural recordings with low noise and power consumption.
• This technology represents a significant advancement for high-resolution neural activity monitoring in neuroscience.