Magnetically Guided Flexible Bioelectronic Probe for Single-Cell Recordings in Multi-Scale Biosystems

Area of Science:

• Bioelectronic systems
• Neuroscience
• Biomedical engineering

Background:

• Current bioelectronic systems lack active positioning, limiting adaptability in complex biological environments.
• Static interfaces hinder precise cellular monitoring and modulation for neuroscience and biomedical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a flexible, magnetically actuated bioelectronic system for precise remote motion control.
• To enable adaptive neural interfacing for improved cellular activity monitoring and modulation.

Main Methods:

• Development of Mag-N-Probe (Magnetically guided Neural-interfacing Probe) using a pliable mesh framework with ferromagnetic nanoparticles.
• Utilizing torque- and gradient force-driven magnetic actuation for controlled navigation in confined spaces.
• Integration with flexible bioelectronics for real-time motion control with sub-micrometer precision.

Main Results:

• Achieved centimeter-scale navigation and sub-micrometer precision for remote motion control.
• Demonstrated repeated targeting of individual neurons for compartment-specific electrophysiological recordings.
• Enabled conformal integration with brain organoids for reliable, multi-channel signal acquisition.

Conclusions:

• Mag-N-Probe offers a versatile and scalable solution for adaptive neural interfacing.
• The system supports both single-cell studies and 3D tissue environments, advancing in vitro research.
• Presents promising prospects for minimally invasive in vivo neural interfacing applications.