Fully desktop fabricated flexible graphene electrocorticography (ECoG) arrays.
Jia HuRidwan Fayaz HossainZahra S NavabiAlana TilleryMichael LaroquePreston D DonaldsonSarah L SwisherSuhasa B KodandaramaiahPublished in: Journal of neural engineering (2023)
Objective: Flexible Electrocorticography (ECoG) electrode arrays that conform to the cortical surface and record surface field potentials from multiple brain regions provide unique insights into how computations occurring in distributed brain regions mediate behavior. Specialized microfabrication methods are required to produce flexible ECoG devices with high-density electrode arrays. However, these fabrication methods are challenging for scientists without access to cleanroom fabrication equipment. Results: Here we present a fully desktop fabricated flexible graphene ECoG array. First, we synthesized a stable, conductive ink via liquid exfoliation of Graphene in Cyrene. Next, we established a stencil-printing process for patterning the graphene ink via laser-cut stencils on flexible polyimide substrates. Benchtop tests indicate that the graphene electrodes have good conductivity of ∼1.1 × 10 3 S cm -1 , flexibility to maintain their electrical connection under static bending, and electrochemical stability in a 15 d accelerated corrosion test. Chronically implanted graphene ECoG devices remain fully functional for up to 180 d, with average in vivo impedances of 24.72 ± 95.23 kΩ at 1 kHz. The ECoG device can measure spontaneous surface field potentials from mice under awake and anesthetized states and sensory stimulus-evoked responses. Significance: The stencil-printing fabrication process can be used to create Graphene ECoG devices with customized electrode layouts within 24 h using commonly available laboratory equipment.
Keyphrases
- carbon nanotubes
- high density
- room temperature
- solid state
- walled carbon nanotubes
- mass spectrometry
- gold nanoparticles
- multiple sclerosis
- white matter
- adipose tissue
- tissue engineering
- high frequency
- resting state
- cerebral ischemia
- brain injury
- deep brain stimulation
- high speed
- high fat diet induced
- liquid chromatography
- simultaneous determination