High Density Carbon Fiber Arrays for Chronic Electrophysiology, Fast Scan Cyclic Voltammetry, and Correlative Anatomy
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Journal of Neural Engineering PAPER High density carbon fiber arrays for chronic electrophysiology, fast scan cyclic voltammetry, and correlative anatomy To cite this article: Paras R Patel et al 2020 J. Neural Eng. 17 056029 View the article online for updates and enhancements. This content was downloaded from IP address 141.213.168.11 on 14/10/2020 at 14:43 J. Neural Eng. 17 (2020) 056029 https://doi.org/10.1088/1741-2552/abb1f6 Journal of Neural Engineering PAPER High density carbon fiber arrays for chronic electrophysiology, fast RECEIVED 7 April 2020 scan cyclic voltammetry, and correlative anatomy REVISED 5 August 2020 Paras R Patel1, Pavlo Popov2, Ciara M Caldwell1, Elissa J Welle1, Daniel Egert3, Jeffrey R Pettibone3, ACCEPTED FOR PUBLICATION 4 2,5 3,6 1,7,8,9 4,8,10,11 24 August 2020 Douglas H Roossien , Jill B Becker , Joshua D Berke , Cynthia A Chestek and Dawen Cai 1 PUBLISHED Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States of America 13 October 2020 2 Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States of America 3 Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, United States of America 4 Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States of America 5 Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States of America 6 Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, United States of America 7 Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States of America 8 Neurosciences Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States of America 9 Robotics Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States of America 10 Department of Biophysics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States of America 11 Author to whom any correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: [email protected] and [email protected] Keywords: dopamine, slice in place, NeuN, calbindin, nucleus accumbens, neurotransmitter Supplementary material for this article is available online Abstract Objective. Multimodal measurements at the neuronal level allow for detailed insight into local circuit function. However, most behavioral studies focus on one or two modalities and are generally limited by the available technology. Approach. Here, we show a combined approach of electrophysiology recordings, chemical sensing, and histological localization of the electrode tips within tissue. The key enabling technology is the underlying use of carbon fiber electrodes, which are small, electrically conductive, and sensitive to dopamine. The carbon fibers were functionalized by coating with Parylene C, a thin insulator with a high dielectric constant, coupled with selective re-exposure of the carbon surface using laser ablation. Main results. We demonstrate the use of this technology by implanting 16 channel arrays in the rat nucleus accumbens. Chronic electrophysiology and dopamine signals were detected 1 month post implant. Additionally, electrodes were left in the tissue, sliced in place during histology, and showed minimal tissue damage. Significance. Our results validate our new technology and methods, which will enable a more comprehensive circuit level understanding of the brain. 1. Introduction from neural recordings, providing another modality to better understand brain function. Both modalities To obtain a complete picture of the many poten- are still primarily examined in isolation and informa- tial underlying mechanisms of brain function, it is tion contained within the interaction between the two important to examine multiple modalities during is usually overlooked, though some progress has been naturally occurring behaviors. One such modality is made towards solving this issue [6]. Another import- neural electrical activity, recorded from a subset of ant modality is tissue architecture. Typically, electro- neurons in the brain region of interest. Action poten- physiology data is collected with only a general under- tials are an excellent indicator of information pro- standing of the anatomy surrounding the electrode. cessing at the millisecond timescale and can be well However, in combining neural recordings with neur- correlated with behavioral variables of interest [1–3]. otransmitter measurements, it is equally important to Coupling this with measurements of neurotransmit- understand the cell type and synaptic connections of ters, which are also associated with behavioral vari- the neurons immediately surrounding the electrode ables [4, 5], can complement the information gained [7, 8]. © 2020 IOP Publishing Ltd J. Neural Eng. 17 (2020) 056029 P R Patel et al The state of the art in neurotechnology is to do a length of the carbon fiber [43, 44] or specifically each of these three things very well in isolation, i.e. electroplating materials high surface area materials in separate animals and