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Insertion of Flexible Neural Probes Using Rigid Stiffeners Attached with Biodissolvable Adhesive
Published on: September 27, 2013
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Development and in vitro validation of flexible intraretinal probes
V Rincón Montes1,2, J Gehlen3, S Ingebrandt4
1Bioelectronics, Institute of Biological Information Processing-3, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany.
Scientific Reports
|November 17, 2020
Summary
Flexible intraretinal probes offer a less damaging alternative to rigid silicon probes for retinal implants. These new probes minimize tissue damage and successfully record neural activity, advancing retinal prosthetics.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Neuroscience
- Ophthalmology
Background:
- Current retinal implants lack retinal activity feedback, crucial for treating degenerative diseases.
- Rigid silicon probes enable bidirectional communication but their biological impact is unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate flexible intraretinal probes.
- To compare the acute biological insertion impact of flexible probes versus silicon probes in mouse retinae.
Main Methods:
- Developed flexible intraretinal probes using polyimide and parylene-C.
- Utilized narrow shank design (50 µm wide, 7 µm thick) and high insertion speeds (187.5 µm/s).
- Validated in vitro insertion impact and neural recording capabilities.
Main Results:
- Flexible probes successfully penetrated the retina with minimal footprint (approx. 2x probe cross-section).
- Insertion induced low dead cell counts, preserving tissue vitality.
- Neural activity was recorded at various retinal depths.
Conclusions:
- Flexible intraretinal probes represent a promising advancement over rigid probes.
- These probes can reduce tissue damage and enable effective neural recording for retinal prosthetics.
