Development of quality criteria for long-term testing of intracortical electrodes

Abstract

The use of intracortical electrodes is a crucial method for medical diagnosis and treatment and holds the promise for overcoming various neural diseases and challenges in prosthetics. The general physical and electrical function as well as the biocompatibility is extensively tested before intracortical electrodes are implanted, however, their longterm performance, is still limited through tissue scarring and electrode deterioration, and consequently a decrease in signal quality. To overcome this challenge, aspects such as materials selection, coatings, flexibility, and surgical procedures are often addressed. To date, however, a systematic, industry - compatible process for long-term functional testing of new intracortical electrodes technologies is still lacking. Implementation of a general overall in vivo testing procedure with defined quality criteria would enable reliable in vivo longterm (> 30 days) device assessment. This could reduce the risk in developing probes for long-term performance and pave the way for clinical application in patients suffering from neural diseases.

Keywords

• quality criteria
• standardization
• neural implants
• electrophysiology