Recent advancements in Micro-engineered devices for surface and deep brain animal studies: A review

Abstract

Developing technologies for understanding the functioning of the brain and treating neurological disorders is an important area of research in neuroscience. Devices that form the neural interfaces have a significant contribution in progressing this field. Technological advancements driven by microfabrication techniques and materials innovation have led to the developing of a new class of engineered microelectrode devices. These miniaturized devices provide seamless neural interfaces as demonstrated successfully in animal models. Depending on the brain region to be studied and the application involved, surface and depth micro-engineered devices have been developed for recording or stimulating electrical signals. These devices have also shown potential to be used to treat neurological disorders such as epilepsy and parkinsonian. Strategies such as nanowires as electrode materials and polymer as flexible substrates have proven to help minimize the anti-inflammatory response and maximize the density of microelectrodes. This article provides a detailed overview of the recent developments in micro-engineered surface and depth neural devices used in various animal models.

Keywords

• Deep brain study
• ECoG array
• In vivo
• Implantable device
• MEMS-based process