Posts tagged neural probe arrays

Neural probe arrays are expected to significantly benefit the lives of amputees and people affected by spinal cord injuries or severe neuromotor diseases. By providing a direct route of communication between the brain and artificial limbs, these arrays record and stimulate neurons in the cerebral cortex.

(Image caption: The compact neural probe array consists of a three-dimensional probe array, a custom 100-channel neural recording chip and a flexible polyimide polymer cable. Credit: A*STAR Institute of Microelectronics)

The need for neural probe arrays that are compact, reliable and deliver high performance has prompted researchers to use microfabrication techniques to manufacture probe arrays. Now, a team led by Ming-Yuan Cheng from the A*STAR Institute of Microelectronics, Singapore, has developed a three-dimensional probe array for chronic and long-term implantation in the brain. This array is compact enough to freely float along with the brain when implanted on the cortex.

The neural probe array needs to be implanted in the subarachnoid space of the brain, a narrow region of 1–2.5 millimeters in depth that lies between the pia mater and dura mater brain meninges. “A high-profile array may touch the skull and damage the tissue when relative micromotions occur between the brain and the probes,” explains Cheng. To avoid this problem, the array should be as thin as possible.

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