An Optoelectronics Device to Write-In and Read-Out Activity in Brain Circuits

用于写入和读出脑电路活动的光电装置

• 批准号: 1264816
• 负责人: Arto Nurmikko
• 金额: $ 31万
• 依托单位: Brown University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-08-15 至 2016-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1264816&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Optoelectronics; Device; Write; Read; Out

1264816Nurmikko, ArtoThe proposed research aims to contribute to the emerging field of neurotechnology by providing a new class of brain "write-in"/ "read-out" devices with unique attributes for bidirectional communication with neural circuits. The project aims to have an impact on both basic neuroscience while providing an important technology piece to future prospects for treating severely neurologically impaired individuals via electronic communications with brain circuits. This is a development project that lies at the very intersection of biomedical engineering and health sciences. More specifically, its aim is to create a new generation of devices that enables the combination of spatially and temporally specific stimulation of and recording from brain circuits in vivo mobile animal models, to advance the understanding of brain function at a fundamental level on one hand, while extrapolating squarely at possible applications e.g. to cases of neurological injury on the other. Extracting information about functional connectivity and performance of neural circuits by electrical recording by arrays of sensing microelectrodes is a well-established and powerful technique. For example, by acquiring resolution at a single neuron level from cortical circuits by implanted multielectrode arrays with real-time decoding the intention of a brain to execute motor action has recently enabled a human tetraplegic patient, with neural signal pathways from the brain to spinal cord inoperative, to control a robotic arm and hand by "thought". Supported further by several powerful demonstrations in non-human primates of brain control, a grand challenge to future neural prostheses is to "close-the-loop" for cortical control of assistive devices, for instance by providing a proxy by brain stimulation for lost sensory capability such as touch. Stimulation by electrical means has been traditionally used to excite the brain across multiple spatial scales for both research and has today specific therapeutic use. Importantly, however, the ability to specifically access well-targeted neural circuits for both excitation and inhibition has been now opened by techniques of "optogenetics", a pioneering new approach in basic and applied brain science and neurotechnology. The optical method offers a much more direct and less ambiguous stimulation of brain circuits to inform brain circuits. To reach this goal, a multielement biomedical implant device is proposed where up to 100 microscale elements are integrally arrayed for dual use - in simultaneously delivering light to and electrically reading out neural circuit dynamics ("100 points of light"). Meeting both fundamental physical and practical physiological challenges, a specific class of so-called wide bandgap crystalline semiconductors is exploited - which have the unusual combinatorial attributes of optical transparency and high electrical conductivity. The proposed device-driven research program leverages directly from expertise in the PIs laboratory where work on development of new neural recording methods (such as by wireless implants) intersects with other research strands where wide-bandgap semiconductors are studied and microfabricated to different types of light-emitting devices. In culmination of the research, the new optical stimulation/electrical read-out capability will be tested and employed in vivo in mobile animal models for fundamental brain science and neurotechnology development purposes.

1264816 NURMIKKO，ARTOTHE提出的研究旨在通过提供具有独特的与神经回路双向通信的独特属性的新的大脑“写入”/“读取”设备来为新兴的神经技术领域做出贡献。 该项目旨在对两种基本神经科学产生影响，同时为未来的前景提供重要的技术，以通过与脑电路进行电子通信来治疗严重神经系统障碍的个体。这是一个开发项目，位于生物医学工程和健康科学的交汇处。更具体地说，其目的是创建一种新一代的设备，以使体内移动动物模型对脑电路的空间和时间特定刺激和记录结合，以一方面促进对脑功能的理解，一方面在可能的应用中直接推断出来，例如另一对神经损伤的病例。通过传感微电极阵列通过电气记录来提取有关功能连通性和神经回路的性能的信息，这是一项良好的功能强大的技术。例如，通过通过植入的多电极阵列从皮质回路中获取单个神经元水平的分辨率，并实时解码大脑的目的是执行运动动作的意图不起作用，控制机器人手臂并通过“思想”而手。在非人类控制的非人类灵长类动物中进一步支持，对未来的神经假体的巨大挑战是“近距离”，以对辅助设备进行皮质控制，例如，通过为脑刺激失去感官提供代理触摸等能力。 传统上，通过电气手段刺激刺激大脑在多个空间尺度上激发大脑，以进行研究，并具有当今特定的治疗用途。然而，重要的是，现已通过“光遗传学”技术打开了专门访问针对性的神经回路进行激发和抑制的能力，这是一种开创性的基本和应用脑科学和神经技术的新方法。 光学方法提供了对脑电路的更直接和含糊不清的刺激，以告知脑电路。 为了实现这一目标，提出了一个多元素生物医学植入器装置，其中最多可整合100个显微镜元素供双重使用 - 同时向光发出并电气读取神经电路动力学（“ 100点光点”）。应对基本的物理和实践生理挑战，一类所谓的宽带镜结晶半导体被利用 - 具有光学透明度和高电导率的异常组合属性。拟议的设备驱动研究计划直接从PIS实验室的专业知识中利用，在PIS实验室的专业知识中，开发新的神经记录方法（例如通过无线植入物）与其他研究链相交，研究了宽带半导体，并将其微生物化为不同类型的光线。 - 发射设备。在研究的高潮中，新的光学刺激/电气读出能力将在移动动物模型中进行测试和使用，用于基本的脑科学和神经技术开发目的。