Stability of sputtered iridium oxide neural microelectrodes under kilohertz frequency pulsed stimulation

Objective. Kilohertz (kHz) frequency stimulation has gained attention as a neuromodulation therapy in spinal cord and in peripheral nerve block applications, mainly for treating chronic pain. Yet, few studies have investigated the effects of high-frequency stimulation on the performance of the electrode materials. In this work, we assess the electrochemical characteristics and stability of sputtered iridium oxide film (SIROF) microelectrodes under kHz frequency pulsed electrical stimulation.Approach. SIROF microelectrodes were subjected to 1.5-10 kHz pulsing at charge densities of 250-1000μC cm^-2(25-100 nC phase^-1), under monopolar and bipolar configurations, in buffered saline solution. The electrochemical behavior as well as the long-term stability of the pulsed electrodes was evaluated by voltage transient, cyclic voltammetry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements.Main results. Electrode polarization was more pronounced at higher stimulation frequencies in both monopolar and bipolar configurations. Bipolar stimulation resulted in an overall higher level of polarization than monopolar stimulation with the same parameters. In all tested pulsing conditions, except one, the maximum cathodal and anodal potential excursions stayed within the water window of iridium oxide (-0.6-0.8 V vs Ag|AgCl). Additionally, these SIROF microelectrodes showed little or no changes in the electrochemical performance under continuous current pulsing at frequencies up to 10 kHz for more than 10⁹pulses.Significance. Our results suggest that 10 000μm²SIROF microelectrodes can deliver high-frequency neural stimulation up to 10 kHz in buffered saline at charge densities between 250 and 1000μC cm^-2(25-100 nC phase^-1).