usually in separate labs. One such as poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) technology that can combine two of these modalities [22, 45–47]. More recently, it has been shown that together is two photon calcium imaging, which can single carbon fibers can be coated with nanodia- view spiking activity from a large number of neur- monds, enabling both electrophysiology and dopam- ons while simultaneously viewing the tissue architec- ine detection [48]. Adding to the versatility and bene- ture [9, 10]. However, the temporal resolution of fir- fits of carbon fibers are their high Young’s modulus ing activity is not as precise as that of traditional pen- and high fracture toughness [41] which enables an etrating recording electrodes and the imaging depth array of individuated fibers to self-penetrate the rat is limited to approximately one millimeter below the pia at lengths of 500 µm to 1000 µm [42, 49]. Lastly, brain surface [11, 12]. These challenges would make it owning to their small size, carbon fibers can remain difficult to observe long-term trends such as changes within the tissue during cryosectioning [47] and be in neural plasticity in deeper structures seen during localized during imaging as demonstrated by other the development of addiction [13]. groups with similarly sized technology [50, 51]. More typically, modalities such as recording In this work, we aim to bridge the divide between chronic electrophysiology are done in isolation and the individual benefits of carbon fibers. To do this utilize multi-channel silicon probes that can record we will combine them into an array platform that from a large number of neurons [14–16]. In recent can probe the brain through electrical and chem- years, the channel count has increased dramatically ical detection coupled with elucidating underlying for both passive contacts, up to 256 channels in a tissue architecture. First, we will show that our new single array [3, 17], and active contacts, with up to 960 carbon fiber arrays simultaneously have low imped- multiplexed channels [18]. However, they are lim- ance, which is ideal for detecting unit activity, and ited by their inability to perform chemical sensing. second, have high sensitivity to dopamine. Next, we In addition, conventional silicon probes are associ- will demonstrate that the arrays can record unit and ated with heavy scarring [19–23] or mechanical fail- dopaminergic activity from rat nucleus accumbens. ure [24] when chronically implanted. This causes a Finally, using our slice-in-place histology technique variety of problems, including a shortened array life- that allows us to leave the carbon fibers in place dur- time [24–26]. It is also unclear if the function of ing tissue processing, we will precisely localize the the remaining neurons in the inflammatory region, position of the fibers within the brain. whether over the course of months or years, is similar to what it would have been in a healthy brain. Finally, 2. Materials and methods the presence of the electrode itself makes it very diffi- cult to image the neural circuitry as probes are typic- 2.1. Device fabrication, preparation, and ally removed before slicing which severely distorts the characterization tissue. 2.1.1. Flex array fabrication Carbon fiber electrodes may be well suited to One of the carbon fiber devices, or flex array, used address the challenges in combining all three mod- in this study was built upon a custom manufactured alities. Historically, carbon fibers have been used to printed circuit board (PCB) made of 100 µm thick detect catecholamines using fast scan cyclic voltam- polyimide (MicroConnex, Snoqualmie, WA). A con- metry (FSCV) with a particular focus on dopamine nector (A79024-001, Omnetics, Minneapolis, MN) [5, 8, 27–30]. More recently, they have been used to was soldered on to the top of the flex array and sense a variety of other neurotransmitters [31, 32] the pins covered with two-part quick curing epoxy including adenosine [33], glutamate [34], and nitric (1FBG8, Grainger, Lake Forest, IL) (figure 1(a)). At oxide [35]. While previous studies utilized single car- the bottom of the flex array, carbon fibers were bon fibers encapsulated in glass capillaries [27] or attached to the exposed traces using silver epoxy fused silica [36], more recent work has led to the (H20E, Epoxy Technology, Billerica, MA) (figure 1(a) development of Parylene C coated carbon fiber arrays red box and figure 1(b)) that was deposited between capable of dopamine detection in rats [37, 38] and every other trace, resulting in a pitch of 132 µm (fig- primates [39]. The use of Parylene C greatly reduces ure 1(c)). A 2–3 mm bare carbon fiber (T-650/35: the footprint of the electrodes thereby causing less 3 K, Cytec Thornel, Woodland Park, NJ) was placed in damage [40], which has also been validated with the silver epoxy using forceps and the epoxy was then chronically implanted carbon fibers that show min- oven cured (figure 1(d)).